Blackberry Concord Mix

[David Violante]

I'm going to be starting a blackberry concord mix as soon as my concords are ready and wanted to get some advice on the yeast to use. I currently have 71B, D47, RC212, and D254.

I have just over 10 lbs of blackberries that I froze waiting for the grapes to ripen and should get a few pounds of concords. I have about 25 small clusters. It's not a lot but it's a good starting / experimenting point. They are at ~12 Brix at the moment. I'm going to try to keep them on the vine as long as possible so maybe in the next two weeks? The nights are getting to 45 or 50 and the days around the 70s.

I've made a couple beginner kits, some mead with honey from my bees, and I made a very "educational" concord last year. Maybe that last one was actually the other way around...

I believe I have everything else I'll need when they are ready. I've read through a number of blackberry posts and very much appreciate all the guidance in them, especially the experiences of @vernsgal and recently @silverbullet07. Much thanks to all the members here...





I appreciate the help ~

 

[salcoco]

I would pick the Concord at about 16 brix it is at this point when they taste the freshest and have the most aroma. I have gone and let them hang to 22 or better and always got a funky aroma. I would use 71B for a yeast as it reduces the malic acid which would be helpful with the blackberry.

 

[David Violante]

Thank you, that's very helpful. The birds have found the grapes so I'm going to have to get some netting up to give them more time on the vine. They smell great when you walk by!

 

[salcoco]

check out the brix maybe in range I suggested as that is when the are most aromatic.

 

[David Violante]

So I had to pick the Concord, the squirrels were going to eat them all off. They only went up to about 13. So... I started the batch today. I destemmed and crushed the blackberries and concords, and mixed them with pectic enzyme and kmeta. I have 1 gallon of must. Tomorrow I’ll take some readings after everything has had a chance to settle out. It smells great...

 

[David Violante]

The must smells amazing...

The Brix was at 10 and so I added honey to bring it up to 18 and the pH is at 2.9 I still have to do the TA. I’m thinking I need to add yeast energizer or something like that no?

 

[Snafflebit]

16 Brix sounds like a pucker including wine.

 

[David Violante]

Yep - I ended up adding some sugar as well to bring it up a little bit more after tasting it. It definitely had a little puckering effect...

 

[David Violante]

Pitched the yeast last night, this morning it looks great ~

The first picture (060) is the cap, the second (061) is after stirring.

 

[David Violante]

Update on the BBC...

It seems to be fermenting pretty well. After tasting it, wow it was pretty bitter. I added sugar last night based on the equation 1.5oz of sugar per gallon increases Brix 1°. To move it from 18 to 24 called for 9oz.

Pre-sugar SG was 1.045 and post was 1.055.

Today it is at 1.035, pH 3.1, 71°F

 

[David Violante]

Down to 1.030 today, starting to slow down a little.

 

[David Violante]

I’m going to press and move to a carboy tomorrow... today is our anniversary and were headed out for a hike and then dinner later on.

So... I’ve been testing the must by refractometer since there is so little (1 gallon) and this morning decided to test by pulling enough out by a thief and using a hydrometer. Wow... it is at 0.996!

Should have been testing by hydrometer since I put it in, and not just a refractometer... I put it under a lock and am going to add bentonite.

 

[vernsgal]

Happy Anniversary!

 

[David Violante]

Thank you! 27 amazing years!

 

[David Violante]

So it’s under glass, as it were, with kmeta and bentonite. The two on the far left.

 

[vernsgal]

So it’s under glass, as it were, with kmeta and bentonite. The two on the far left.

View attachment 66644

looks good!

 

[Scooter68]

So I had to pick the Concord, the squirrels were going to eat them all off. They only went up to about 13. So... I started the batch today. I destemmed and crushed the blackberries and concords, and mixed them with pectic enzyme and kmeta. I have 1 gallon of must. Tomorrow I’ll take some readings after everything has had a chance to settle out. It smells great...

Sounds like it's time to pick some squirrels. And / Or add netting.

 

[David Violante]

Sounds like it's time to pick some squirrels. And / Or add netting.

Yep... time to pick some squirrels. I added netting a few weeks prior because of the birds, but I also have a feeling that I could have done a better job at closing up the netting underneath.

 

[Scooter68]

....but I also have a feeling that I could have done a better job at closing up the netting underneath.

Squirrels will chew through netting. Great to stop birds but squirrels and raccoons are stopped best by a high velocity action. 7 for me in the past year and still have some to eradicate.

 

[David Violante]

Holy moly... yeah, we do have a lot of squirrels. I’m going to have to do something.

So, is there a decent way to get the lees of this BlackBerry Concord compressed any more than they are? Centrifuge? it looks like I only have a half bottle in there.