# Mixed Berry 5 Gallon or is it 6 Gallon?



## Madriver Wines (Jun 22, 2009)

I started a mixed berry batch this past week end and need some advice or maybe reassurances lol.
Here is the recipe and what I did. All the fruit was frozen except the raspberries which were canned.
5 lbs Red Raspberry
5 lbs Blackberry
5 lbs Blueberry
10 lbs sugar
4 gallon water
5 tsp Yeast nutrient
2 1/2 tsp Yeast energizer
1 1/2 tsp Pectic enzyme
3 tsp Acid blend
1 tsp wine tannin
1/4 tsp k-meta
Champange Yeast (2 packets)
The question is concerning the water. I only added 4 gallon and the level is at the middle ring at the top of the 7.9 gal bucket!! I had put some of the water in ahead of the water with the sugar and ended up with too much I think (if there really is a thing such as to much wine)
So did I get that much juice or what?? Not really an issue but wondering what happened. Or is this just right?? First time I have used this much fruit at one time.
Thanks, Steve


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## Tom (Jun 22, 2009)

15# of fruit is low for a 5 gallon recipe. Thats only 3# per galon. I would up the fruit another 5# MIN.
If still in the primary I would add more fruit.
F Y I
I am making a Blueberry wine and am using 28# of blueberry. Later I will make a F-Pac using 7# more for 6 gallons.I use Cote des Blancs yeast


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## smurfe (Jun 22, 2009)

Is that level with the fruit in the bucket or out? I really doubt you got 2+ gallons of juice from the fruit. If you are right at the ring on those buckets that is the 6 US gallon mark. If the fruit is still in there, well you know the fruit will take up space and raise the level.

Tom, with the blackberry and raspberry you get a lot more juice extraction than from blueberries I have found. While I too would of used a bit more I really don't think the recipe is out of line. I have made a blackberry with 15 pounds of blackberry that was a decent wine. I use around 30 pounds of blueberries for a 5 gallon batch. It all depends on the ripeness and sugar content of the berries. I find blueberries here aren't as sweet and juicy as those in the northern regions. 

Steve, if you have a decent SG of lets say around 1.090 I would leave it as is and see how it comes out. You can always add flavor back to it if you are planning on making an F-Pack.


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## Madriver Wines (Jun 22, 2009)

I am ok then. It is with the fruit in but at the _second_ ring. The starting SG was 1.090. It is fermenting like crazy today. I will leave it alone and let it do its thing. It has great color and the bag is half what it was to start with.
Thanks, Steve


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## Madriver Wines (Jun 23, 2009)

I am guessing the total level is 6.5 gallons or slightly more? I bottled the spiced apple that I was going to let "bulk" age so I had a 4L available, just in case. I also have an open 3L so one will hopefully get any overage for topping off later. 
Thanks again. Steve


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## Tom (Jun 23, 2009)

Mad..
You still may want to make a f-pac and of course backsweeten.

Well I just scored some blackberry. Smurf how much would you use not counting a f-pac. for 6 gallons/


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## Madriver Wines (Jun 24, 2009)

Tom,
Thanks I will do either or neither depending on final taste. The red raspberry I made using 2.5 lbs. for a gallon turned out quite well. IMO medium/full body and very good fruit flavor. I added 1 cup sugar thru a simple syrup and no f-pac. You can only hope and wait I guess.
Right now it is fermenting well and has a much redder color than expected?
Not the purple I imagined at all.
Steve


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## Madriver Wines (Jun 26, 2009)

Here is a pic of it after the first racking. The color in the pic is very close.


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## Wade E (Jun 26, 2009)

Thats about what I would suspect for color as Blackberry and Blueberry are very dark fruits


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## Ceegar (Jun 26, 2009)

Tom said:


> 15# of fruit is low for a 5 gallon recipe. Thats only 3# per galon. I would up the fruit another 5# MIN.
> If still in the primary I would add more fruit.
> F Y I
> I am making a Blueberry wine and am using 28# of blueberry. Later I will make a F-Pac using 7# more for 6 gallons.I use Cote des Blancs yeast



I made a blueberry mead that is clearing right now. I only used 2.5 lbs for 1 gal batch and it's nearly black, but put up to a light as it's clearing is a deep redish/purple color. I did also use 12oz of Wyman's blueberry juice too. And it only fermented out to about 10%abv then stopped. I stablized it like that and it hasn't fermented in almost 2 weeks now and clearing slow but sure, so I think I'm good.

28# of berries - wow, that's going to be full of blueberry flavor. And then add another 7lbs for the f-pac? Seems like a lot compared to a lot of the recipes I've seen. 

What is your f-pac going to consist of Tom - simple syrup and blueberry juice?

I'm picking Raspberries in the morning - think I'm going to do a 3 gal batch. Berries are HUGE and 2 1/2 weeks early.


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## Madriver Wines (Jun 27, 2009)

My sister's black raspberries are coming on and I am planning on getting over there soon to take a stab at them. Not sure how many lbs to gallon, I suppose it will depend on how much I end up picking?? I am picking mulberries and have a question for Wade or Tom. They have a small piece of stem maybe a quarter inch long on each berry. I remember about not wanting to add any green stuff in the must so I have been spending more time trimming off the stem than the time it takes to pick em. Am I wasting my time triming the little stem or not? 
Steve


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## tobias (Dec 13, 2016)

If I am not mistaken. I ve seen recipies as low as 12# pounds of mixed berry. If I understand correctly less fruit would yeld a blush light coloured wine. Or maybe I am wrong lol


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