# Blueberry wine help needed



## Cincincy (Dec 9, 2016)

Need help... 6 gallons of blueberry SG 0.992. Taste dry and tart. Have tried sugar. Grape concentrate and extra sweet pinot grigio. Still have terrible aftertaste. Approximately 6 weeks old. 

Any suggestions?


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## Stressbaby (Dec 9, 2016)

Cincincy,
What recipe did you use? 
Did you add grape concentrate and sugar to the whole batch? Or just a sample?
That wine is pretty young.


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## hounddawg (Dec 9, 2016)

i agree with stressbaby, i only make country wines , fruits and berries from scratch, time helps worlds, but i also do all my back sweetening using pure granular honey, not liquid an not powdered, their is a huge difference, i make my wine high in alcohol and granular honey and time and the only way you can tell is if you drink a second drink, to achive my ABV i use only EC-1118 an KV-1116
BEST OF LUCK TO YOU
Dawg


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## Scooter68 (Dec 9, 2016)

That wine is SOOOOOO young. 

Give it time. And Stressbaby's question is important ! If you added new fuel (Sugar) you are likely to have more fermentation, if not now, later. 

Blueberry wine leans strongly to the acidic side so the 'tartness' and aftertaste could well be a bit of acid burn hitting your tongue. Have you tested the pH yet I suspect you are somewhere below 3.00 and that would cause the burn and aftertaste.


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## Cincincy (Dec 9, 2016)

Scooter68 said:


> That wine is SOOOOOO young.
> 
> Give it time. And Stressbaby's question is important ! If you added new fuel (Sugar) you are likely to have more fermentation, if not now, later.
> 
> Blueberry wine leans strongly to the acidic side so the 'tartness' and aftertaste could well be a bit of acid burn hitting your tongue. Have you tested the pH yet I suspect you are somewhere below 3.00 and that would cause the burn and aftertaste.


Thanks. I can check pH tomorrow


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## Cincincy (Dec 9, 2016)

So far I have only played with 100 ml volumes. Sounds like I could be expecting too much too soon. This was my first non kit experiment. I used 16 lb of frozen food lion berries and 14 lb cane sugar. Yeast was same as called for in recipe.


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## Cincincy (Dec 9, 2016)

Stressbaby said:


> Cincincy,
> What recipe did you use?
> Did you add grape concentrate and sugar to the whole batch? Or just a sample?
> That wine is pretty young.


What should my expectation be? Does it need to ago for a few months? If so, can I break it down to 1 gallon portions?


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## Cincincy (Dec 9, 2016)

Scooter68 said:


> That wine is SOOOOOO young.
> 
> Give it time. And Stressbaby's question is important ! If you added new fuel (Sugar) you are likely to have more fermentation, if not now, later.
> 
> Blueberry wine leans strongly to the acidic side so the 'tartness' and aftertaste could well be a bit of acid burn hitting your tongue. Have you tested the pH yet I suspect you are somewhere below 3.00 and that would cause the burn and aftertaste.


No I added all the sugar at same time. Primary fermentation was about 12 days. Have racked 3 times and added clarifying agents. Currently see no sign of fermentation, no tiny bubbles and no pressure change at air lock.


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## Stressbaby (Dec 9, 2016)

Please post your recipe.


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## Cincincy (Dec 9, 2016)

Stressbaby said:


> Please post your recipe.


I am heading out but will post tomorrow.. Found it on line.


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## Vinobeau (Dec 9, 2016)

1. Slow down, you don't need to rack the wine 3 times in six weeks. You can taste it after six weeks but don't pay too much attention to what you taste. You don't need clarifying agents at six weeks.
2. IMO, virtually all fruit wines need to be back sweetened. Most dry fruit wines are pretty bad. Wait for another 6 months, taste it, measure some wine and add some sugar to it, (Keep track of your amounts) and let it sit a couple of days and taste again. Be sure to stabilize b-4 you add the sugar to the whole volume of wine. If it isn't quite sweet enough to take away the harshness, add that amount of sugar and stop, let it rest for a month. It will probnably mellow out. You can always add more sugar, but its hard to remove it.


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## Scooter68 (Dec 10, 2016)

Racking 3 times in 6 weeks (The first 6 weeks) is no issue if you have sediment to remove. Now after the first 30-45 days racking once every 30-45 or even 60 days is all that's needed.
1st rack from Primary to Secondary fermentation container (4-7 days after Start) 
2nd rack at end of fermentation to add K-Meta (7-14 days after 1st rack)
3rd rack to remove gross lees about two weeks after 2nd rack. 
That's 3 rackings within the first 6 weeks. If the lees settle fast then there should be no issue with racking. Assuming the use of a fruit bag for the blueberries that reduces the amount of gross lees left after primary fermentation is completed.

Again test the pH - that, along with age is the most likely cause of a bad aftertaste in a blueberry wine.


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## Cincincy (Dec 10, 2016)

*receipe*

*This is the recipe i followed.

thanks, cincincy

Ed's Blueberry Wine Recipe*
(Makes 5 Gallons)
13 lbs. Blueberries (lightly crushed)
11 lbs. Cane Sugar (table sugar)
1 tbsp. Yeast Energizer
Pectic Enzyme (as directed on its package)
2 tbsp. Acid Blend
Red Star Montrachet Wine Yeast
10 Campden Tablets (5 before to fermentation, 5 before bottling)



One of the fun thing about making your own wine is that you get to make it as sweet or as dry as you like. If you do nothing more than follow the directions, you will end up with a dry blueberry wine. But if you want to make a sweet wine, you can sweeten the wine to taste just before bottling. Just remember if doing so to also add potassium sorbate along with the Campden tablets called for in the wine recipe.
Now, doesn't that sound simple? I imagine the hardest part is keeping your patience in tact. Be sure the fermentation has completed and give it plenty of time to clear up before bottling. Once in the bottle, realize that aging the wine will dramatically improve its quality over the first couple of 3 months. After that drink up.
If you need wine making equipment to make the wine, the "Your Fruit!" wine making kit is taylor-made for making this blueberry wine recipe. Not only does it have the equipment you'll need, but it also has plenty of the basic wine making ingredients for making many different kinds of wine — all at a discounted price.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ed Kraus is a 3rd generation home brewer/winemaker and has been an owner of E. C. Kraus since 1999. He has been helping individuals make better wine and beer for over 25 years.
- See more at: http://www.eckraus.com/blog/blueberry-wine-recipe#sthash.3tuTDSxL.dpuf


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## Cincincy (Dec 10, 2016)

Stressbaby said:


> Cincincy,
> What recipe did you use?
> Did you add grape concentrate and sugar to the whole batch? Or just a sample?
> That wine is pretty young.


I posted the recipe I followed below.


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## Cincincy (Dec 10, 2016)

Scooter68 said:


> That wine is SOOOOOO young.
> 
> Give it time. And Stressbaby's question is important ! If you added new fuel (Sugar) you are likely to have more fermentation, if not now, later.
> 
> Blueberry wine leans strongly to the acidic side so the 'tartness' and aftertaste could well be a bit of acid burn hitting your tongue. Have you tested the pH yet I suspect you are somewhere below 3.00 and that would cause the burn and aftertaste.


The ph is 3.25.


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## WAC4504 (Dec 10, 2016)

Cincincy said:


> *This is the recipe i followed.
> 
> thanks, cincincy
> 
> ...



I just made that same recipe, and it took at least 3-4 months to be ready to age/ bottle. My advise is just chill out and let it work. Don't get in no hurry, 'cause no matter how bad you may think it is there will always be some one to drink it for you. Relax and have fun.::


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## Scooter68 (Dec 10, 2016)

The pH is fine, a bit acidic but by no means out of range. (I've seen commercial wines advertised with a pH of 3.19) 

The only thing I see is that the Pounds per gallon is pretty light. Unless those are some pretty ripe but dry blueberrys, the flavor could be on the light side. I started with 4 lbs for a gallon and found that a bit on the light side. Last batch was 8 lbs for a gallon. Think the best spot, for me at least, is going to be around 6-7 lbs per gallon. More than that and the acidity starts to get pretty low (at least with my homegrown blueberries.) With real fruit (not concentrates) the various characteristics of the fruit can vary so much from source to source and from one season to the next. 

Hopefully that aftertaste will mellow out after another 5-6 months more aging at least. Go longer if you can - to a year is the most common recommendation. With if you bottle before then, try to hold off on consuming for at least a year.

Also one last recommendation, try using some glycerin for sweetening and to improve the body of the wine. Just used a bit on some peach that is about 2-3 weeks from bottling and it did wonders for the mouth feel. If you do that use the Glycerin first BEFORE backsweeting. Glycerin sweetens as well as adds better bodymouth feel. That may also help overcome that aftertaste you have currently.

That looks like an Ed Keller recipe ( I see that it's from Ed Kraus) - his tend to be strong on the Alcohol and light on flavor. If you had a do over I would increase the pounds of blueberries to *at LEAST 4-5 lbs per gallon*.


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## Stressbaby (Dec 11, 2016)

I agree with Scooter. The berries are relatively light, which in light of the acid blend in this recipe probably kept the pH from going too low. Blueberry with more fruit in my experience doesn't need the acid blend. It is consistently under 3.0 to start with, and it needs calcium carbonate or potassium carbonate to bring it up (rather than acid blend to push it down). That pH should be OK.

I'm not a big user of glycerin, but it can help. IIRC, it is said that some judges can detect glycerin in the wine, even in the recommended amounts, so beware if you are submitting your wine to competitions. I can't detect it however, so I have used it on a few occasions in the past with good results.

Bottom line, give it time.


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## tking23 (Dec 11, 2016)

I made blueberry wine and it turned out perfect, do you tsste Your wine before fermenting? I always do in that way I have a clear idea of how it would taste after the fermentation is completed. Make sure you yeast and sugar are properly balance.


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## Cincincy (Dec 11, 2016)

Stressbaby said:


> Cincincy,
> What recipe did you use?
> Did you add grape concentrate and sugar to the whole batch? Or just a sample?
> That wine is pretty young.


Recipe is posted below.


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## tking23 (Dec 11, 2016)

I keep my berries original,i only add lil sugar and yeast that's about it unless I want to add spices which come fr9m Grenada. But I usually keep it original...


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## dcbrown73 (Dec 11, 2016)

If you just used straight granulated sugar, it can take time to integrate into the wine. I know when I made the Dragon's Blood fruit wine, I only added 3/4 a cup of sugar per gallon and initially it was still extremely tart, but after a while, it started to integrate and the sweetness started to come forward.

I believe inverted sugar (simple syrup) can integrate faster, but I would prefer someone else to validate that since I have yet to use inverted sugar. (going to with my new cherry wine)


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## tking23 (Dec 11, 2016)

Sounds good but I've never tried the granulated sugar before, I even considered honey but it's yet to come, there is no one way to make wine and trying different things will definitely give you a unique tasting wine so go ahead and make unique wine...


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## Scooter68 (Dec 11, 2016)

Quote: _"I'm not a big user of glycerin, but it can help. IIRC, it is said that some judges can detect glycerin in the wine, even in the recommended amounts, so beware if you are submitting your wine to competitions. I can't detect it however, so I have used it on a few occasions in the past with good results."_

Well since all my wine is made for my personal tastes the judges can just close their mouths walk away. If Glycerin does the job to increase the body and improve the mouth feel(In small amounts of course) that's the route I'll take. IF on the other hand I detect a change in taste that I don't like or someone has some rational reason for NOT using Glycerin I'm ready to listen. I find using another type juice in my "pure fruit" wines more of a problem than any effect that I've experienced with Glycerin, personally. I want the true flavor of the fruit I base my wine on, Blackberry 100% or Peach 100% etc. Otherwise I will make and call it a blended wine. That's one of the reasons I was interested in making my own wine, to taste pure Blueberry, Apple, Peach, Blackberry etc wine. When I went looking in stores for fruit wines the contents listed Grapes first in the contents not Blackberries or Blueberries. So I thought, I'm paying more for what percentage of those berries in my wine? 

Sorry if this sounds like a rant folks. To me calling a grape and blueberry wine "Blueberry Wine" is more offensive than adding glycerin to make the wine better tasting. Shoot if I could get away without Sulfites and Sorbate in my wine I'd do that but... I'm not that big a fan of dry wines. Ok, I'll take my meds and chill out now.


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## Cincincy (Dec 11, 2016)

I am trying that with a gallon. I cup cane sugar. 
I assume malolactic conversion is still going on even though I don't see any signs.


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## Scooter68 (Dec 12, 2016)

dcbrown73 said:


> If you just used straight granulated sugar, it can take time to integrate into the wine. I know when I made the Dragon's Blood fruit wine, I only added 3/4 a cup of sugar per gallon and initially it was still extremely tart, but after a while, it started to integrate and the sweetness started to come forward.
> 
> I believe inverted sugar (simple syrup) can integrate faster, but I would prefer someone else to validate that since I have yet to use inverted sugar. (going to with my new cherry wine)



I us a simple syrup to back-sweeten since I hate wasting time mixing things and especially since I don't want to introduce any unnecessary oxygen into my wine by mixing it. 

I always make a simple syrup with cane sugar - 2 cups sugar to 1 cup water. Most often it takes less than 1/2 ounce of the syrup per 8 oz of wine to obtain a semi-sweet/semi-dry wine. I work with 1 cup of wine at a time so that I can readily figure out how much to add to the final mix. So is 1/2 oz gets 1 cup (8oz) where I want it then I just need 7.5 oz of my simple syrup for the rest of the gallon. 
I just put the pre-sweetened cup of wine into a clean carboy add the correct amount of syrup to the carboy and the rack the unsweetened remainder into it on top of the syrup. By the time that's done my carboy is brim full and I can simply cap it and shake it to finish the mixing. Wait a 3-7 days and ready to bottle.


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## tking23 (Dec 12, 2016)

Cane syrup is perfect where I'm from we make tons of wine and rum from the sugarcane so u can't go wrong with that you just got to know your proportions now so make quality wine. I will even be happy to have some good cane syrup myself now things are different out here...


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## cintipam (Dec 12, 2016)

Hi Cincincy

gotta ask, vas you from Cincinnati? 

I've read this entire thread and have a couple concerns. First, the use of phrase secondary fermentation confuses a lot of newbies. It refers both to the continuation of primary fermentation when transferred out of bucket to it's first carboy, and also MLF, malolactic fermentation which almost always only occurs when you introduce special MLF bacteria to your wine in hopes that MLF will occur.

I hope you did not introduce MLF bacteria since your recipe included acid blend. That blend includes citric acid, which is a no no for MLF. MLF converts citric acid into a type of vinegar, which is never what a winemaker is trying for on purpose. Many fruits contain a bit of citric acid which is why MLF is generally not done on county fruit wines, & basically done only on red grape wines. MLF converts malic acid to a softer tasting lactic acid. 

Sorry to write so much, but I wanted to be pretty clear about why I had concerns when you mentioned hoping MLF was still going on. 

I love fruit wines, make a lot of them. I can tell you from experience that they change in taste dramatically at 1-2 years of age. There is no way to speed that up, tho adding sugar (after using sorbate plus Kmeta at the same time to stop the yeast from converting that sugar to alcohol) does help balance the bite of acid a bit.

Pam in cinti (see why I asked where you were from?)


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## Cincincy (Dec 13, 2016)

Actually I am near Richmond VA. But I spent a lot of time in cincy to when I was a child. Grandparents lived there. Area know as Knowlton's Corner. 

No. I ve only followed the recipe I posted above and have not added anything extra. Since this is my first non - kit endeavor I really don't know what is normal. I chose blueberry because I read it was relatively forgiving . 

Hw


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## WAC4504 (Feb 5, 2017)

Cincincy, how's the wine turning out?, I gave away the batch that I almost got right, and everyone loves it. If you're still have doubts about it I suggest not to worry, and enjoy the journey, good luck Bill


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## DBAKER (Feb 5, 2017)

I really like your quote about farming


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## WAC4504 (Feb 5, 2017)

I give the wine away because I don't really drink wine, I keep about 4-5 bottles for later to see how they turn out and give the rest away.What started all my wine making is, I got tired of picking blue berries in 100 deg. heat just to give away. This way is much more fun. I keep 4-5 bottles and give 18-20 away. I think some day I'll try drinking some to see if it's as good as people say, or if they're just blowing smoke.


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