Goji Berry

[jerryd68]

Hey all, I have a couple of goji berry bushes that are starting to bear fruit, I have been collecting the fruit and freezing it, I would like to attempt to make a wine from these berry's, has anyone on here attempted this? I would really appreciate any recipes or advice on using these berrys. Maybe a mixture with raisens?

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

We made one from dried ones from a Chinese store, first year it was not impressive, left it in the bottle for another year and its one of the best white wines we made. How do your berries taste, they dont seem to be very strong flavored so you probably want to use as many as possible. WVMJ

 

[sgx2]

Actually, inspired by WVMJ's recipe, when I ran into a sale in dried goji berries I decided to make a batch. I adjusted the recipe a bit so here is the dump from my database:

Batch: Howling Wolfberry (Bin# 55)
Varietal: Goji Berry
Bin Size: 3 Gal/11.4 L Carboy (15 bottles)
Date Started: Jan 21, 2014 5:49 PM
Cost of ingredients: $35.00

1.35 kg (48 oz) dried goji berries
3 341 mL "cans" of Welches white grape juice concentrate
2.5 kg sugar
8.8 L water
60 mL lemon juice (to invert sugar)
3 very, very ripe bananas (brown!)
1 tbsp acid blend
1 tbsp pectic enzyme
1 tbsp amylase enzyme
1 tbsp yeast nutrient
1 pkg bentonite
1 pkg Lalvin EC-1118 yeast

Boil 2-3L of water, add lemon juice and sugar, allow to simmer a bit (inversion start). Add acid blend, bananas chopped into thin slices (with the skin) and the goji berries. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, then allow to cool (this will take many hours due to the sugar content, think overnight). Strain out fruit and place into a fruit bag. Pour the liquid into a primary, add pectic enzyme, amylase enzyme, yeast nutrient, fruit bag, bentonite and yeast, cover, fit a clean airlock and allow to ferment.

Rack to secondary after one week -- in my case, a 3 gallon carboy -- topping up as needed with water or a compatible white wine. Rack to a new carboy after 30 days then again in 2-3 months at which time you should consider stabilizing and clarifying. Rack after at least six months, consider filtering (perhaps adding wine smoother to the filtered wine), then bottling.

According to WVMJ, you should allow AT LEAST ONE YEAR before tasting.

Current ABV level: 14.2%
Initial Chemistry: SG: 1.100 TA: n/a % pH: n/a SO2: n/a ppm

Events
Date Event. Value Details/Observations
Jan 21, 2014 5:49 PM Start
Jan 30, 2014 3:13 PMSG Reading 1.010 Rack soon
Feb 5, 2014 2:05 PM Racked Racked to 3 gal
Feb 20, 2014 3:15 PM SG Reading 0.998 Should rack
Feb 20, 2014 3:35 PM Racked Racked to fresh 3 gal - should rack again in a month, then stabilize
May 14, 2014 1:41 PM SG Reading 0.994
May 14, 2014 1:42 PM Stabilized Kmeta and sorbate
May 28, 2014 2:50 PM Clarified 1/2 pkg each of Kieselsol and Chitosan




Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[sgx2]

BTW, just bottled this and it's VERY banana heavy. If there is a next time, I might skip the bananas entirely.

 

[wildhair]

Hey all, I have a couple of goji berry bushes that are starting to bear fruit, I have been collecting the fruit and freezing it, I would like to attempt to make a wine from these berry's, has anyone on here attempted this? I would really appreciate any recipes or advice on using these berrys. Maybe a mixture with raisens?

So - did you find a recipe & make the wine? I have several goji bushes and have begun freezing the fruit last fall. The berries taste completely different when dried - I've dried them and made "goji raisins". I'm looking for a fresh/frozen fruit recipe as well.

 

[spunk]

How many bushes do you guys have i have one about three years no fruit yet

 

[wildhair]

I had only 1 bush for several years, planted a 2nd one 2 years ago & started several more from seed last year. My experience ~ it took about 3 years + before it started bearing a decent amount of fruit. Pruning (in late winter) helps stimulate branching = more fruit. Mine will flower and bear fruit all summer right up to frost. I can pick a cup or 2 of berries every week or 2 throughout the summer.

 

[spunk]

I hope this,year it blooms away though.

 

[houlieville]

I had only 1 bush for several years, planted a 2nd one 2 years ago & started several more from seed last year. My experience ~ it took about 3 years + before it started bearing a decent amount of fruit. Pruning (in late winter) helps stimulate branching = more fruit. Mine will flower and bear fruit all summer right up to frost. I can pick a cup or 2 of berries every week or 2 throughout the summer.

I planted one last year in a huge pot on my deck Fed it once a week of miracle grow. it flourished I got tons of berries last year Bloomed and I picked til freezup. for a first year plant I got about quart of berries I have never done so good with a plant.

 

[wildhair]

I've managed to pick and freeze 8# so far - enough for a 2 gal batch I think.