Blackberries

[Wade E]

Over the past 2 weeks Ive gathered about 3 lbs of blackberries and there only really now just starting to really come about. im hoping o get enough for at least a 3 gallon batch. Got to go pick more crab apples tomorrow. Im no competition for the person with 67 lbs of these blackberries but itll work for me.

 

[pelican]

I must say Wade you are on a fruit picking spree - blackberries, raspberries, crab apples! We could use a guy like you up here when the chokecherries come in! LOL

Isnt' the bounty of nature wonderful? Especially in hard times like these, to have those beautiful berries just for the picking.

My kids were not much help with the raspberry picking even though they didn't have to venture any further than the backyard, but you should have seen my boy's eyes pop when I showed him the tiny package of raspberries at the grocery store and the price marked on them. They've been a bit more encouraging of me when I go out to pick berries now though.

 

[gaudet]

I got to call my buddy who knows where to find crabapples down here. I only got 55#'s of wine blackberries. I'm sure we got more than that when you count the wife's blackberries for the other stuff she wants to make.

 

[Goodfella]

What do you guys have in mind for the blackberries?


I will be getting a batch from my brother in oregon.... I am thinking a port.

 

[Wade E]

I am going to go for a Port if I get enough and will probably use Jobes recipe and hopefully create what he did the first time he made it. I still have 1 or 2 bottles of that liquid gold!

 

[smokegrub]

Wade: I did a search for Jobe's recipe for blackberry port and could not find it. Would you mind posting it?

 

[vcasey]

Here are a couple of links to the recipe
http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4280
http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4116
VC

 

[Wade E]

Thats the one Im using.

 

[Goodfella]

I'm a little confused about adding sugar as it goes, and as it ferments. Then calculating the ABV accordingly.


I am still a newby.... and a confused one!!!

 

[gaudet]

For example:

If you were to start with 1.080 sg and ferment down to 1.010 you would get about 9.5% ABV

adding more sugar to return the sg to 1.080 ( adding 0.070) and allowing it to ferment back down to 1.010 you would get another 9.5% alcohol if the conditions were right.....

You are feeding the yeast to achieve a higher % ABV because they cannot tolerate a high concentration of fermentables. But you can step the ABV by adding more sugar in intervals. I over simplified I think by using just 1 step as an example. But adding 9.5%+9.5%= 19% ABV

Hope this clears it up.......

 

[Goodfella]

That does help clarify it. I assume you go in smaller intervals. And do some math.

 

[smokegrub]

Thanks, Wade. I am going to do a small batch of blackberry port and see how my family and friends like it.

 

[suprasteve]

anybody have a suggestion on a specific wine yeast for blackberries? Got probably 25lbs frozen for a 5 gallon batch, if the lbs/gal has any weight on the situation. I'd like it to finish dry so I can have some dry and then backsweeten some more. I don't know how high the starting SG of just berries will be but I'll probably bring it up to about the 1.085-1.090 range as long as it's not higher than that with the natural sugars. Or other advice is always welcome, a lot of picking to make a mistake and have to dump the lot

. Thanks!

 

[Wade E]

Use Lalvin 71B-1122 as it will eat more of the Malic acid that Blackberries is very high in. You wont have that high of an sg only using fruit with no added sugars at that size batch and you will want to add sugar, Im guessing around 8 lbs.