doublecheck strawberry recipe?

Strawberry Review: (was: doublecheck strawberry recipe?)

I posted this recipe in August 2010. I've updated based on what I actually did, which was different from the original post.

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I'd appreciate some input from the wise ones on this strawberry recipe...

Makes five gallons of strawberry in one bucket

1. 30 lbs. strawberries, 3 lbs white raisins, steam-juiced
2. add 12.5 pounds DARK brown sugar (max PA 1.085)
3. use top off water to dissolve sugar to 5.25g
4. Cool to ~75 degrees
5. add acid (10 tsp)
6. add tannin (1.25 tsp)
7. add yeast nutrient (4 tsp)
8. Add crushed Campden (4 tabs)
9. Cover & fit with airlock (Time Complete ___)
10. Wait 12 hours (Time Complete ___)
11. Add pectic enzyme (2 tsp)
12. Check PA (max 1.085) (PA Value ___)
13. Cover & fit with airlock
14. Wait 24 hours (Time Complete ___)
15. Add yeast starter mix
16. Stir daily, Check SG
17. Once SG reaches 1.000, remove fruit bag (if used)
18. Let sediment settle
19. Rack into secondary (glass carboy)
20. Store in darkness
21. Wait 1 month PA (____)
22. Rerack
23. Wait 1 month
24. Check PA (Time Complete ______)
25. Degas, stabilize with K-meta & sorbate
26 24 hrs after sorbate: FPAK - 10 pounds of steamed strawberry juice, simmered down.
27. Bulk age for 6 months in darkness. Monitor k-meta levels and airlocks
26. Bottle (Time Complete ______)

Since it's strawberry season in Alabama, I wanted to give some feedback on this recipe that I used last year.

In the primary, I kept the raisins in a mesh fruit bag. There was a total of about 40 pounds of strawberries, including the FPAK. I did no additional sweetening beyond natural sugar in the FPAK. I'm happy I chose dark brown sugar. There was a total of six months bulk aged before I bottled. It cleared very nicely on its own.

Once bottled, it was fine enough to drink and we've probably been through 8 bottles. I reserved some of it to blend with peach. I'm going to set about 10bottles aside to age for another year, but I'm really happy with this recipe. I started another 6g of this last week.

It has a round, full flavor. This is not your Boone's Farm strawberry.

-K9

Looks good - a few things though.

I wouldn't just add acid - get an acid reading first and adjust as needed.

Also don't forget the strawberries for the f-pac and sorbate.

add simple syrup to your taste. do not add blindly. ck gravity once you are happy w/ flavor and sweeteness. WRITE IT DOWN for next time

I see no meta or sorbate for stabilizing it should be done once wine is dry in the secondary. think U R adding it kinda late

do NOT add sugar to backsweeten. Use simple syrup

When do you plan on adding the f-pac? do it before clearing

Hi Tom,

You're correct about my recipe not including the meta & sorbate... That was done, and I'll update the original from my notes at home.

The only sugar that sweetened the wine was naturally in the fpak. No other syrup.

I made the original post last year and started drinking the wine this month. Rather than start a new thread, I resurrected this one.

So how do you think the brown sugar affected the outcome vs white sugar? I was debating trying it, and decided to hold off until I get some opinions...

Well, I think the brown sugar rounded out the flavor a bit and maybe gave the wine a hint of orange color.

I wasn't going to make the strawberry wine at all because I'm not a big fan... but the idea of using brown sugar and raisins appealed to me. I'm happy I took the time to try it.

Ive always heard that strawberry requires more fruit per gallon like 8-10lb per gallon. how did yours turnout? does the strawberry come through nicely?

Thanks for the input! I think it'll try it sometime with an apple wine....

Ken914 said:

Hi Tom,

You're correct about my recipe not including the meta & sorbate... That was done, and I'll update the original from my notes at home.

The only sugar that sweetened the wine was naturally in the fpak. No other syrup.

I made the original post last year and started drinking the wine this month. Rather than start a new thread, I resurrected this one.

Click to expand...

just a F Y I .. I do make alot of fruit wines.

any ? just ask

Remember to do a TA test

sly22guy said:

Ive always heard that strawberry requires more fruit per gallon like 8-10lb per gallon. how did yours turnout? does the strawberry come through nicely?

Click to expand...

I thought the strawberry taste resonates well. I use a steamer-juicer, so I just steamed my berries and used that juice as must. I didn't need a lot of water to top off.

I'm a newbie wine maker, but I have enough carboys that I can let things age in bulk for six months (benefits of scrounging thrift stores and flea markets). So far, this strawberry has been a big hit - even with non-wine people. I will likely do 10-12g of it this year.