Blackberry - up or down?

[Snafflebit]

I second @Rice_Guy on adding grape or apple juice to the mix. I made blackberry wine with only table sugar as the sweetener and it is good, but it does not have much of a ‘nose’ and I miss it.

 

[hounddawg]

The thirty second version:

Traditional ciders were done with a mixture of apples. They have names like
Sharps (acidic)
Bitter Sweets
Sweets
Bitter Sharps (spitters)
It is important to have a variety of apples to have enough acid to last.

yep almost as dumb as i look but not quite,
Dawg

 

[back2it]

After finding two bags of summer fruit in the freezer I have decided to go for the 5 gallons with apple juice.

Recipie:

Blackberry + summer fruits 12kg
Apple Juice 4ltr
Raisins 0.75kg (because I have them and why not? yeah, I’m really asking)
Water 9ltr
Nutriant 2tsp
Pectic Enzyme 5tsp
K-Meta ¼tsp

Add 3kg sugar to defrosting fruits
When defrosted, mash
Add K-Metta for 24hrs
Add Pectic Enzyme for 24hrs
Check SG and up it to about 1.070~1.080
Check PH and adjust to about 3.5 (ish)
Add nutrients
Add yeast

Ferment at 19°c (+- 0.5°c)
Punch down twice a day
After 7~10 days, then take out fruits and move to new fermentation bucket and top up.

Ferment out, rack to carboy and add k-meta for clearing and aging phase
Raise temp to 21°c at fermentation end phase

As for the yeast:-

Mangrove Jacks MA33 is fast becoming a favourite of mine but I’m thinking of using a red wine yeast (Mangrove Jacks VR21) for this one as it says it is an "Excellent strain for red country wines".

Any opinions/experience with this?

Thank you
Ray…

 

[back2it]

I forgot to say that I will make a yeast starter even though they say to just sprinkle the yeast on top.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I like the pH at 3.2 to 3.3. A lower pH is more resistant to wild lactic acid bacteria infection. If you use commercial pasteurized juice you should be safe running the pH high.

 

[back2it]

The reason for that PH level is because of space. I would like to get to the drinking phase sooner rather than later, I don’t want a DRY 2024

I will try at PH 3.4

Thanks once again for your input.

 

[hounddawg]

The reason for that PH level is because of space. I would like to get to the drinking phase sooner rather than later, I don’t want a DRY 2024

I will try at PH 3.4

Thanks once again for your input.

patience , patience , patience,,,,
that's your main ingredient for really good wine...
Dawg

 

[back2it]

You are of course correct, especially as I wish to make a quality product

 

[hounddawg]

You are of course correct, especially as I wish to make a quality product

on your country wines, fruit/berry type wines, you ferment out dry, then you back sweeten to taste,
for me i strive for my wines to taste like from the bush, tree, bramble , cane as possible. now i like my wines with a high ABV, yet not taste the alcohol, so i use my fruits, berries or concentrates much heavier then called for, as much fruit, berry as possible , then run my ABV way on up their, now with that much flavor and back sweetening , i get at least to me a very good product, easy sipping, without any harsh alcohol taste,
funny when i was young i drank hard lacquer, straight up, now that i'm a old geezer, i like a very good pronounced flavor , yet no harsh alcohol taste, i gave away 2 bottles of skeeter pee about 3 weeks ago, the ole boy said he gave em to his ole lady, and after drinking them she slept 36 hours straight, I'd warned him, not to take it lightly just because it tasted like a very good lemonade, he told me, (by gosh you weren't kidding)
lol. i said nope you was warned, you are on the best forum to learn, bar none, . these folk can learn you exactly what to do to get what you want, but the first rule of thumb is patience , above all others, time/patience,,,, best of luck to you,
now if on top of a good product , and you want a quick drinker, then look into skeeter pee and dragons blood, for till your top shelf wine is ready.
Dawg

 

[back2it]

I decided to go with a PH of 3.3 but I have another question.

I found another 2kg of fruit so threw that in as well (freezer now empty) so the below is all the fruit plus 4 ltr of apple juice. I will add water and sugar later.

I will take this to 27 ltr 6 imp Gallons but with the fruit taking so much space, do you think will I need to press the fruit to fill a carboy?

I can hire one, or look on ebay for a £15 offer again

 

[Hazelemere]

I decided to go with a PH of 3.3 but I have another question.

I found another 2kg of fruit so threw that in as well (freezer now empty) so the below is all the fruit plus 4 ltr of apple juice. I will add water and sugar later.

I will take this to 27 ltr 6 imp Gallons but with the fruit taking so much space, do you think will I need to press the fruit to fill a carboy?

I can hire one, or look on ebay for a £15 offer again

View attachment 116002

you need to press the fruit to get the seeds out. Bladder press or panty hose or nylon mesh will work 6 days into an active ferment. If you have dried elderberries e.g. 1/2 lb to 1 lb add them ASAP.

 

[back2it]

No elderberries.

I can hire a small press for £15 a day so will do that when the time comes. I looked on ebay. a 12 ltr press costs about £50, the identical "'vintage' press" costs £70

If this becomes a regular occurance and if space allows I will probably buy one.