# Vintner's Harvest Instructions



## jtburke86 (Jun 29, 2010)

Hi,
I am about to start making my 2nd batch of wine ever and I am using Vintner’s Harvest Strawberry Fruit Wine Base. However I am a little confused about the instructions. Under step 3 it tells me to “Add all ingredients as directed on can label, excluding those with an "*” which will be added later...” My confusion comes from the 5 tsp. Bisulfite solution. It does not have an “*” next to it on the list but the directions tell me to add it in step 8 which is, “Rack wine again (3 to 4 weeks) when gravity reads 1.010 to 1.000. Add 1 tsp. bisulphite solution per gallon of must.” 
So am I suppose to add the bisulphate solution in step 3 or wait till step 8 even though it does not have a “*”?


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## winemaker_3352 (Jun 29, 2010)

I add it in the beginning to fight off any bacterial infections - then during bulk aging every 3-4 months.

I wait 24 hours before i add the yeast though.

1 tsp sounds high though - i usually add 1/16 tsp per gallon.


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## Wade E (Jun 29, 2010)

Be verycareful abut those sulfite instructions as they are misleading if you read them wrong. Do *not* add 5 tsps of sulfite to your wine! If you have campden tablets then just add one per gallon in the beginning and wait 24 hours before adding your yeast and stir well before you add your yeast. If you have powder sulfite then add 1/4 tsp to 6 gallons or 1/8 tsp per 3 gallons. and wait as stated above. This sulfite is to hold off any wild yeast on the fruit so that your wine yeast of choice can do their job and wine yeast is much more tolerant of sulfite then natural yeast. Welcome to outr forum and stay and chat with us and we'll guide you along to much better wine making.


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## djrockinsteve (Jun 29, 2010)

JT, I know when I did my Vint. bases it was confusing. If you read it very carefully it is correct but it's not written in an order of preference.

Do as Wade said above, add camden tablets (also called K-Meta and Potassium Metabiulfite) yet they are in slight different concentrations. 

I made a 5 gallon first then a 3. Thought the 5 gallon would be weak but it wasn't and I didn't flavor pak, I just sweetened.

If you are still confused PM me and I'll pull the label and help you.


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## BobF (Jun 30, 2010)

winemaker_3352 said:


> I add it in the beginning to fight off any bacterial infections - then during bulk aging every 3-4 months.
> 
> I wait 24 hours before i add the yeast though.
> 
> 1 tsp sounds high though - i usually add 1/16 tsp per gallon.


 
The key is the word "solution". VH cans also include instructions for mixing up a k-meta solution for additions instead of straight powder or tablets. The solution is such that one tsp = one campden tab.

I add to the must up front unless I used boiling water (rare). When I add up front, I skip when xferring to secondary. I add at the next racking, skip the next, etc.

When I skip up front, I add at xfer, skip the next rack, add during the next rack, skip, add, etc.


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## jeepingchick (Jun 30, 2010)

ya i just did the VH blackberry, was a bit confusing but dang did it trun out well!!! i did it as a 3G batch instead makign it bigger andim quite happy with the turn out.

thats all i can add, everyoneelse said everything else LMAO!


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## BobF (Jun 30, 2010)

jeepingchick said:


> ya i just did the VH blackberry, was a bit confusing but dang did it trun out well!!! i did it as a 3G batch instead makign it bigger andim quite happy with the turn out.
> 
> thats all i can add, everyoneelse said everything else LMAO!


 

Good to know ... I have a 3g VH blackberry going now. Been in sec for a couple of weeks. Excellent color!

I have a can of VH raspberry I need to start as soon as I get two batches of elderberry going (from last year's berries).

Gotta' make room for the new harvest!


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## Wade E (Jun 30, 2010)

Personally I find the 5 gallon batch to weak but to each their own. I love almost evry one of these VH cans, especially the Black Currant!


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## BobF (Jul 1, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Personally I find the 5 gallon batch to weak but to each their own. I love almost evry one of these VH cans, especially the Black Currant!


 
A friend of mine is planning to do a 5g batch with the BB so we can compare results. I'm sticking with 3s until I actually try some from a 5g batch. I was skeptical on 3.

I was surprised when I opened the can - in a good way. It was mostly juice with about 1# of actual berries. I had started to worry when I weighed the can at ~7.5# before opening it. Once I saw how much juice there was, I felt better about it.


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## Midwest Vintner (Jul 2, 2010)

BobF said:


> A friend of mine is planning to do a 5g batch with the BB so we can compare results. I'm sticking with 3s until I actually try some from a 5g batch. I was skeptical on 3.
> 
> I was surprised when I opened the can - in a good way. It was mostly juice with about 1# of actual berries. I had started to worry when I weighed the can at ~7.5# before opening it. Once I saw how much juice there was, I felt better about it.



i have used many of these (mostly hard to find fruits locally - MO) and they've always been good. we used to do all 5's, but now we do mostly 3 G's with them. the darker kind of fruits CAN go with 5 gal, but you want to keep the abv down by using less sugar to start. making more of a mild tasting wine, but can still be good that way. many times we supplement the cans with fruit (not the same fruit, so it's a mix) to make 5's.


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## BobF (Jul 2, 2010)

Midwest Vintner said:


> i have used many of these (mostly hard to find fruits locally - MO) and they've always been good. we used to do all 5's, but now we do mostly 3 G's with them. the darker kind of fruits CAN go with 5 gal, but you want to keep the abv down by using less sugar to start. making more of a mild tasting wine, but can still be good that way. many times we supplement the cans with fruit (not the same fruit, so it's a mix) to make 5's.


 
I'm a couple of hours south of you, so I know what you mean about fruit. Elderberries and blackberries are the only thing plentiful, although we did get a bunch of sour cherries this year. My property is covered with wild cherries, but the tent worms get most of those. I suppose I need to get after them next spring.

I bought the VH BB mainly to compare with wild, picked berries. I picked 4.5# yesterday eve. Not many were ripe yet, but the canes are loaded. If we can get some rain in the next few days, I'll be able to get more than enough blackberries in short order. Based on what I got yesterday, when these are ripe I should be able to pick around 3g an hour.

If we don't get rain soon, VH may be my only choice.


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## Midwest Vintner (Jul 4, 2010)

BobF said:


> My property is covered with wild cherries, but the tent worms get most of those. I suppose I need to get after them next spring.



i would as i like cherry wine

you can get frozen blueberries from costco that are descent.


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## BobF (Jul 4, 2010)

Midwest Vintner said:


> i would as i like cherry wine
> 
> you can get frozen blueberries from costco that are descent.


 

I'm not a blueberry fan. BB = blackberry 

I don't get close to a Costco very often. Usually once a year or so when I visit my sis in the St Louis area. She LOVEs Costco!


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## jtburke86 (Jul 6, 2010)

thanks guys


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