# Starting A Vinters Harvest Blackberry



## Waldo (Jan 1, 2006)

12/30/05 9PM 


Started the Blackberry with the following recipe.


2- 96oz cans Vinters Harvest Blackberries


Ozark Mountain Spring Water to bring liquid in fermenter to 6 gallon


6 Campden Tablets cruished and dissolved


3 tsp. Acid Blend


10 lbs Sugar


6 Tsp Yeat Nutrient


Mixed all the above ingrediants well, Put blackberries in strainer bag.


Made a starter using 1/2 cup spring water warmed to 100 degrees and Lalvin EC 1118 yeast. I let it hydrate for 30 minutes and added 1/2 cup of Blackberrymust and covered it. 


12/31/05 3AM Added another 1/2 cup of must to starter


12/31/054 AM Tried out my new Vinoferm Acid test kit and found out I needed some distilled water to dilute my must for proper testing so I just used my acid test strips and had to add another 2-1/2 tsp. Acid Blend ( added in 1/2 Tsp increments) to get acid level to around 3.8. checked SG and it was at 1.082 so I dissolved another 2 lbs sugar and added to must and it checked at 1.090. 


12/31/05 2PM Added another 1/2 cup must to starter


12/31/05 4PM Added 5/16 tsp of liquid Pectic Enzyme and stirred must well.


01/01/2006 9AM My first wine of 2006




Checked SG of must at 1.090 and a temp of 72 degrees. Added starter to must. Sang her a little tune and covered her up. 


01/01/06 3:30 PM Must have been the right tune or the right yeast. She is going strong right now





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## MedPretzel (Jan 1, 2006)

yumm!


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## Angell Wine (Jan 1, 2006)

Are you going to add a little oak when you rack to the secondary?


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## jojo (Jan 1, 2006)

sweet!


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## Waldo (Jan 1, 2006)

Thanks All.


Angell, I will be adding 2 ounces of French Oak Medium Toast when the wine goes to the secondary


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## masta (Jan 2, 2006)

Looking good my friend....


I haveall my counter space and then some full of primaries and secondaries here at Valley Brew to start off the year right! *Edited by: masta *


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## Waldo (Jan 2, 2006)

Going to be a fun year I do believe Masta


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## Maui Joe (Jan 2, 2006)

Nice looking batch of wine Waldo! Keep us posted.


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## Waldo (Jan 2, 2006)

Thanks Maui..Fermentation is still going strong. 





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## pkcook (Jan 2, 2006)

Waldo,


Have you tried oak in other fruit wines? I've been tempted to try it, but couldn't imagine peach or raspberry with oak



. I love a good oaky Cab or Shiraz.


Pat


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## Harry (Jan 2, 2006)

Waldo I have some Apple wood i am going to roast in my oven and try it in a Mustang grape Wine . I have 40 lbs in my freezer, and no carboys






Harry


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## Waldo (Jan 3, 2006)

How long has the wood been drying Harry? I think the proper thing to do here would be to next day air to me them ole Mustang grapes and let that apple wood continue drying until this fall. By that time the new crop will be in, you can gather some carboys and you will be ready to rock n roll. And, abou that time I will be bottling the wine from the grapes you sent me.


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## Waldo (Jan 3, 2006)

I have used oak in my Peach, Muscadine and Muscadine/Concord Grape blend and my BlueberryPat. The Muscadine/Concord blend I left the oak on a little too long but I think it will mellow out over time. If not, I will blend a little more Muscadine wioth it this fall. The others were very good. 




pkcook said:


> Waldo,
> 
> 
> Have you tried oak in other fruit wines? I've been tempted to try it, but couldn't imagine peach or raspberry with oak
> ...


 *Edited by: Waldo *


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## Waldo (Jan 3, 2006)

SG this morning was at 1.058 at a must temp of 74 degrees. Looks like that EC 1118 is going to ferment her pretty quick which is why I used it. I donned a pair of disposable gloves and gave the strainer bag a good squeezing. I want all that good Blackberry flavor outa them berries I can get. The taste of the wine was very fruitybut still too sweet to tell much moreabout it.


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## pkcook (Jan 3, 2006)

Waldo,


You have given me the courage to try some in my next batch of concord. Nothing ventured nothing gained!


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## Waldo (Jan 3, 2006)

I think you will like it phcook..I would recommend taste testing at least every 4-5 daysafter the first two weeks on the oak. Any choice on type of oak made yet? I would recommend the French Medium toast myself.


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## pkcook (Jan 3, 2006)

Waldo,


Thanks for the recommendation. I just popped a cork on a 6 month old Apple that I wasn't too fond of at bottling, but what a difference time has worked on this wine. I think I will try a batch of apple with a little oak on my next batch.


Pat


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## Waldo (Jan 4, 2006)

What variety of Apple was the wine made from Pat? 


SG on Blackberry was at 1.046 this morning. I gave it a good stirring and mushed some moree goody from the strainer bag. Will probably be racking this one to carboy about Thursday evening if she continues fermenting at this rate.*Edited by: Waldo *


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## pkcook (Jan 4, 2006)

Waldo,


This was a bottled juice batch from the Wright-Patterson Commisary



. 


Pat


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## Waldo (Jan 4, 2006)

Cool......


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## Waldo (Jan 14, 2006)

Have kinda left this thread stranded but I'm back with it now. SG on the Blackberry this morning was at .996 Right after I checked the SG I used a new toy I got from a friend of mine. This baby works great on putting the shrink caps on your wines.









I put the shrink caps on my Muscadine-Grape








And my Green Apple Riesling...What was left of it












Racked my Port, which is ready to bottle at any time now.














And finally, my wine rack is full and I have 3 cases overflow of Peach, Muscadine-Grape, Port, Blurberry and Shiraz which I will use to dispense to friends.


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## Maui Joe (Jan 14, 2006)

Nice looking wines Waldo!



Awesome wine rack too!


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## Waldo (Jan 14, 2006)

Thanks Maui ..just not optimum for long term storage but as of now it's all I have so it will have to do


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## masta (Jan 14, 2006)

Lookin good my friend and the heat gun is sweet for putin on the shrinks!


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## jobe05 (Jan 14, 2006)

Waldo, thosr are great looking wines, good job to you!






Was the green apple a kit? If so, how long will you age it before drinking it? I got a few coomercial bottles last year and really enjoy it. I would like to make some for next summer and wondering when I should start it.


Went to my wine shop today and he had 2 quart jars of 100% Muscadine juice!



So I bought them and am getting ready to make another gallon batch...... ashamed to say, that batch you helped me make is almost gone



. I do have one bottle tucked away for a year though, and won't touch it!


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## Waldo (Jan 14, 2006)

Hey Jobe..Yes, the Green Apple was an Island Mist kit and it was very good at bottling. I am going to get another one soon and tweak it a bit. I cannot any of what I just bottled aging very long as everyone has loved it and wanting more. I am going to keep a couple of bottles for a while but the wine is really made to drink young. 


Now...Eat your heart out podner cause asI am posting this, I am thawing out Muscadines thatI picked up about an hour ago and will be starting me a 5 gallon batch tomorrow. I am going to do a pictoral for the forum with this batch so stay tuned and watch for the post. They are a hybrid Muscadine and the grower said that it requires only 2-3 lbs per gallon of wine with these as opposed to the 5-6 lbs required of the wild Muscadines. he gave me a bottle of his that he made last year and it was really good. It was a little sweeter than what I prefer but still very good. Keep me posted on how the juice concentrate works out. How expensive was it?*Edited by: Waldo *


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## MedPretzel (Jan 16, 2006)

Waldo (or anyone!), 





I received one can from Santa (thank you) of a black currant Vinter's Harvest concentrate.


I am almost thinking I'm going to make 3 gallons of it, but wanted some input on your blackberry one. Is it too heavy? I am thinking of making a _heavier_-bodied wine, but I don't want it _*too*_ heavy. I'm worried about the dilution if I decide to go with 5 gallons. I want a semi-heavy, semi-light wine. Not quite as light as a zin, but not as heavy as a .... port? I like Cab-Savs, Merlots and (my absolute favorite) Dornfelder, which is a cross between the two.


I even would be willing to top up with a store-bought Cab if I had to, but am still not sure. I also don't want this wine to taste like a black-currant candy or to be overly sweet. I'm a dry-drinker, but would make it so that there's a hint of sweetness to it (for my mom, who bought it for me, but little did she know that it was meant for her birthday, so technically, she bought her own birthday present, minus a few bottles).


What are your experiences? Anybody else have experience with this? 


Sorry for hijacking this thread. Feel free to remove this post and post it as a new thread if you feel it should be one.









Thanks!


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## masta (Jan 16, 2006)

I made 2 batches of Blackberry with the Vintner's Harvest Fruit...one 3 gal and one 5 gal each with 1 can of fruit. One can was just right for the 3 gal and a bit thin for the 5 gal in my opinion.


Go for the 3 gal!


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## jobe05 (Jan 16, 2006)

A Hybrid Muscadine???? Never heard of that one, but they sound wonderfull! You lucky dog! I opened the bottles and started the Muscadine, I don't think Im going to be impressed at all. Not even a hint of that wonderfull Muscadine smell, More "Grapey" smelling and purplish color than red.... But we'll see how it turns out. Can't wait till next years Muscadine picking season......, My freezer is going to be full! The Juice I bought was $6.95 a quart. I can also get 100% Black Cherry juice and am thinking of a gallon of that to see how it would be.


Martina: Last year I made a Rasberry from a vinters harvest 96oz can and I liked the body of this wine. The directions say you can make 3 gallons or 5 gallons, I opted to do the 3 gallons thinking it would give me a more flavorfull wine which it did. However, I don't know if all the canned fruits would be the same, but mine have been bottled now for almost a year and is still not very drinkable. Im guessing about another 6 months, so I don't know if this would be just the rasberry that would take the extra aging time, or if it would be all the canned fruit. I made a blackberry out of fresh picked fruit and loved it right out of the primary, it's always been great. I may re-try the rasberry and see how it comes out the second time. Keep us posted.


*Edited by: jobe05 *


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## Waldo (Jan 17, 2006)

*Martina*..I would go for the 3 gallon batch. I think the 5 would be much too thin and you would be disappointed. 


*Jobe*. How was the Muscadine juice processed? And i'm with you on anticipating next years season.


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## Waldo (Jan 17, 2006)

Blackberry racked at .990.








Dissolved 6 crushed campden tablets and 3 tsp Sorbate in 1/2 cup of wine. Drew off about 3 more cups of wine from carboy, added campden and sorbate and degasssed using fizz-x attached to drill.








Almost immediate clearing began





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## pkcook (Jan 18, 2006)

Waldo,


Do you degas the wine you pull out of the carboy before you use the fizz-x. I'm thinking about buying this gadget, but want to know how it works.


Pat


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## Waldo (Jan 18, 2006)

I do not degas what comes out Pat. It is a small amount and has never seemed to hurt any of my wines by not doing that. I did it on one batch once but could tell no difference. The Fizz-X is definately the way to go podner.


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## MedPretzel (Jan 18, 2006)

I completely agree with Waldo, Pat. I do the same, and it works great. Since you degas more than once (at least I do), the stuff I take out gets dumped in again, and in the next round some gets taken out again. I believe it's such a minimal amount that actually is not degassed that you could disregard it.


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## bilbo-in-maine (Jan 19, 2006)

Pat - You have the option of quickly degassing the small amount removed 
by putting it in any sanitized container that you can place your hand over 
and shaking it for several minutes. This takes CO2 out effectively. Then 
add to the main batch as usual.

Bill


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## Waldo (Feb 5, 2006)

Racked my Blackberry whichcontinues to clear nicely and was very pleased as it has retained more of the Blackberry flavor than my first batch did.








There was very little sediment left in the carboy after racking so I believe that in anoher 4-6 weeks it should be ready to bottle.








Blackberry now racked and will continue bulk aging unil ready for bottling. I believe this is going to be a very good Blackberry wine.











Put his pajamas back on him and put him back next to his cousin, the Muscadine which also continues clearing and wil be ready to rack in anotgher couple of days








Not a thread for it but here is a picture of a Wine ExpertPort I bottled the end of January. It was my first truly successful attempt at doing a Port and thus far I am well pleased with its outcome. Very fruity flavors, oak not overpowering but detectable and a nice finish. May bring a couple of bottles of this to our Spring ( Whatever we end up calling it )at Georges. 








*Edited by: Waldo *


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## OldWino1 (Feb 18, 2006)

That is a hek of a crafsman comerical for the drill HAHAHAHAHAHA also wald do you sleep I noticed the post times 5 am me and my wine are asleep. and those are certainly nice looking wine cosseys.*Edited by: OldWino *


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## Waldo (Feb 18, 2006)

I am up every morning between 2:15AM and 2:30 AM Wino. Have been doing it for over 30 years now. I am usually in bed by 9:30 pm though. I occasionally watch the 10 o'clock news but not very often


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## usafcajun (Feb 18, 2006)

pkcook,

You active military, retired or a contractor at WPAFB?

USAFCajun
3C0x1




pkcook said:


> Waldo,
> 
> 
> This was a bottled juice batch from the Wright-Patterson Commisary
> ...


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## pkcook (Feb 18, 2006)

Still active duty at least for the rest of this year. I've got 24 years in and about ready to hang it up and start another career.


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## usafcajun (Feb 18, 2006)

16 years here....in the Reservesnow though.


Waldo....


Great looking wine! Canyou post a pic or two of the muscadine? I have both black and elderberry in carboys right now 3 gal each. I'd like to compare their states to yours.



USAFCajun


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## Waldo (Feb 19, 2006)

Here are the pictures of the current batch i have going usa


 [url]http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID= 1168&amp;PN=1[/url]


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## pkcook (Feb 19, 2006)

Waldo,


The blackberry looks great




. I have become a huge fan of blackberry and raspberry wines. They are my favorites, I guess because theyare the only wine my wife enjoys and they do compliment fine chocolate.






You have become quite the winemaster!


Keep us posted,


Pat


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## Waldo (Feb 19, 2006)

Thanks PH.And having a blast doing it.


Racked my Muscadine again this evening and she is still clearing great.














Also, I just started me a RJ Spagnols CRUPlatinum series Australian Shiraz that has a good strong fermentation going








And an Island Mist Green Apple Riesling that I tweaked a bit for a higher alcohol contentand has a good fermentation going too








*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Harry (Feb 19, 2006)

Verrrrrrrry good job Waldo


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## Waldo (Feb 20, 2006)

Thanks Harry......No doubt the Australian Shiraz has become one of my favorite reds


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## TNFISHRMAN (Feb 20, 2006)

Waldo, How much sugar did you add to the Green Apple? I added about 3 1/2 to the last one I did.


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## Waldo (Feb 21, 2006)

I added 4 lbs TN.......She is still fermenting


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## jojo (Mar 15, 2006)

nice stuff waldo


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## Waldo (Mar 15, 2006)

Thanks JoJo. If I make it to Winestock I will be bringing some of the Blackberry, Peach, Muscadine and not sure what else.


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## PolishWineP (Mar 15, 2006)

I for one am hoping you make it to Winestock, along with everyone else! I want to try everyone else's wine, especially some Muscadine! It's not something we have access to up here on the frozen dundra...


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