# Is This a Good Blackberry Wine Recipe?



## NoSnob (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm leaning toward blackberries for my first non-kit wine. They're available now fresh and year-round frozen (which I'll probably use). I know to be sure the frozen berries have no preservatives or extra sugar added. Costco has what I think will work. Looking for recipes, I found one in Stanley & Dorothy Anderson's "*Winemaking*" book, Harcourt & Brace, 1989. They call it Blackberry Social and say it matures quickly and is slightly sweet. I want only a touch of sweetness - neither dry nor cloying. 
*The Primary Ingredients for 5 Gallons *are:
24 lb Blackberries (crushed)
13 lb Sugar
6 qt Hot water
2 tsp Yeast nutrient
2 tsp Pectic enzyme
8 Campden tablets
8 qt Cold water
1 pkt Narbonne wine yeast
*The Secondary ingredients *are
Bentonite finings 
1/4 tsp Sulphite crystals
10 oz Wine conditioner

*Primary:* In the primary add crushed blackberries, hot water and sugar; stir until all sugar dissolved. Add next 4 ingredients, adjust temp to 75 degrees F. Add yeast to cup of warm water, let stand 10 minutes & stir in. Cover fermenter, check in 24 hrs for foam; stir twice daily to keep floating fruit moist. Check SG every other day. 

*Secondary:* When SG hits 1.020, scoop blackberries into straining bag & squeeze juice gently into fermentor. Discard pulp. Rack into clean carboy, top up with cold water; attach fermentation lock & move to 65 degree F location. After 10 days or SG of 1.000, whichever is first, rack into clean carboy. Top up with cold water. After 3 weeks or SG of .990-.995, whichever comes first, rack into a clean carboy. Add finings, top up with cold water & let rest 10 days. Rack into primary fermentor. Filter into a clean carboy. Add 1/4 tsp sulphite crystals dissolved in a small amount of water. Top up with cold water. Bulk age 2 months; bottle; bottle age 4 months.

My (newbie) questions are:
1. Does this look like a good recipe?
2. What yeast would be equivalent/preferable to Narbonnne? 
3. Other than stirring twice daily in primary fermentation, no directions are given to stir briskly to eliminate CO2. Should that be done when secondary fermentation is complete?
4. This recipe is for 5 Gallons & all my carboys are 6 Gallons. Should I adjust recipe to enable topping up to 6 or buy new 5 Gal carboys?? 

Thanks!
NS


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## SBWs (Jul 13, 2011)

NoSnob, Look in the recipe section on here, Tom has a Blackberry recipe for a 6 gallon batch that will answer most of your questions. In my opinion the recipe you have will work but the one Tom has posted will get you a better wine in the end.


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## NoSnob (Jul 13, 2011)

Thanks - My post should have been placed in the Recipe section.
NS


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## mmadmikes1 (Jul 13, 2011)

The only problem I see with that ,is you are pitch yeast and adding Campden tabs(K-Meta) at same time. You should mwait over night to pitch the yeast. Gives you time to have a good starter of yeast going. Also never just add sugar with out taking an hydrometer reading to check the SG. You can end up with real high ABV and poor taste. Also if you have Sulphite crystals just use 1/2 teaspoon of them and do not wast time crushing up campden tabs. OK never mind, the more I read this recipe the more I see wrong. Go get Tom recipe, it is a far better and will be more fool proof. If you fallow that you could have good wine or bad wine and there will be no way to know for sure


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## NoSnob (Jul 14, 2011)

Your critique is just what I was looking for. Home winemakers have learned a lot since 1989 and I should take advantage of more recent knowledge, such as is reflected in Tom's blackberry recipe. Thanks.
NS


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