# Blackberry wine recipe?



## rymily (Jan 19, 2009)

Our second batch of wine is going to be Blackberry. We have 3 pounds of Oregan brand Blackberry puree. Does anyone have a good recipe they'd like to share??


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## Wade E (Jan 19, 2009)

1 gallon recipe
1 -49 0z can
1 3/4 lbs of sugar
1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme
1/2 tsp of acid blend
1 tsp of nutrient
5 pints of water
1 packet of Lalvin 71B-1112 or Red Star Coes Des Blanc


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## rymily (Jan 25, 2009)

Woule a Cuvee yeast work with this recipe?


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## rymily (Jan 25, 2009)

Also - in the recipe above, do you mean 1 and 3/4 lbs sugar, or just 3/4 lb sugar?


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## Wade E (Jan 25, 2009)

1.75 lbs I would really go with the 71B 1112 as it will help eat up more of the malic acid that Blackberries are very high in but in reality any yeast will work but some are suited better for different wines as you probably know.


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## rymily (Jan 29, 2009)

Will this produce 1 gallon? 

I have another gallon jug I want to make for our third batch of wine (check out my orange-wine thread.)


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## Wade E (Jan 29, 2009)

That is a 1 gallon recipe.


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## rymily (Feb 12, 2009)

*Worried (stuck fermentation?)*

It has been about 3 days since I added the yeast Lalvin 71B-1112. The rubber stopper on the lid of the primary fermenter (6+ gallons) broke off at the end of our last batch of strawberry wine. We went back to the wine store, and they just recommended to drill a slightly bigger hold and add a small bung to use for the air-lock. I hope no air is being allowed in! The strawberry wine seemed to start frothing and bubbling in the air lock by this point...we are worried!


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## cpfan (Feb 12, 2009)

rymily said:


> The strawberry wine seemed to start frothing and bubbling in the air lock by this point...we are worried!


Specific gravities? Start & current.
Temperature? Room & wine.

Visual signs of fermentation are often a waste of time.

I don't think the lid has anything to do with this.

Steve


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## rymily (Feb 12, 2009)

Original (pre-yeast) hygrometer readings:

1.100
13.0 %alc
About 67-69 degrees F in our kitchen, which we have closed off because we don't want our two cats to touch/mess with anything. I will take a reading on the hygrometer again, this is it's fourth day of fermenting (or not?)

Thanks

BTW: the bottom of the air-lock isn't coming out of the bottom of the bung...could this be a problem if it is the lid after all? We are very sterile with equipement, at least I though!


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## rymily (Feb 16, 2009)

Well, the wine seems to be fermenting well. We tested the SG today and it was down to 1.020. We transfered to the secondary fermenter today as well. Thanks for your help!


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## Wade E (Feb 16, 2009)

It will be a swell wine, I made an sweetening pack for mine by buying 4 10 ounce packages of frozen blackberries and simmered them in a small amount of water with some sugar in a fermenting bag and then sqeezed them very well to extract all the juice and added to my sorbated and sulfited wine when it was dom=ne fermenting and then adjusted the acid to .66 and it is very good at this age already.


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## rymily (Feb 17, 2009)

It's fizzing and bubbling alot and has that fermentation scent. We siphoned it into the 1 gallon w/ an air lock, and NOW it is bubbling like crazy. It's in a dark closet at room temp.

I plan on using the two 1gal glass containers to siphon between, and after about 4 fermentations I will wrinse out the bottom of an empty semdiment filled 1g. Will this work?


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## rymily (Feb 20, 2009)

To date: Slight bubbling in air lock of 1gal primary fermenter (after pouring out of 7 gallon tub.)

A lot of sediment lighter in color is staying about half-way up the gallon, even after about a week settled on the dresser.

Any suggestions?


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## Wade E (Feb 21, 2009)

Just make sure to sanitize the jug each time.


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## Luc (Feb 22, 2009)

Patience, it will be fine.


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## Wade E (Feb 22, 2009)

Did you use a fermention bag?


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## rymily (Feb 23, 2009)

It was in the original 7gallon primary fermentator for a few weeks. I did not put the fruit in a bag like I did with the 24lbs of Strawberries. We just sterilized everything and followed the recipe. I'm excited, I'm glad you like it Wade. And yes, patience is key. I'm going to use my hygrometer and test everything. How many times should I rack it between the two 1gal air locked jugs?


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## Wade E (Feb 23, 2009)

Until it is clear. I usually rack when done fermenting, then add sulfite and sorbate. Ill let that sit for typically 1 month then rack off those lees. The next racking is usually around another 2 months later and again I add sulfite. At this stage it will sit for another 3-4 months before racking typically if it even still has anything to rack off butt I just keep doing this unless it is not clearing at all and at that point I will add Superkleer to clear it up.


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## rymily (Mar 22, 2009)

*Need to add water?*

We racked our 1 gallon blackberry wine today and the jug is now about 3/4 full. Do we need to add water to top it off or is it okay to have so much extra room for oxygen? Our reading was at 0.99.


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## rymily (Mar 24, 2009)

Should I top it off with boiled water, or boiled sugar water? It has more air in it that I think is optimal...although we got ALOT of the light purple "sludge" and lees out by racking this first time.

Also, how long until we should rack again? That was the first racking, about 3 months since start.


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## Wade E (Mar 24, 2009)

I woukd either rack to smaller vessels or find something to diplace the missong volume or top up with a similiar wine. Have you added both k-meta and sorbate at this point?


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## rymily (Mar 24, 2009)

We have not added these yet. . . should they be added with each racking? I think we will use steralized marbles to dispace the air.


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## rymily (Apr 13, 2009)

It seems as if the sediment and/or yeast/lees are sitting ontop of the sterilized marbles we added to the 1gal jar to "top" it off for the correct air level.

How should we go about racking it again, and in how long? It's been about 3 months now with one racking (into the marbles.) Can you add superclear© even when you are still fermenting?

Thanks!!!!


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## smurfe (Apr 13, 2009)

You add the clearing agent after the wine has been stabilized with the sulfites and sorbate. You only add the sorbate once to stabilize. Depending on how long you bulk age depends on how often you add sulfites. If you are going to clear the wine and then bottle. I would just add it once when you are stabilizing, let the wine drop clear and bottle it.


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## Wade E (Apr 13, 2009)

I would rack off the lees when its done fermenting, stabilze with sulfite and sorbate, degas and then add fiining agent if you desire so. DO NOT ADD fining agent while a wine is still fermenting or you will have a reverse settling with all the lees at the top instead of the bottom.


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