Here is an update on my blackberry wine.
I started it on 9/17 with 29 lbs. of blackberries, plus water with 4c sugar and 1/2 gal apple/white grape juice (Motts). My initial volume was 4.5 gals, with a goal of 3 gals. in secondary. After measuring Brix, I added 1065 g additional sugar. The initial Brix was then 20 (= SG 1.083) and pH was 3.32. Pitched K1-V1116 hydrated with GoFerm and made into a step starter with added must.
On 9/19 it was clearly fermenting, but I measured the Brix at 20, same as before. The SG measured with hydrometer was 1.082. So I concluded that on my initial measurement, there must have been some undissolved sugar. Since I am not sure of the initial Brix, I will measure SG rather than Brix from this point on. (The initial Brix is necessary to calculate the SG based on initial and current Brix.)
On 9/22 I removed the fruit bag. My procedure was to suspend it above the bucket for several hours to drain, and then squeeze by hand to remove as much liquid as possible
After draining and squeezing, the pulp bag weighed 6.3 lbs. giving me a 78% yield (by weight). I put the bag in a small fruit press and extracted some more wine. The weight was then 5 lbs. = 83% yield. BTW, when I was draining the pulp bag, the fragrance in the room was wonderful!
Then I racked it into a 3 gal. carboy + a 1 gal carboy, both with quite a bit of headroom at this point. On 9/22 the SG was 1.012 and the pH 3.17. It has become more acidic, possibly due to more acid released from the fruit during fermentation. I won't try to adjust the pH at this point, but will consider whether I need any adjustments before bottling. Or maybe just some additional backsweetening to offset the acid.
Today (9/24) the SG is 1.006, so it is still slowly finishing fermentation (dropped by 6 points in 2 days).
I started it on 9/17 with 29 lbs. of blackberries, plus water with 4c sugar and 1/2 gal apple/white grape juice (Motts). My initial volume was 4.5 gals, with a goal of 3 gals. in secondary. After measuring Brix, I added 1065 g additional sugar. The initial Brix was then 20 (= SG 1.083) and pH was 3.32. Pitched K1-V1116 hydrated with GoFerm and made into a step starter with added must.
On 9/19 it was clearly fermenting, but I measured the Brix at 20, same as before. The SG measured with hydrometer was 1.082. So I concluded that on my initial measurement, there must have been some undissolved sugar. Since I am not sure of the initial Brix, I will measure SG rather than Brix from this point on. (The initial Brix is necessary to calculate the SG based on initial and current Brix.)
On 9/22 I removed the fruit bag. My procedure was to suspend it above the bucket for several hours to drain, and then squeeze by hand to remove as much liquid as possible
After draining and squeezing, the pulp bag weighed 6.3 lbs. giving me a 78% yield (by weight). I put the bag in a small fruit press and extracted some more wine. The weight was then 5 lbs. = 83% yield. BTW, when I was draining the pulp bag, the fragrance in the room was wonderful!
Then I racked it into a 3 gal. carboy + a 1 gal carboy, both with quite a bit of headroom at this point. On 9/22 the SG was 1.012 and the pH 3.17. It has become more acidic, possibly due to more acid released from the fruit during fermentation. I won't try to adjust the pH at this point, but will consider whether I need any adjustments before bottling. Or maybe just some additional backsweetening to offset the acid.
Today (9/24) the SG is 1.006, so it is still slowly finishing fermentation (dropped by 6 points in 2 days).
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