# First Strawberry wine batch.



## winemaker_3352 (Apr 8, 2010)

I have just started my first strawberrry wine batch - starting SG was 1.085 - i racked yesterday (SG at 1.002) into secondary to finish the fermentation.

My question is this - i am only making a gallon - and when fermentation is complete - i need to top off - but i am about 1-2 cups low. If i backsweeten should i just top up with water/sugar mixture or would someone recommend a strawberry juice of some sort to top off and backsweeten?


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## Tom (Apr 8, 2010)

rack and let it finish. Give it another 7-10 days. Then add meta a and sorbate. let it sit another week or so.. Rack and add f-pac and back sweeten and add clearing agent. This should be more than enough to fill the head space. Remember there will be more settling


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## winemaker_3352 (Apr 8, 2010)

Sorry for my ignorance - but what exactly is an f-pac?


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## Tom (Apr 8, 2010)

F-PAC	

How to make a F-PAC = Flavor Pac


Add 20-30% of #’s of fruit what was used in the primary (if you used 30# in recipe then you will need 6-9# more for the f-pac) in a large frying pan or pot. Simmer to extract all "flavor" and reduce the water from the fruit. Strain thru a kitchen strainer and add AFTER you rack and after the wine is DRY ( .990) You MUST have added k-meta and Sorbate before adding the f-pac. Once adding the f-pac you can add clearing agent. You will have to rack at least 2+ more times. Then
back sweeten to YOUR taste using simple syrup.

Tom

Home of the
MOON RIVER BREWERY
and
DELANCO VINEYARDS


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## winemaker_3352 (Apr 8, 2010)

Perfect!! Thank you very much!!


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## winemaker_3352 (Apr 13, 2010)

When i make the f-pac - do i need to adjust the acidity or SG at all? Or just extract the juice out and add it to my batch?


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## Tom (Apr 13, 2010)

No, It shouldnt make much of a difference. Make sure you added k-meta AND sorbate before adding the f-pac.


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## winemaker_3352 (Apr 14, 2010)

Is there any reason to do cold stabilization on this?

The tartaric acid reading was .60 - i just want to make sure that i won't have ice crystals after bottling.


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## winemaker_3352 (Apr 22, 2010)

So i added in sorbate and k-meta - about a week later i racked my strawberry wine - SG was at 0.999 for 3 days in a row - added f-pac, back sweetened to 1.016, and adding clearing agent.

Before adding my clearing agent i sampled the wine - it smells fine, but it tasted like a not so sweet strawberry.

Is this normal? I am hoping that it tasted this because the wine is young - about 3 weeks.


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## Tom (Apr 22, 2010)

The taste is all about how many #'s per gallon and how strong your f-pac is. I make a strong f-pac. I just bottled 6 gallons of Strawberry yesterday and tasted like liquid strawberry.


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## winemaker_3352 (Apr 22, 2010)

For 1 gallon i used 8# strawberries and 4# for the f-pac - to back sweeten to 1.016 i used 1 cup of sugar.

Will time make the taste a little more pleasant? Or is there something i need to correct?


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## Tom (Apr 22, 2010)

Looks good. Fruit wines will get a little sweeter over time. Give it at least a month in bottle before opening one.
rather than add sugar to the wine make simple syrup. Adding sugar directly to the wine is harder to dissolve.


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## winemaker_3352 (Apr 22, 2010)

Yeah - that is what i did - i made a simple syrup. I read a thread on here the other day about that.


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## Maestro (Apr 22, 2010)

I really want to do a true strawberry wine myself, but I am seeing that this padawan has much to learn still. Research more I must.


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## marly (Apr 22, 2010)

Tom said:


> The taste is all about how many #'s per gallon and how strong your f-pac is. I make a strong f-pac. I just bottled 6 gallons of Strawberry yesterday and tasted like liquid strawberry.



hi tom care to share your recipe you used for strawberry wine.it sounds delicious marly


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## Tom (Apr 22, 2010)

*6 GAllons of Strawberry Wine*

36# of strawberries. I used my Steam juicer and did this last June and started it in October. I just bottled yesterday.
Water to 6 gallons
Pectic enzyme
acid blend
Sugar to 1.085 usinb WineCalc to find right amount
yeast = Cote des Blancs
yeast nutrient
1/4tsp tannin
ferment as normal.
Once dry rack and add meta and sorbate. 1 week later added f-pac of 12# of strawberries (3+ qts of steamed strawberry reduced over 1/2) and backsweeten
Wait a week add clearing agent.
Rack as needed age
filtered before bottling


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## marly (Apr 23, 2010)

thanks tom will try this in july when berries are ripe here


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## Tom (Apr 23, 2010)

Why Wait? Get 6 bags of Strawberries from Sams Club


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## marly (Apr 23, 2010)

i live on pei . no sams no costico just asuper store and the berries there have no taste. i'll have to wait


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## Midwest Vintner (Apr 24, 2010)

freezing the berries will help to release more flavor. although, the yeasties love the strawberries and there isn't much left after fermentation.

you can use some banana's or raisens (i prefer raisens) to add more body. 

it's good to experiment a little. maybe not on first batches, but find what it lacks and search for how to add. if you keep notes, it helps too.


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## NSwiner (Apr 24, 2010)

So could you just throw the strawberries right in the bucket to start them ?


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## Midwest Vintner (Apr 24, 2010)

NSwiner said:


> So could you just throw the strawberries right in the bucket to start them ?



i take out the stems and cores. then i slice them. freeze, thaw and throw in with a nylon bag.


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## Tom (Apr 24, 2010)

Same here. Freezing helps breaks down the cell walls and you extract more.


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## winemaker_3352 (Apr 24, 2010)

Yup - that is also exactly what i did.


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## NSwiner (Apr 25, 2010)

Ok I'll have to make sure I have room in my freezer for 36 lbs of strawberries .Maybe i could talk work into letting me put them in thier freezer for a couple of days . Too bad my boss isn't a drinker I could use that to my advantage .


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## batavia (Apr 30, 2010)

Can I make a secondary F-pack? I used 16lbs for my 3gal batch (actually more like 3.5gal) and after stabilizing,degassing etc. I added an F-pack made from 4lbs, but it still doesn't seem to have added a whole lot of flavor...is it too late/not advisable to whip up another f-pack? Or does the fruit flavor come out more once I backsweeten and age?


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## Tom (Apr 30, 2010)

4# should make a difference. I would make some simple syrup and back sweeten to YOUR taste. This will bring out more flavor. I hope you added Meta AND sorbate prior to the f-pac.


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 25, 2010)

Racked the strawberry and added super kleer - this tasted awesome!!! I am facing a little problem - it just doesn't want to clear - still a tab bit cloudy.

My other strawberry batch is already clear and i haven't used the super kleer yet.

I added pectic during primary, this has been going since 4-1-2010.

Any thoughts?


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## pwrose (Sep 25, 2010)

That sounds more like a pectic haze when it don't clear like that. I don't know if the superkleer will work on that. If it doesn't i would add another dose of pectic enzyme. Maybe someone else will have another idea but thats what it sounds like to me.

I have a similar problem with my elderberry port.


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## Tom (Sep 25, 2010)

winemaker_3352 said:


> Racked the strawberry and added super kleer - this tasted awesome!!! I am facing a little problem - it just doesn't want to clear - still a tab bit cloudy.
> 
> My other strawberry batch is already clear and i haven't used the super kleer yet.
> 
> ...


How long has it been since U added Super_Kleer?


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 25, 2010)

Tom said:


> How long has it been since U added Super_Kleer?



I added the super kleer on 4-21 - and then i added another dose 2 days ago.

It does appear clearer but just a bit cloudy.


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## Tom (Sep 25, 2010)

Then like PXROSE said may be pectic haze. On another idea... When did you degas. This keeps sediment in suspension


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 25, 2010)

Tom said:


> Then like PXROSE said may be pectic haze. On another idea... When did you degas. This keeps sediment in suspension



I degassed on 4-21 before i initially added the super kleer.

So should i just add some more pectic in? How much 3/4 tsp per gallon is what is on the powder form.


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## Tom (Sep 25, 2010)

Wouldn't hurt to add butt I would degass again (Just-N-case)


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 25, 2010)

Tom said:


> Wouldn't hurt to add butt I would degass again (Just-N-case)



So should i degass and wait to see what happens before adding the pectic - or degass and then add pectic?


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## Tom (Sep 25, 2010)

De gas then add pectic
If wine not fully degassed it will suspend small particulates and prevent from clearing.


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 26, 2010)

So i degassed - and there were no CO2 bubbles coming up - so i added the pectic in.

Adding in the pectic - does it settle out the pectic haze?


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## pwrose (Sep 26, 2010)

Yes if it is the haze it will take care of it.


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 26, 2010)

How long does it take the pectic to work? I have never used that to clear a haze before.


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## pwrose (Sep 26, 2010)

As long as your ABV isn't rocket fuel, which if that was the case I dont think you would have the haze to start with, you should start seeing a change within a few days.


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 27, 2010)

So i added the 3/4 tsp of powder pectic- and it cleared up alot - there is still some haze though - as i can shine a flashlight in it and see it.

It has been 2 days since i added the pectic - will it take longer to fully clear the haze - or should i pitch some more pectic?


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## pwrose (Sep 27, 2010)

I would give it a week or so and it should clear on up.


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## Tom (Sep 27, 2010)

Yea More like 3-4 weeks. Give it time so what seyyels become "firm" on the bottom. If U rack to early it will disturb it making it cloudy again.


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 27, 2010)

Well - i think i did it wrong - i just mixed it in some of the wine - and poured it back in.

I read that i should have mixed every hour for 4 hours - strained it off then poured in.

Did i screw this up? Do i need to redo it?


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## Tom (Sep 27, 2010)

I think U and the wine will be OK. Time will cure this. We all learn by misQ's.


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## winemaker_3352 (Sep 27, 2010)

Thanks - then i will just let it ride!!


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## closetwine (Oct 1, 2010)

My strawberry never cleared (didn't get a whole lotta chance) but it was delicious. I didn't freeze my berries, just mashed 'em with a potato masher. I f-packed and did everything wrong, (it was 1st batch b4 I found yall). But it tasted like strawberry jam... Definately making some more when strawberries come back in season. I hope yours clears well and you enjoy it as much as I did mine!


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## winemaker_3352 (Oct 1, 2010)

Thanks - it is clearing - just taking a little longer than i would like.


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