Elderberry/Blackberry Port

[Wade E]

Okay, I had a bad day! I come home to get a cold beer from the tap and open the door and the temp is 75*!!!!!

. I dont know whats wrong and since its the spare fridge I cant afford to have it fixed either but the compressor is working but just blowing hot air in both the freezer and fridge. I open the freezer and everything is thawed out, all my fruits and a few packages of meat also. I had 18 lbs of elderberries in there, 16 lbs of Blackberries, 12lbs of raspberries, and 4 1/2 lbs of mulberries. The last 2 fruits were for f-pacs so I immediately pulled those right out and threw them in a pot and started simmering to get that out of my way. I wasnt sure what I was going to do with the blackberries as of yet as Ididnt really have enough for a batch. Finally I said screw it and threw all the blackberries and elderberries in a fermenting bag along with 3 cups of light malt extract, 9lbs of sugar and the usual suspects and had an sg of 1.110. Tommorow I will add the yeast which will be Pastuer Red. I hope this will be a great wine but just really didnt have time to do anything else as when i opened the freezer a big mess came out which really took some time to clean up as those freezer bags I used were also what I used to pick them and I guess the prickers had done their job as I had a pool of red and purple juice flowing out of that freezer and gotall underneath and everywhere.

 

[gaudet]

Damn man,

that was a bad evening. I hope that you can figure out whats wrong with it.... It should still be under warranty even though you bought it as a scratch and dent.......

Good luck...

 

[Boyd]

You might try vacuming the coils. Dust can screw things up. Also use a small compressor on them after the vacumee to get what the vacume misses.

Also some refridgs. can ice up causing problems. Happened with mine a short wile ago. Cat me $70.00 for the repair guy.

 

[Wade E]

Very clean in back where coils are, Im thinking its a defrost timer problem as it was blowing hot air in both freezer and fridge. Got to get in further tomorrow, I still havent taken a shower yet.

Gotta go now and do that before you start smelling me through your comp. screen!

 

[Waldo]

Hope it is nothing serious buddy and can be easily fixed

 

[Scott]

Make sure you have recorded what you "threw together" sounds tasty.


Bummer on the defrosting, there is always something to keep you on your toes!

 

[Wade E]

The guy is coming tomorrow morning and its under warranty. I lost a huge venison roast and some other packages of meat, not too much though, it could have been a lot worse if my fruits werent in there cause she was going to put a bunch more meats in there but couldnt due to me filling it with berries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just pui the yeast in there, went to grab a packet this morning but they were in the fridge and during all that sh!t I must have thrown out the few packets I had of hat so had to call my very local shop and ask them to stay open 5 extra minutes as they were closing and ran down there and bought a few packets and gave that nice old lady a bottle of Super Tuscan for doing so, she was hapy as she has never tried the Winery series version. Hopefully its something they wont have to order and wait for to fix that fridge.

 

[Wade E]

Racked it this morning with an sg of 1.015 and the green stuff does come right off with vegetable oil nicely otherwise it just smears really bad with other stuff. I can see already thats its going to be fun getting the carboy clean though as that goop is already forming at the neck within minutes! Its the only carboy in front on the left. Smells wonderful, I think Im going to just throw out the mesh bag though and use Home Depot straining bag for this next time!

 

[Cracked Cork]

Wade, your winemaking area is much to clean, the walls dont even have any elderberry juice on them. Crackedcork

 

[Wade E]

I do keep a clean area, wish y wife was as anal retentive!

 

[Boyd]

Never trie elderberry/blackberry but I made 5 gallons of elderberry/wild grape and 5 gallons elderberry/blueberry.

Blueberries were from Sams Club.

Very good, and all gone. Opinions are from other people.

 

[Wade E]

I have made a lot of wines in my time but must say that the aroma coming out of the room from that carboy is intoxicating, what a beautiful smell it has to it! Smelling like it was worth all the trouble!

 

[NEBama]

Wade could you give an exact recipe as to all the ingredients as I have about 30 pounds of elderberries and 12 pounds of blackberries would love to turn part of the elderberries and blackberries into a port any sugestions would be appreciated.THANKS AL

 

[Wade E]

I dont really feel comfortable giving out this recipe as its not has not yet even been tasted so I dont know if its awesome or disgusting. If you really want to follow my recipe Ill post it below but so far it is not tried an d true. Im willing to bet it will be very good though.
6 Gallon Recipe
18 lbs of Elderberries destemmed, frozen, and dethawed.
16 lbs of Blackberries frozen and dethawed.
3 cups of Dry Light Malt Extract
Sugar to sg of 1.110 (about 8 lbs)
Pectic enzyme per Manufacturer's recommendations.
3 tsp of yeast nutrient
1 1/2 tsp of yeast energizer
2 tsp of acid blend
5 1/2 gallons of water
1/4 tsp of k-meta.

Put all thawed out fruit into a fermenting bag and pour 2 gallons of very hot water over fruit and squeeze as much juice as you can into the bucket.
put fruit in bag off to side and add everything but pectic enzyme and yeast and then add the rest of the water adjusting the temp to end up at around 70*. After 12 hours add the pectic enzyme and wait another 12 hours to add the yeast. I used Red Star Pastuer Red and it did a good job as I chaptalized when it got down to 1.010 which brought it back up to 1.025 and it went back down to .998 which gives me just a little under 17 abv and thats fine for me and more then I expected from this yeast so now I have to sweeten back.

 

[markg]

Hey Wade, if you ever have refrigeration problems or questions, call me or I.M. me. I'm in the business (mostly commercial refrigeration though). I just pondered through this post tonight and did not know when your problem arose.
Mark

 

[Wade E]

Do you deal with refrigerators though? I know its all pretty much the same thing but can you get parts for a better price if needed?

 

[markg]

Wade, You have a PM

 

[Wade E]

Racked this wine again today and stabilized it at an sg of .992 . Im not a dry fruit wine liker but this stuff smelled so dang good that I had to take a sip and even dry this stuff rocks. I think I found a wine that is equal to the Black Currant I love so much.

 

[Waldo]

Woooooooooooo thats a mouthful there buddy. That must be some really good Port you have concocted.

 

[Wade E]

Im loving this one and when plucking all those berries off those fricken stems I swore I would never do this again but now I know ill be a pickking again!

I guess its like saying Ill never drink again after a bad night!