# Sweet Grape and blackberry wine



## halfbaked (Jul 26, 2020)

I have blackberry juice that was ment for jelly from our black berry patch. It has 20+ years since I have made wine. I have 6 gal carboys so I want a 5 gal recipe. 4-6 lbs of fruit per gal and 1.5-2 lb of sugar is what I think I remember I would use and Ec1118. I am looking for a sweet wine so I would have to kill yeast and back sweeten and put something in to make solids fall to the bottom before racking. I have never made blackberry wine. 



The brother in law just bought a house that is full of black grapes that are supposed to be for wine. I suspect in 30 days they will be ready. I have no idea what kind they are. Looking for all sweet wine

I am looking for advice.


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## KCCam (Jul 26, 2020)

You came to the right place. I haven’t made it, but BlackBerry is a favourite around here. Check out the Country Fruit Winemaking forum.


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## KCCam (Jul 26, 2020)

Sounds like you remember the basics. Someone in the Wine Making from Grapes forum might be able to help you identify the grapes.


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## halfbaked (Jul 26, 2020)

thanks Cam


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## sour_grapes (Jul 26, 2020)

I am not sure what you have in mind when you say "kill the yeast." There is not a good way for a home winemaker to stop an active fermentation. Best practice is to let the wine ferment to dry, add potassium sorbate as a stabilizer to inhibit future fermentation, then backsweeten to your taste.

Welcome aboard!


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## KCCam (Jul 26, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> I am not sure what you have in mind when you say "kill the yeast." There is not a good way for a home winemaker to stop an active fermentation. Best practice is to let the wine ferment to dry, add potassium sorbate as a stabilizer to inhibit future fermentation, then backsweeten to your taste.
> 
> Welcome aboard!


When I saw “backsweeten” I assumed @halfbaked understood the process, but good point. That is a very important and largely misunderstood concept for beginners.


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## halfbaked (Jul 26, 2020)

sour_grapes said:


> I am not sure what you have in mind when you say "kill the yeast." There is not a good way for a home winemaker to stop an active fermentation. Best practice is to let the wine ferment to dry, add potassium sorbate as a stabilizer to inhibit future fermentation, then backsweeten to your taste.
> 
> Welcome aboard!



It has been a long time. I am after advice just like u just gave. Thanks!!


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## hounddawg (Jul 27, 2020)

blackberry makes a very fine wine, grapes i have no clue about, back to blackberry, you. said you like sweet, but what ABV, are you shooting for, i'd run a SSG OF around 1.085 or 1.090, add yeast energizer, yeast nutrients, a fair amount of pectic enzyme, run 5 to 6 pounds of blackberry to the gallon minimum, ferment in open container, keep cloth over it to keep insects out, stir hard twice a day, when ferment gets to around SG Of .996 , then rack off gross lees into a carboy, airlock it and let it bulk age, the longer the better, come time to bottle add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite (K-META) and what your package called for on potassium sorbate, then add sugar to taste, blackberry i usually backsweeten to 1.040, but it gets sweeter with age so you might backsweeten to 1.030, all is in the taste of the crafter, or more importantly your better half,, lol, best of luck, on here you will get tons of help. good solid advice, 
Dawg


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## KCCam (Jul 27, 2020)

hounddawg said:


> you might backsweeten to 1.030, all is in the taste of the crafter, or more importantly your better half,, lol,


Yah, @hounddawg has a sweet tooth. 1.030 is too sweet for me, but go slow and stop just before you (or your better half) think it’s just right.


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## hounddawg (Jul 27, 2020)

KCCam said:


> Yah, @hounddawg has a sweet tooth. 1.030 is too sweet for me, but go slow and stop just before you (or your better half) think it’s just right.


true i hope one day to make the finest wines like boone's farm, tj swan ect
Dawg


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## halfbaked (Jul 27, 2020)

hounddawg said:


> blackberry makes a very fine wine, grapes i have no clue about, back to blackberry, you. said you like sweet, but what ABV, are you shooting for, i'd run a SSG OF around 1.085 or 1.090, add yeast energizer, yeast nutrients, a fair amount of pectic enzyme, run 5 to 6 pounds of blackberry to the gallon minimum, ferment in open container, keep cloth over it to keep insects out, stir hard twice a day, when ferment gets to around SG Of .996 , then rack off gross lees into a carboy, airlock it and let it bulk age, the longer the better, come time to bottle add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite (K-META) and what your package called for on potassium sorbate, then add sugar to taste, blackberry i usually backsweeten to 1.040, but it gets sweeter with age so you might backsweeten to 1.030, all is in the taste of the crafter, or more importantly your better half,, lol, best of luck, on here you will get tons of help. good solid advice,
> Dawg


I hope the better half likes it because she will be drinking 75%. ( well if it is good). Question 10 lb of fruit will make how much juice??? I have some I have already squeezed and no idea how many lbs it is. 
1.09 just a guess are we talking 10lb sugar for 5 gal of wine?


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## hounddawg (Jul 27, 2020)

halfbaked said:


> I hope the better half likes it because she will be drinking 75%. ( well if it is good). Question 10 lb of fruit will make how much juice??? I have some I have already squeezed and no idea how many lbs it is.
> 1.09 just a guess are we talking 10lb sugar for 5 gal of wine?


myself since blackberry is a very strong flavor, i use 6 to 7 lbs per gallon of water, but even at 5lb per gallon water it makes a fine wine, the higher the flavor then you can use some water or apple juice, now bananas is one of your least or lightest flavors, so on bananas i go 12 lb per gallon fluid, i prefer apple juice, but water works as well, both blackberry and elderberry are very strong flavors, come to think , i've never used pure blackberries, but your talking lots an lots then even lots more for pure blackberry juice, and come time rack into carboy time to let ferment die and at bottling time back sweeten to taste after adding potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate following package directions, 
Dawg


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