(Hopefully) All juice Mulberry

[dorfie]

No it will not cause a banana flavor. Where did you get the information that you had to boil bananas for 30 minutes?

I had read it here and some other forums. i mean i haven't had any banana flavor come through so i guess no harm no foul right!

 

[dorfie]

Ok so i got my delivery of supplies! once my juice melts i will be starting this! I am thinking that i will add some bananas to the must, and i will test for the acid level and adjust accordingly, planning on using Rc-212
I am wondering though, if i should add bentonite to the primary? i have read some conflicting opinions about using it during the primary and as a finning agent is secondary. I was thinking that since the juice is so dark, and the wine i have made before was really dark it was hard to tell when it was really clear.
with bentonite i would just wait until it stops dropping sediment right?

 

[Julie]

They must have been using a lot of bananas! One or two bananas are all you need. Also, have you thought of adding any tannins? either pre or post fermentation?

 

[dorfie]

They must have been using a lot of bananas! One or two bananas are all you need. Also, have you thought of adding any tannins? either pre or post fermentation?

oh yah! forgot to say that! haven't decided how much, figured that i would go by taste.
What do you think of the bentonite?

 

[dorfie]

Keep the extra juice to top up with. You will need something, it might as well be straight juice

BOB

Bob, sorry for missing your post! i was hoping one of you guys that had made a mulberry wine before would comment.
i am planning on making 3 1/2 gallons so then i will top up with the half gallon until it's gone...then i might use last years or something.
i don't know if you would know, but do you know what kind of mulberry you used to make your wine? variety, or anything? i'm just curious

 

[fivebk]

I don't know what variety they were. They were from trees that just grow wild in my area. Steam juicing is the way to go. For some reason it just makes better wine. I have to admit that my best mulberry wine was a blend. I read in a winemakers mag where a guy blended his mulberry with zucchini. So I made a zucchini wine and blended the two. It was a very good wine. I made it semi-sweet. I also bottled some of the zucchini wine. It turned out to be surprisingly good by itself

BOB

 

[dorfie]

I put the wine together tonight, will pitch the yeast tomorrow. planning to use RC-212
Mulberry wine
3 gallons and 1 quart steam juiced mulberry juice
1 3/4 tsp tannin
Acid was .30 so i added 6 1/2 tsp acid blend to bring it to .6-.65
3 lbs sugar to 1.084
2 very ripe and mushy bananas

 

[dorfie]

I don't know what variety they were. They were from trees that just grow wild in my area. Steam juicing is the way to go. For some reason it just makes better wine. I have to admit that my best mulberry wine was a blend. I read in a winemakers mag where a guy blended his mulberry with zucchini. So I made a zucchini wine and blended the two. It was a very good wine. I made it semi-sweet. I also bottled some of the zucchini wine. It turned out to be surprisingly good by itself

BOB

Ok, I believe you are in Zone 5 which means that they could have been Morus alba (white mulberry) or nigra (black mulberry)or a hybrid.
Zucchini!? I have never hear of that, what does that taste like?

 

[fivebk]

Zucchini wine is kind of neutral in flavor, but it has a ton of body

BOB

 

[dorfie]

Zucchini wine is kind of neutral in flavor, but it has a ton of body

BOB

Would you be willing to post your recipe? maybe if i tire of bread i will try a small batch to blend!

 

[dorfie]

Got my yeast pitched yesterday morning! looks pretty good, smells like bread!
i took the picture yesterday afternoon, but we had a big storm roll through and then i was distracted by the bugs in my cherries

Excited for this!

 

[fivebk]

Yes I can, but it may be the first of the week before I get it posted

BOB

 

[dorfie]

Yes I can, but it may be the first of the week before I get it posted

BOB

That is completely fine! the wine is happily bubbling away!

 

[dorfie]

Transferred wine to carboys today! ended up with just under 3 1/2 gallons of wine, the little taste i had was pretty good! acid might be a little too high, but i think that will mellow some as it ages. excited for this one!

 

[fivebk]

Here's my recipe:

Zucchini Wine (5 gal )

25lbs Fresh frozen zucchini chunks
6.5lbs Sugar to SG 1.080
1.5tsp Wine tannin
2.5tsp Pectic enzyme
.5liter White grape concentrate (from LHBS)
1.5tsp Yeast energizer
3.0tsp Yeast nutrient
2gal Water
Acid blend ( did not test )
.5box Raisins
.5box Golden raisins
.25tsp K-Meta
1pkg EC 1118 Wine yeast

Add all ingredients except pectic enzyme and yeast. Wait 12hrs, add pectic enzyme and wait 12hrs. Make a yeast starter and pitch yeast.

Pitch yeast
Rack to secondary and finish fermentation
Rack, add K-Meta, Sorbate and De-gass
Rack, add SuperKleer and top up with Welch's 100% white grape juice
Rack, Add acid blend (Wine needed it) and back-sweetened
Filter & bottle

I blended 2.5gal with 6gal Mulberry

BOB

 

[dorfie]

Here's my recipe:

Zucchini Wine (5 gal )

25lbs Fresh frozen zucchini chunks
6.5lbs Sugar to SG 1.080
1.5tsp Wine tannin
2.5tsp Pectic enzyme
.5liter White grape concentrate (from LHBS)
1.5tsp Yeast energizer
3.0tsp Yeast nutrient
2gal Water
Acid blend ( did not test )
.5box Raisins
.5box Golden raisins
.25tsp K-Meta
1pkg EC 1118 Wine yeast

Add all ingredients except pectic enzyme and yeast. Wait 12hrs, add pectic enzyme and wait 12hrs. Make a yeast starter and pitch yeast.

Pitch yeast
Rack to secondary and finish fermentation
Rack, add K-Meta, Sorbate and De-gass
Rack, add SuperKleer and top up with Welch's 100% white grape juice
Rack, Add acid blend (Wine needed it) and back-sweetened
Filter & bottle

I blended 2.5gal with 6gal Mulberry

BOB

Awesome thanks!
I think I will make a gallon or so and blend a bit of my mulberry with it to try it.
An update on the wine: I transfered to a carboy and a lot of sediment fell right away. I tried a small bit today. Pretty good flavor, acid may be a bit high but its young so I hope that mellows.

 

[dorfie]

as an update. I racked the mulberry wine on monday, and something really cool happened! not sure if this has happened to me before or if i just never noticed it. when i racked the wine it was cloudy-opaque, then yesterday i pulled some out for a friend to sample and it was clear! it must have degassed some when it was racked and dropped much of the sediment.
It has a different smell, which i think has been normal for my mulberry wines, but it tastes pretty good! i pulled the zucchini out today and will be probably starting a gallon of that soon.

 

[wineforfun]

That mulberry looks really tasty.

I would get those carboys topped up though. I don't like leaving that much headspace in my carboys.

 

[dorfie]

That mulberry looks really tasty.

I would get those carboys topped up though. I don't like leaving that much headspace in my carboys.

I normally don't have that much either, but as it was still fermenting it was protected by the CO2. now that i have racked them i combined the 1/2 gal and the 3 gallon to get a full 3 gallon, so now there is much less headspace.

 

[subseageorge]

I wouldn't add banana water but I would just slice up a banana and put that in

Hi Guys, why do you add the banana ? IS there a specific reason ? Thanks