Blueberry Recipe - Submitted for Your Approval.

[docanddeb]

The first thing I notice is that you used 1/4 tsp of Kmeta... that is the dose for 5 gal of must. That was the first stressor on the yeast. I don't think even vinegar spores, yeast, whatever they are called... could overcome that. But, the yeast did start right away.
Did you start this in a bucket? or jug? did you stir it a couple times a day those first few days?
Bread yeast has a very low alcohol threshhold, so that is why it was overcome and pooped out immediately.
When you make a new starter for a stuck fermentation, EC 1118 is a good one to use. It is a fairly long process, as you have to keep adding the "stuck" must to it very slowly. If it were me, I would start it in another primary, and slowly, very slowly.... add the stuck must to it. It has to get used to the alcohol level slowly, or it will just stop working.
The point that you are at now.... I don't have experience with. Hopefully someone with more knowledge in that area will chime in.
Good Luck!

Debbie

 

[Old Philosopher]

The first thing I notice is that you used 1/4 tsp of Kmeta... that is the dose for 5 gal of must. That was the first stressor on the yeast. I don't think even vinegar spores, yeast, whatever they are called... could overcome that. But, the yeast did start right away.

My apologies. I misquoted my own notes. I used 1/4th of 1/4th tsp. Basically a "pinch" for this 1.25 gal batch.
Thanks for all the other advice.

 

[Redtrk]

Sorry to dig up an old thread however instead of starting another I thought I would resurect this one.

I happened to stop into a Walmart today which I rarely do and saw 4 lb bags whole frozen blueberries in their freezer section. I'm now thinking about getting about 5 0r 6 bags to start a 6 gallon batch of blueberry wine.

My questions are;
Has anyone ever used these for wine?
If so did you add anything else to it or just use the blueberries?

 

[jtstar]

Sorry to dig up an old thread however instead of starting another I thought I would resurect this one.

I happened to stop into a Walmart today which I rarely do and saw 4 lb bags whole frozen blueberries in their freezer section. I'm now thinking about getting about 5 0r 6 bags to start a 6 gallon batch of blueberry wine.

My questions are;
Has anyone ever used these for wine?
If so did you add anything else to it or just use the blueberries?

I have done both a Blueberry and a Blueberry/Elderberry

 

[jswordy]

For comparison, I've got a 5-gallon batch that's a close variant of this 1-gallon recipe in a 5-gallon secondary now...my variations are in parentheses...

• 3 lb. blueberries
• 1 can frozen Welch's grape juice concentrate (can omit; adds fruitier taste; I used 4 cans in 6 gal.)
• 1 3/4 lb. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
• 1 1/2 tsp. acid blend
• 1/2 tsp. yeast energizer
• 1 tsp. yeast nutrient
• 1/2 tsp. wine stabilizer
• 6 pints water
• 1 crushed Campden tablet or K meta equivalent
• 1 pkg White Labs 749 AMH (Assmanshausen) or Lalvin 71B-1122 (Narbonne) wine yeast - I used 71B-1122.

Wash and crush blueberries in nylon straining bag and strain juice into primary fermentation vessel. Tie top of nylon bag and place in primary fermentation vessel.

(I made 6 gallons total to reduce to 5 at secondary. I placed the berries directly in the must and then strained them prior to secondary.)

Stir in all other ingredients except yeast, stabilizer and grape concentrate.

(I stirred in the Welch's, too. Initial SG was high, at 1.120.)

Stir well to dissolve sugar, cover well, and set aside for 24 hours. Add yeast, cover, and daily stir ingredients and press pulp in nylon bag to extract flavor.

(In my case, stirred twice daily and pushed down the berry cap.)

When specific gravity is 1.030 (about 5 days), strain juice from bag and siphon liquor off sediment into glass secondary fermentation vessel.

(At. 1.040, I poured the must through a 5-gallon nylon paint filter into another bucket and left it sit 24 hours to settle, then racked.)

Fit airlock. Rack in three weeks and again in two months.

(I am in the 3-week/1-month phase.)

When wine is clear and stable, rack again and add stabilizer and grape concentrate. Wait 3 weeks and bottle. Allow a year to mature. It will be worth the wait.

(I will probably wait 3 months, then taste it. I would not be surprised if it took 3 rackings instead of the 2 listed to get it clear to my standard. I intend to back-flavor as needed with blueberry juice concentrate and allow to settle prior to bottling.)

It does taste very berry out of primary!

 

[jswordy]

Sorry to dig up an old thread however instead of starting another I thought I would resurect this one.

I happened to stop into a Walmart today which I rarely do and saw 4 lb bags whole frozen blueberries in their freezer section. I'm now thinking about getting about 5 0r 6 bags to start a 6 gallon batch of blueberry wine.

My questions are;
Has anyone ever used these for wine?
If so did you add anything else to it or just use the blueberries?

Yes, I have used them for the recipe I just posted. Frozen berries are riper than fresh, so they could be used alone. The nice thing is that you can thaw and crush right in the bags, then squeeze out the berries into the straining bag or must.

 

[Redtrk]

This is good info and thanks! I'm going to start getting some bags into my freezer and get ready for a 6 gallon batch.

 

[jswordy]

This is good info and thanks! I'm going to start getting some bags into my freezer and get ready for a 6 gallon batch.

Just be careful of those WM frozen berry bags. Some may have very tiny holes in the seams. No biggie as far as the winemaking, but if you set them on something that will stain, juice could leak onto it as the berries thaw.

 

[1ChuckGauthier]

I also use both energizer and nutrient on all my wines. 1 tsp per gallon of nutrient and 1/2 tsp per gallon of energizer. Blueberry and Cranberry both contain natural benzoate so the substitution of energizer is a better decision but if you have both use both. I always add all fruit and wait around 12 hours before adjusting the sg up so as to extract all or most of the sugars out of the fruit so as to not exceed my typical starting sg of 1.085 or there abouts.

Reading this old post by Wade has me wondering if every wine I have made is higher in alcohol than I thought I was making. I have added fruits and sugar to the level of 1.085 and thought I was doing ok. Just started some strawberry and just realized that I also added meto bisulfate at the same time as pectic enzyme.