All Juice Blueberry

[RegionRat]

I started with #45 of blueberries. I tried to keep water addition to a minimum. The only water added was to melt sugar to get the sg up to 1.090. After fermenting dry, k-meta, sorbate, and sparkaloid I racked last night and ended up with 6 1/2 gallons of wine.

This, I think is going to be one of the best fruit wines I have made up till now. The color, smell, and mouth feel are absolutely awesome.

RR

 

[seth8530]

Sounds promising, btw can you clarify on what you meant when you said " Added water to get the sg UP to 1.090"?

 

[RegionRat]

Sounds promising, btw can you clarify on what you meant when you said " Added water to get the sg UP to 1.090"?

Sorry, what I meant to say was I only used enough water to melt the sugar added to get sg up to 1.090.

RR

 

[seth8530]

Ah super! One of the things I like to do when back sweetining a fruit wine ( or sweetining in general) is to take a portion of the juice and gently heat it and add sugar to it thus I can avoid adding water to the wine. However, one must weigh out whether it is better to add some water or to gently heat a portion of the must.

I personally, think it might depend on what I am working with.

 

[RegionRat]

I am very new to this. I have in the past just melted sugar in just a little water. < 1 part water to 2 parts sugar. Would say it is more like 1 part water to 3 parts sugar. I have often wonder if you could take a small portion of wine and heat it like you said. Would there be any reason why not? I mean; oxidation or creating an off taste.

It will be quite some time till I sweeten. Next racing of even the one after that. I am thinking to get sg to 1.01 range would be just a little shy of 2# of sugar. Being all juice I really dont think a couple cups of water would hurt.

RR

 

[seth8530]

Right, whenever I use the sugar melted in water technique I try to use much much more sugar than I do water as to reduce the overall water volume I add to the wine.

When I heat a portion of the must and add sugar to it I use a similar technique because I want to damage as little volume of the wine as possible and I also want to minimize the damage done to that said portion of the wine by being very carefull about how much heat I apply. I am very comfortable doing this with most fruit wines. However, I am not sure I would attempt this with some nice high quality grape wine which might be much more prone to damage from the heat..

I personally have not decided which method I think is better yet. Perhaps it all depends on the wine in question.

BTW, one thing I really like about using a portion of the wine to dissolve the sugars in is that you do not dilute your wine or your ABV..

Well actually I told a small lie.. Adding sugar does dilute the ABV by a certain degree.. However it is small...... I assume

 

[RegionRat]

With this one I will not be so worried about the additional small amount of water needed to melt the sugar to back sweeten. Most recipes I read called for a lot less fruit to start with. Cant wait to try this one....

RR

 

[Norske]

Which yeast did you end up using Regionrat?

 

[RegionRat]

Which yeast did you end up using Regionrat?

I am at work now and dont have my notes. I think it was Côte des Blancs. I will check tomorrow when I get home.

RR

 

[cedarswamp]

Right, whenever I use the sugar melted in water technique I try to use much much more sugar than I do water as to reduce the overall water volume I add to the wine.

When I heat a portion of the must and add sugar to it I use a similar technique because I want to damage as little volume of the wine as possible and I also want to minimize the damage done to that said portion of the wine by being very carefull about how much heat I apply. I am very comfortable doing this with most fruit wines. However, I am not sure I would attempt this with some nice high quality grape wine which might be much more prone to damage from the heat..

I personally have not decided which method I think is better yet. Perhaps it all depends on the wine in question.

BTW, one thing I really like about using a portion of the wine to dissolve the sugars in is that you do not dilute your wine or your ABV..

Well actually I told a small lie.. Adding sugar does dilute the ABV by a certain degree.. However it is small...... I assume

You also need to be careful to keep your wine bellow 170 degrees, alcohol will start boiling off around 173. And don't use an open flame stove.

 

[Runningwolf]

A lot of people add water to blueberry, you're fine. I personally do not. The water will mainly effect the abv when using it for back sweetening. I like to use a large bowl and heat up just enough wine in the microwave and then stir the sugar into that. Like everyone else said no need to get it too hot. The Blueberry is probably very high in acid. If you have access to a nice low acid wine like Seyval, you could add some of this into the finished blueberry to help reduce the acid but maintain the quality of your wine. It will also take additional sugar when back sweetening to balance out the acid.

 

[RegionRat]

Which yeast did you end up using Regionrat?

Checked my notes. Lalvin K1-V1116


RR

 

[GreginND]

I never bother dissolving the sugar. I just add it dry and stir it well until it dissolves.

Blueberry is one of my favorite dry fruit wines. Oak it and it will be fantastic. Wish they grew more around here.

 

[vernsgal]

looks like it'll be awesome!

 

[RegionRat]

A lot of people add water to blueberry, you're fine. I personally do not. The water will mainly effect the abv when using it for back sweetening. I like to use a large bowl and heat up just enough wine in the microwave and then stir the sugar into that. Like everyone else said no need to get it too hot. The Blueberry is probably very high in acid. If you have access to a nice low acid wine like Seyval, you could add some of this into the finished blueberry to help reduce the acid but maintain the quality of your wine. It will also take additional sugar when back sweetening to balance out the acid.

Thanks for the advice. I am more concerned about maintaining a deep blueberry flavor the the final ABV. As long as it in above 10% I think I will be happy.

I as still new to this and have often thought of heattin some of the wine to melt the sugar. I was afraid of creating an off flavor or even oxidizing the wine. If you say that will not happen then I will do it your way in the future. Thanks.

As for blending. The acid in this has the same as my Blue Berry Port. ph3.35 and T/A 7.5 g/l. The only wine I have access to, unless I went to the store and payed retail, is the wine I have made. When this matures a while I will ask for advice on how and what to blend this stuff with.

Thanks again.

I never bother dissolving the sugar. I just add it dry and stir it well until it dissolves.

Blueberry is one of my favorite dry fruit wines. Oak it and it will be fantastic. Wish they grew more around here.

I have often wondered this also. Just pour in the sugar and stir. even if it doesnt desolve 100%v there are weeks or even months of aging for it to do so.

I was thinking this wine would benefit from oaking. I will, thanks

I have 3 blueberry bushes on my property. They produce good fruit. Not enough to make 5 gal of wine though. The berries for this I had to drive an hour to pick them up. There is a blueberry farm near Michigan/Indiana border that our family has been going to since I was a young lad. While I was there the owner said there is an earlier variety that matures May/June that are better for minemaking. Smaller and sweeter berries. I have already marked my calendar to call hime and see when they will be picking them next year.

RR