BlackBerry wine

[Scooter68]

Think you have an answer there cmason1957 I am normally just using the minimum amount of water doing it post ferment. Guess you've pushed me to try a new approach.

 

[hounddawg]

I plan to ferment in buckets, like grape must.
What are some thoughts on adding bentonite to the batch pre-ferment?

I've never used bentonite, I've heard of it, i use time to degas and to clear my wines, i do have some Dura Fine, but use it very rarely, I keep as chemicals, yeast (EC-1118) (K1V-1116),,,, Potassium Sorbate,,, Potassium Metabisulfite (K-Meta),,, Pectic Enzyme,,, Yeast Nutrient,,, Yeast Energizer,,, Triple Acid blend,,,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

I add some bentonite to nearly all ferments that I do at the start. I think it helps the clearing later on, but have no hard evidence to prove that. I do it, due to the person I learned winemaking from doing it and starting with kit wines, which always have you do it. I seldom have issues with it dissolving, I start with rather hot water, about 1/2 gallon or a gallon, add that, sprinkle the bentonite all over the water, then stir it like I am really mad at it, very fast and hard (maybe the term is whip it like a rented mule??).

UM you are talking wine right???????? u'er sic,,,, lol,,, shame shame,,, BahWaaa
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

I add some bentonite to nearly all ferments that I do at the start. I think it helps the clearing later on, but have no hard evidence to prove that. I do it, due to the person I learned winemaking from doing it and starting with kit wines, which always have you do it. I seldom have issues with it dissolving, I start with rather hot water, about 1/2 gallon or a gallon, add that, sprinkle the bentonite all over the water, then stir it like I am really mad at it, very fast and hard (maybe the term is whip it like a rented mule??).

Easy, no mule beatings please, jezze, and i thought you was a calm minded person, and YEP, beat like a rented mule is the phrase, lol

Dawg

 

[silverbullet07]

So my blackberry wine was started 8-31-2020
18# blackberries for 3 gal

The wine finished dry It is tart too. For my taste, I like a much stronger fruit flavor. So I added 1 qt of blackberry concentrate. The black berry flavor is much better but still very tart. I back sweeten with a double simple sugar to about 1.032. It it much better now and now we wait for a little while before bottling.


PS I did add k-meta and sorbate when I racked 24 hours earlier.

 

[Scooter68]

Back - sweeten to taste NOT to an SG number. Every variety is different and even different batches will turn out differently. I ALWAYS sweet to taste then the SG is just - Hmmm so what did this turn out to be?

 

[silverbullet07]

Yes I did to taste and that is were it fell. We created several samples with different levels of sugar and this is what we liked the best.

 

[hounddawg]

Yup , I'm with @Scooter68 ,, taste at all levels and come bottling time sweeten to taste, then take a SG reading just to give you a ball park target, but on country wines it takes a little sweet to bring flavor, then by taste dial in to taste,,,, personally , I'll bring in just under my taste profile, reason being is after aging for a year, everything comes to gather , and the sweetness will be enhanced,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

Yes I did to taste and that is were it fell. We created several samples with different levels of sugar and this is what we liked the best.

Hey @silverbullet07, just for schists & grins, what is your preferred taste profile on your FG, i tend to go mainly with a FG of 1.040 and 1.030 depending on the fruit or berry...
Dawg

 

[silverbullet07]

So far I have only did bench trial for blueberry and blackberry. the trials we preferred for blueberry it ended up at 1.020 and the blackberry was more tart so we needed it sweeter and it ended up at 1.030.
I will be doing bench trial for our pear tonight. It’ll see were it ends.

on our grape wines we like it dry. But so far the fruit wines needed to back sweeten because they lack something. both have been bland or weak in fruit flavor for my liking. The blackberry was also real tart.

Adding the concentrate to backsweaten has help with the blandness and brought back bold fruit flavor which I like. The blueberry, I only added the concentrate and the sugar content it had was enough. The blackberry we added the concentrate but it also needed sugar to cut the tartness.

I kept in mind that it may sweeten up some with age hoping not to make it too sweet.

 

[Scooter68]

How many pounds of fruit per gallon did you use for your fruit wines?

 

[silverbullet07]

I did 18# for the 3 gal finished. I probable had 4 gals in the original fermentation. The wine was pretty light colored. With a bright light you could see through it.

 

[Scooter68]

Next time push up the lbs/ gallon then. I normally use between 6-7 lbs per gallon but I'm using wild blackberries and home grown blueberries not store bought.

 

[RickD]

@Scooter68 thanks for all the details and help. I guess I should have left it in primary for a little while longer. The nasty lees are starting to pile up today. It will be a mess to clean for sure. Something to see in the bottom. Is that parts of the blackberries and the yeast? Nasty looking. Will that keep compacting down? The one qt jug is about half full.

Just curious...did you use a mesh bag in primary?

 

[silverbullet07]

Yes I did. It seemed to catch all the little seeds. it was a real fine mesh.

 

[silverbullet07]

If I k-meta, sorbate, and back sweeten last month and it still is setting in carboy, can I bottle this month with out adding any additional K-meta?

 

[Rembee]

As long as the SG has not moved in a 2 week period then yes it should be safe to bottle. I like to test my SG once a week for 3 weeks. If it has not moved then I consider it ready for bottling.

 

[silverbullet07]

As long as the SG has not moved in a 2 week period then yes it should be safe to bottle. I like to test my SG 3 once a week for 3 weeks. If it has not moved then I consider it ready for bottling.

Oh this has been in carboy 6 months. So the it is done. I've racked it last month to prepare for bottling. Just wondering if K meta needs added again before bottling if I just added k-meta last moth.

 

[sour_grapes]

My personal opinion, not founded on anything particular, is that you could safely bottle at this one-month delay.

 

[Scooter68]

What I've seen talked about on here is that if you do you K-meta dosages every 3 months and rack at that time, you would be fine to bottle now. At 6 weeks (`1 1.2 Months) It's a gamble, More than that definitely consider at least a half a normal dosage.
Of course if you have the ability to measure the SO (2)?) then you don't have to guess, but; then not everyone has that equipment.

So short answer - What sour_grapes said.