# Blueberry Wine



## Waldo (Sep 4, 2005)

My neighbor gave me 2 quarts of fresh frozen blueberries. I considered using them in my mead but having never tried Blueberry wine I decided to try me a gallon of it to see if I liked it. The recipe I used was from Georges site but there was one item I did not have ( YeastEnergizer)and hope it will not adversely affect the outcome of my wine. By weight, I had almost a quarter pound of berries more than the recipe called for but I used them all.


I pitched the yeast this evening at a SG of 1.025 and a temp of 75 degrees. 


My gawd what haveyou people done to me. I now have brewing, 5 gallon of Blackberry,7 gallon of Peach, 6 gallon Australian Shiraz, 2 gallon of Strawberry , 1 gallon of Blueberry and the makings for 1 gallon of Mead and a kit from George for 3 gallons of Port.


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## Bert (Sep 4, 2005)

Looks like you have that wine making fever...Isn't it great...









Wine making more than just a hobby..


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## Hippie (Sep 4, 2005)

Waldo, just stir it in after you get some in, it will be fine. Unless the above SG is a typo, you better rethink it. I hope you meant 1.085.


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## peterCooper (Sep 4, 2005)

I've seen a number of posts concerning SG. I get the impression (correct me 
if I am wrong) that the starting SG is related to the amount of sugar in the 
must. 

Why does adding sugar change the taste so much? 
Does it make difference whether you use white refined, brown sugar or 
honey? Is it just a matter of taste?


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## Hippie (Sep 4, 2005)

Specific Gravity is a measure of the viscosity of the must or wine. The more sugar dissolved in the must or wine, the thicker it becomes or the higher the SG gets. The higher the SG, the more potential alcohol can be made. If you have a triplescale hydrometer, it shows 3 different measurements. SG, PA, and degrees balling. Specific gravity and Potential Alcohol are mostly used for wine and beer making. Degrees balling is mostly used in making candy. The taste is not changed so much when adding sugar to a must, more so the balance and chemistry of the finished wine. Yes, different types of sugar change the SG more or less in relation to one another.


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## Waldo (Sep 9, 2005)

It was a typo Hippie.


I checked the PH on my Blueberry this morning with the test strips and got a reddish color that is not on the scale which indicates ????



*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Waldo (Sep 10, 2005)

Racked my Blueberry this morning to a Gallon Jug at SG 1.035. Just a tad high still butIAirlocked it and the fermenting continues. I really needed my fermenter to start my Mead. I know Hippie...."Patience"


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## Hippie (Sep 11, 2005)

I hope it don't foam into the airlock!


Looks good!


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## Waldo (Sep 11, 2005)

So far it has not and is still bubbling steadily.


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## Waldo (Sep 13, 2005)

Racked Blueberrythis evening at an SG of .080. Degassed it and added one campden tablet and 1/2tsp Sorbate to stabalize. Stirred well, topped off with some Blackberry wine and put an airlock on her.


Tasted rather icky and smelled about the same. Nothing like the blueberiesI started out with. Time will tell I guess.


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## Hippie (Sep 13, 2005)

Was that .998?


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## MedPretzel (Sep 14, 2005)

Waldo, 





Time will tell. I tasted my blueberry at 2 weeks and now at about 5-6 weeks. Even in that time, there is a huge improvement in taste and smell. It almost looks like it darkened up a bit as well, but that might just be optical illusion. 





So keep the faith, and start another batch. Maybe you should consider getting another primary fermentor?


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## Waldo (Sep 14, 2005)

Thanks for the encouragement Martina. 


Hippie I did a drawing of my Hydrometer and the numbering on it. Am I reading it wrong? Do I have the wrong type Hydrometer?


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## Hippie (Sep 14, 2005)

I think it is technically possible to get the SG down to .988, but that would be drier than I have ever heard of. You are saying 'above' when the actual term should be 'below' as the hydrometer sinks further into the liquid as it gets thinner with less sugar and more alcohol. One mark below 1.000 is .998, then .996, .994, .992, .990. that is as low as the SG scale on my hydrometer goes. If there was another mark, it would be .988. If the SG is really that low, I got one thang to say...


GOOD JOB!!!


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## Hippie (Sep 14, 2005)

Waldo, try to get some water, distilled preferably, exactly 60*F and see if your hydrometer reads 1.000. If it does not, you need to correct for this fault when measuring Sg of must and wine. I know, alot of work, but it will be a good exercise for a beginning winemaker, and then you will know.


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## Waldo (Sep 15, 2005)

Will do Hippie. 


I am also somewhat confused as thatbeginning fromthe bottom of the hydrometer the numbers decrease in increments of "20" with 3 unmarked lines between each increment until you get to 1110 and then the next number is 1080. What is that about? 


Also, when taking my readings I have been "assuming" that since there are 3 unmarked lines between each number they have a value of 5 so that makes it confusing to me that the next line below 1000 would be .998. Do I not have enough lines on my hydrometer? 


OK Hippie. I used the filtered water dispensed from my frig. I let it room warm to 60 degrees and it looks like it is right on the money. Picture a little fuzzy but I think you see the reading ok





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## MedPretzel (Sep 15, 2005)

Nothing wrong with your Hydrometer there!


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## Hippie (Sep 15, 2005)

I don't know what type hydrometer you have. Mine is called a triple scale and seems to have more markings than you describe. Can you get a better pic of just the hydrometer? It sounds like it is calibrated correctly, no problem there. I think you need to order a new one that you can read more accurately. The one you have might be made for candy makers or something.


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## jojo (Sep 15, 2005)

This is a great thread. I realize I just assume things are right with my hydrometer.


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## Waldo (Sep 15, 2005)

Iscanned it Hippie. My digital does not do that good with close ups. 








*Edited by: Waldo *


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## MedPretzel (Sep 15, 2005)

Waldo,





I think you should get another hydrometer. (Like Hippie mentioned, triple scale) This one is okay, and nothing per se wrong with it, but with a triple-scale one, you can figure out potential alcohol by just reading off the hydrometer. 





You still can use this one - nothing wrong with it, but I think you'd enjoy a triple-scale one much more. Mine, I believe, has more lines to it, so you can make distinctions between 0.990 and 0.998....





Just my 2 cents, 





Martina


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## masta (Sep 15, 2005)

I concur...


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## Waldo (Sep 15, 2005)

Thanks Martina and Masta..I have a shipment supposed to leave George's tomorrow so I will have him add one to my order


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## Waldo (Sep 21, 2005)

Got my new hydrometer today and , WOW !!! It is 4 times the size of the one I was using. Just the part with the scales on it is bigger than the one I had. And I can read it without a magnifying glass


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## Hippie (Sep 22, 2005)

I am so proud!


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## Angell Wine (Sep 25, 2005)

i started a blackberry from puree 2 weeks ago. racked it to the carboy a week ago. it's dropping lees like crazy. i rack again yesterday with about a cup and a half of lees. check again today and it has about inch on the bottom again. plan on waiting couple more weeks to rack again. is it normal for that much lees.


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## Waldo (Oct 1, 2005)

Angell..I don't think what you are seeing is abnormal. Especially with a puree. I know I got a lot of sediment from my Peach which was a puree. You might want to consider leaving on the lees a little longer. Not sure but seems like you may racking too often.


I Racked and stabilizedmy Blueberry tonight at an SG of .096. Seems to clearing up nicely








and the taste is definately improving.





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Hippie (Oct 2, 2005)

Wow. It seems to have retained the blueberry color.


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## Waldo (Oct 2, 2005)

Is that unusual? This is my first shot atmaking Blueberry


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## Hippie (Oct 2, 2005)

I don't know, I've never made it.


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## Bill B (Oct 2, 2005)

Waldo, are you going to sweeten this a bit or leave it dry? I do prefer dry wines but I found with the addition of a little sugar before bottling the Blueberry really comesalive. Just curious


Bill


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## rgecaprock (Oct 2, 2005)

Waldo,


That is a very pretty color..going to check my blueberry and rack it today see how it is doing..


Boy, you are really cranking out the wines.....you are a man hard to keep up with






Ramona


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## masta (Oct 2, 2005)

I agree Waldo has caught the wine making fever in a big way!


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## Waldo (Oct 2, 2005)

Bill...I am going to wait until it is ready to bottle and make that decision then. 


Thanks Ramona.Comon now...catch me if you can


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## Waldo (Dec 13, 2005)

Well, Sunday was decision making time and I did sweeten the Blueberry just a tad before I bottled it. Lordy, Lordy, I wish I had had enough bluebberries to have made 12 gallons of this. It was truly awesome already as evidenced by the 5th bottle already missing from the gallon I made.



One bottle is going to my neighbor who gave me the berries and I am hoarding the rest


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## MedPretzel (Dec 13, 2005)

Very nice!





Waldo, it seems that your stash is getting bigger and bigger by the day!!! 





*Now go and make some more!



*


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 13, 2005)

Very classy labels and foils....Lots of thought going into your end products....lovely!!!


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## Waldo (Dec 14, 2005)

Thanks All...This wine making is a blast !!!! I LOVE IT


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