# Strawberry Wine



## Bert (Feb 11, 2012)

Finally was able to get a batch of strawberry wine started [ 3 gal. batch]...they have been in the freezer sense this past summer....Got the strawberries at a local u-pick.....the smell from steamer was awesome....32 lbs to go...


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## Cracked Cork (Feb 11, 2012)

Are you using 100% strawberry juice from the steamer? How much juice are you getting from your strawberries? We are thinking of steaming a batch and going 100% juice this spring. Crackedcork


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## Wade E (Feb 11, 2012)

Is this a no water added batch besides what the steamer might add?


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## Bert (Feb 11, 2012)

Sorry for misinformation....I did a 4 lb per gallon batch....the 32 lbs to go is what I have left in the freezer...
Cracked Corks; I got 12.5 pts of juice from 12 lbs of strawberries...but I didn't spend a lot of time juicing them, as I put the remains in a straining bag and added them to the batch...Hoping to get a little more out of them and to keep the nice strawberry color it had..


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## Wade E (Feb 11, 2012)

Hope it comes out good, Id personally at least dble the amount of fruit especially with strawberry as they dont have a strong flavor.


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## Cracked Cork (Feb 12, 2012)

I want to take 30 pounds for 3 gallons. Why did you steam juice them if you are putting the pulp back into the must, you could have saved yourself the trouble of steaming them if you were going to do that? We have also had some good luck adding a little extra dried malt extract to really boost the body of strawberry.

Crackedcorks


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## Bert (Feb 12, 2012)

Others have posted about losing the color when making strawberry wine....I hoping adding the pulp would help.....the extra dried malt you added, that was light malt???? and did you add it up front or too the secondary......Also how did you prep the malt before adding it???? And how much per gallon???Thanks for the help...


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## Bert (Feb 12, 2012)

Wade; I'm planning to add a flavor pack and backsweeten a bit too help bring the flavor out...


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## Wade E (Feb 12, 2012)

I believe its the adding of sulfites that makes this specific wine lose its color. Maybe you can just use more ascorbic acid on this and less sulfites to remedy this problem. I would use Extra light Dry Malt extract. Its usually used in primary right in the beginning replacing some of the sugar and since its much easier for yeast to eat it really doesnt need inverting first just pour it in with the juice but mix it oin good while doing so as it likes to clump up.


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## Cracked Cork (Feb 12, 2012)

Extra light is the only one you want to use with wine, especially with strawberry. To dissolve it we use a whisk in the hot juice, a pound in 3 gallons is about right. I was trying to figure out why you went through the trouble of steaming them just to put the pulp back in, one of the main reasons to steam is to extract the juice and keep it separated from the pulp. If you want to add a little red color some elderberries helps with that a lot. CC 



Bert said:


> Others have posted about losing the color when making strawberry wine....I hoping adding the pulp would help.....the extra dried malt you added, that was light malt???? and did you add it up front or too the secondary......Also how did you prep the malt before adding it???? And how much per gallon???Thanks for the help...


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## tonyandkory (Feb 12, 2012)

We just started a batch of strawberry wine. 

2 pounds per gallon for a 6 gallon batch 12lb 

It is in secondary now and is hot pink with a strong berry odor and flavor. 
we put the berries through a blender and put them in a two strainer bags. 
every day we squeezed them to extract juice and color for a week. 
In the end all we had left was a little pulp and a bunch of seeds. 

We will see how it turns out but I think next time we will tripple the amount of berries.
this will require a bigger primary though.

here is where we started 
strawberry 12 pounds strawberries, 3camden tabs, bentonite, yeast nutrient, water to 6 gal, 1/2 tsp acid blend, red star Cote des Blancs 1/30/2012 6 gallons 13.5 lb 1.104

... let us know how it turns out... I will do the same. 

Tony


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## Wade E (Feb 12, 2012)

I hope Im wrong but Im pretty sure you are not going to taste any strawberry with that small amount


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## Dean (Feb 12, 2012)

my last batch of Strawberry wine, in 2006 I believe, was close to 36lbs of berries for a 6 gallon batch. I still have 6 bottles left from that batch, and they still do not show signs of decline. It looks like a dark rose, and smells of summer berries. I made sure they were picked in the heat of the day. That makes the berries soft. Usually those ones picked like that are called jam berries. They are very ripe, and when warm can barely hold their shape.
You are quite light on the amount of fruit. I also only brought my SG up to 1.090, as too much alcohol will make a berry wine hot.


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## tonyandkory (Feb 13, 2012)

I hope you are wrong too.

Secondary fermentation is almost complete and it still smells and tastes like strawberries So here's to hoping.

I think I will definatly use alot more next batch. I was also hoping by using the Cote des Blancs that the yeast would putter out around 12-13% and leave a little sweetness.


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## Wade E (Feb 13, 2012)

Never plan on your yeast stopping like that as its still a risky situation. Always try and ferment dry and then sweeten back!


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## Cracked Cork (Feb 13, 2012)

Go out right NOW and get at least 20 more pounds of strawberries and dump them into your primary and leave them for a few days, strain them out and then rack to a carboy. You are going to have a very weak flavored watery wine if you dont fix it NOW! Cracked


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## Kemo (Feb 15, 2012)

I was thinking about doing a full steam juice batch and adding some dried elderberries to add some richness and body. Since strawberries are so light in flavor I'm worried about oak... and I LOVE OAK!!. U thinkHungarian heavy toastwill do without overpowering it?


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## Bert (Feb 15, 2012)

Strawberry wine in the secondary...Has very nice color..hope it stays....did add 1.5 cups of light extra dry malt in the first 24hrs. of fermentation.....

Tony; if your wine turns out to be weak on flavor, I'm thinking you can add a flavor pack and with your high Alc. content it will be pretty nice and not turn into a wine cooler...

Kemo; I like some oak too, but I would be worry that heavy toast oak would hide a lot of flavor....but oaking is kind of a personal thing too...have fun it's your wine


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## Cracked Cork (Feb 16, 2012)

A little oak goes nicely with strawberry, but not to much. Together with the extra body you get from the malt and you really have something special. We opened up a 10 year old strawberry, it filled the house with strawberry perfume, and had not taste whatsoever, I didnt use enough berries! I read in winemakermag where one winery used 100% strawberries, crushes them with rice chaff and ferments the pure juice, sounds like another good project. Cracked


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## Kemo (Feb 17, 2012)

Maybe you should move to texas then, we're gonna get them under a dollar/pound in a month or two... 3 gal steam juice batch


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## Cracked Cork (Feb 18, 2012)

5 gal of juice from 60 pounds of strawberries would be good! CC


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## Kemo (Feb 18, 2012)

You'd even have enough for a nice sized f-pak. You could even use some lactose sugar to give it some creamy-ness


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## Wade E (Feb 18, 2012)

We have a local winery that makes strawberry wine like that Crackedcork and also does some of it as Champagne and both are to die for. I made some Strawberry Champagne with 3 cans of Vintners Harvest to a 3 gallon batch and it came out really nice!


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## tonyandkory (Feb 20, 2012)

Bert, 
I think I will do that F-pack.

Kemo, 
where are you getting berries at? .... you pick?


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## Kemo (Feb 20, 2012)

Either the freezer section at costco with will generally get you 12 lbs for around $16-$18, or during the summer you can get them at the grocery store (randalls/ tom thumb, kroger, walmart, ect...) for $1/ lb or under. 
If you find a deal then be absolutely shameless!! Last year I got around 15 lbs worth at Randalls and then went to kroger for another 10. You can generally find the same deal for Cherries, Blueberries, and Blackberries. The exceptions are Cranberries and Plums.... their even cheaper! I caught Cranberries at Aldi for 29 cents for a 12 oz bag, and plums at Market Street(Sort of like a Whole Foods) at 8 small plums for $1. 
The only thing is you have to be willing to wait for them to go on sale in the spring and summer, which is theagonizingpart. Good hunting!


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## Bert (Feb 20, 2012)

I plan to do an F-pack and to back sweeten.....Did strawberry mead a while back and left it dry...Had great strawberry smell, but expecting that nice strawberry taste just wasn't there in the dry mead...plan to try to fix that....


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## Cracked Cork (Feb 21, 2012)

What was your recipe Bert, do you think the taste was just because it was to dry? What kind of honey did you use?CC


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## Bert (Feb 21, 2012)

Can't find the notes on this one, but as I remember it, the honey was from Sam's Club and the strawberries also....2qts. of honey and 2qts of strawberries, for a 3 gal. batch.....And yes, pretty weak on the strawberries...bottled this in '05....The mead is pretty nice with a nice strawberry smell, just little strawberry taste....I add 2TBS of simple syrup to each bottle as I open them, this does help bring out a bit of strawberry taste...I'm still on a learning curve


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## Wade E (Feb 22, 2012)

Just remember that when making a true mead the fruit amount should be down some compared to a wine. the honey should come through first with a good hint of berry behind and not over power the honey. But also remember its your wine and to go nuts!!! LOL


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