# Wild Berry Apple Wine



## St Allie (May 1, 2009)

Mitchell's Wild Berry Apple Wine

1/2 pound Raspberries
1/2 pound Blueberries
1/4 pound Strawberries
1 gallon Apple Juice (store bought 100% juice or fresh pressed cider)
1 Campden tablet
Pectic Enzyme
1 packet Red Star Champagne yeast

Start by throwing the berries into a blender with a little bit of the apple juice. Blend well. Pour must into primary and add campden and pectic enzyme. Let sit 24 hours. After 24 hours, pitch yeast, and let ferment on pulp for 2 weeks. Rack and ferment an additional 2 weeks. Rack again and ferment until clear (about 1 month). Rack again and bulk age 3-6 months. Bottle.

My OG was 1.084, and as of the bulk aging rack, SG had dropped to 0.998. The primary fermentation quantity actually comes out to about 1.25-1.5 gallons due to 1 full gallon of apple juice as well as the berry juice. When I tasted it at the bulk aging rack, it was still quite tart, and the alcohol flavor was strong. I'm hoping that 3 months will mellow it a bit, if not then I'll let it sit for another 3 months. I'll update when it's done with bulk aging.


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## Nubz (Aug 5, 2009)

theres no sugar in the recipe
is this correct or did you forget to type it in lol


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## St Allie (Aug 5, 2009)

That is the recipe, as posted by Mitchell.

There would be quite a high natural sugar level in the must as there is no added water at all.

Allie


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## Madriver Wines (Aug 5, 2009)

I wonder why only 1/4 lb of Strawberry? It will get lost in the berry flavors.
Sounds like one I will try though, thanks Steve


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## hocke230 (Apr 24, 2013)

Is this just a 1 gallon recipe? Has anyone else done this? I might make this x3 and see how it comes out.


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## RegionRat (Apr 24, 2013)

St Allie said:


> Mitchell's Wild Berry Apple Wine
> 
> 1/2 pound Raspberries
> 1/2 pound Blueberries
> ...




I was wondering what I was going to make next. You have inspired me. 

I think I will use 3 or 4 bags of Triple Berry Blend with 4 or 5 gal of Apple juice.

RR


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## dralarms (Apr 24, 2013)

I'm fixing to fire off a batch myself. We shall see.


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## jswordy (Apr 25, 2013)

St Allie said:


> When I tasted it at the bulk aging rack, it was still quite tart, and the alcohol flavor was strong. I'm hoping that 3 months will mellow it a bit, if not then I'll let it sit for another 3 months. I'll update when it's done with bulk aging.



Both will improve at 3, but I'll bet you need to set some aside for longer than 6 months. It should be good if given the time.

If you want to rush it a bit on the tartness, try adding baking soda. It mellows the acid.


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## hocke230 (Apr 25, 2013)

What if I juiced all the berries and put all the pulp in a cheese cloth, any thoughts?


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## RegionRat (Apr 26, 2013)

hocke230 said:


> What if I juiced all the berries and put all the pulp in a cheese cloth, any thoughts?




I think it would be an extra step you really dont need to do. Putting the fruit in a nylon bag and the addition of Pectic enzyme is all you really need.

RR


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## dralarms (Apr 28, 2013)

Just to see if I would like this I mixed 3/4 cup apple with 1/4 mixed berry (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry), it is fantastic. I'm gonna start on a 6 gal batch before the week is out.


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## dralarms (Apr 30, 2013)

I started mine today.

12 cans old orchard apple juice
5 cans old orchard "berry blend"
Water per instructions
Sugar to 1.090 ( didn't actually measure the sugar)


Got almost a 6 1/2 gallon Carboy full, yeast looks happy, happy, happy.


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## RegionRat (May 4, 2013)

Started mine the other day. I used 5 gal apple juice, 5 - 12oz bags of frozen quad berry mix. Sg 1.098ish. Used Red Star champagne yeast. It is bubbling away. Smells and tastes awesome!!! 

RR


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## dralarms (Jul 6, 2013)

Mines in the bottle.


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## FTC Wines (Jul 6, 2013)

This sounds great. I've got plenty of Apple bottled & at least 20 bottles of triple berry bottled. I think I will be doing some bench tests, OH Hate that! This could be the next in the fermenter. Roy


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## hocke230 (Jul 7, 2013)

Any thoughts on making this a little darker? What other juice can I add with apple? Possibly grape?


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## hocke230 (Jul 7, 2013)

Another question do you let the fruit defrost before throwing it in or just let it defrost in the bucket!


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## dralarms (Jul 7, 2013)

Why darker? I suppose you could add some food coloring but I don't see why you would need to.


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## hocke230 (Jul 7, 2013)

Darker as in add other juice, wouldn't use any food coloring was thinking the berries would add more color


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## dralarms (Jul 7, 2013)

You could always add more blackberry but its designed as a light wine. You don't want too much heavy fruit to mask the apple. 

That's about 1/4 mixed berry to 3/4 apple. You can go as high as half and half. But it starts to hide the apple.


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## RegionRat (Jul 20, 2013)

dralarms said:


> Mines in the bottle.


I am getting ready to bottle mine. I stared mine within a few days of yours. Did you sweeten at all?

RR


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## dralarms (Jul 20, 2013)

RegionRat said:


> I am getting ready to bottle mine. I stared mine within a few days of yours. Did you sweeten at all?
> 
> RR



Yes, not sure of the final SG, but it sure is Good.


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## beardy (Jul 21, 2013)

Oh man. I want THIS! I need more carboys....


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## PamNoir (Sep 27, 2014)

I have a batch in primary right now, and love the colour! My osg Was 1.093. Checked it today and it was 1.01. I think I will rack into secondary in the next few days. I will keep you posted.Great recipe!


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## PamNoir (Oct 2, 2014)

Racked into secondary yesterday. Today it cleared way more than I expected! 



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## PamNoir (Dec 4, 2014)

Bottled! I think this is going to be yummy one...


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## PamNoir (Apr 20, 2015)

Having a glass with husband after a long, long day and it's great! A bit tart but very tasty... Any ageing updates?


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## BernardSmith (Apr 21, 2015)

Mine too is a little tart but I am not yet read to bottle (just pitched the yeast at the beginning of January). Any suggestions as to how to cut the acidity? Would back-sweetening help to balance this out? I see that Jim suggested adding baking powder but I'd prefer not to go that route although I have (slightly) less anxiety about adding K-carbonate.


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## BernardSmith (Apr 22, 2015)

I checked my carboy this morning (I am an early riser) and spent 15 minutes removing CO2 from the carboy by pulling a vacuum. Pam, was your wine CO2 -free when you bottled it? Three months seems like an incredibly short amount of time from yeast to bottling... I think what I might do is let it sit on oak for a week or so and then bottle..


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## PamNoir (Apr 23, 2015)

I degassed mine before bottling too. It was one of my first wines and did not know a lot... I still don't?  I didn't back sweeten but it should have been. I'll do this again but I won't let it get so dry and I'll sweeten.


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## sour_grapes (Apr 23, 2015)

PamNoir said:


> I'll do this again but I won't let it get so dry and I'll sweeten.



Conventional wisdom is that you _must_ let it go all the way to dry, then let it sit a bit, and then add potassium sorbate before backsweetening. I.e., there isn't a practical way for a home winemaker to stop an active fermentation, leaving some sugar behind.


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## dralarms (Apr 24, 2015)

I just started my latest batch.

22 cans old orchard apple
16 cans old orchard berry blend
90 cans water (calls for 114 but this boosts the flavor)
Sugar to 1.095
4 teaspoons fermax
2 packets rc-212 yeast

This is a double batch from my last recipe which is very good.

Got this in my 20 gallon brute can. Once the fermentation calms down a bit I'll put it in a couple carboys.

This has to age 9 months to taste right, 12 to 15 is better.


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## dralarms (Apr 24, 2015)

sour_grapes said:


> Conventional wisdom is that you _must_ let it go all the way to dry, then let it sit a bit, and then add potassium sorbate before backsweetening. I.e., there isn't a practical way for a home winemaker to stop an active fermentation, leaving some sugar behind.



My brother has been doing this, now that I finally got him to understand the hydrometer reads residual sugar and not actual alcohol content. His latest wine (a strawberry) is hitting 1.070 AFTER fermentation. 

I think he might start listening to me instead of relying on idiot directions.


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