How would you make a blackberry + elderberry port?

[lockdude]

I am thinking of making the same.What quanitys did you use?I still have 20 pounds of elderberrys,but Im going to have to buy the blackberrys.
Im thinking about 12 or 18 pounds of blackberrys,and about 8-10 pounds of elderberrys.Does that sound like too much?

 

[Cracked Cork]

I am sorry to say that I am still philisposizing about how to do it, its probably going to be the last big batch of the season and I am having a hard time making up my mind what to do with the last of this years fruit. I think I may make it my new years project. Crackedcork

 

[lockdude]

Im doing the same.Its the last 20 pounds of elderberrys from this year,and I want to be careful to make a really big wine that will have to age for at least 12-18 months before trying.Im just getting into last years elderberry wine.Its good,but could be heavier on the flavor.I made 2 batches last year,and the 2nd one has to age 2 more months to be a year.
Im going to buy the blackberrys.

 

[Cracked Cork]

So we decided to start this batch today, cant really call it a port since we are not going to stop the fermentation.

25lb blackberry, very ripe and frozen
20 ounces dried elderberries
Dropped this for primary - AG at 1.1, save for secondary to boost alchohol {5 cans Welches Concord conc.}
2.5 lb extra light dried malt extract
2.5 t sp nutrient start, 2.5 in a week probably
95gm American Toasted Oakmor Powder in primary, Oak stave for aging
Sugar to start ~7lb
Acid Tested = .675 with no additions required
KMeta Overnight

Then added:
10 ml pectinase
2 ml amylase
2.5 tsp DAP
2.5 tsp Superferment
EC-118 added as starter 24 hrs after KMeta

We decided to steam the blackberries, add the dried elderberries to the hot steamed juice to get them rehydrated, stir in the ELDME and about 6lb of sugar. Its now cooling, later today will add KMeta for insurance and make a starter of EC-118 for high alchohol levels. EBs will be bagged and removed right before transferring to glass. Will add the concord and adjust SG to about 1.095 to start off, then make additions of syrup a couple of times during fermentation. When its done I plan on sweetening to around ~1.02 if the alchohol gets high enough and age it an oak stave too for a while. That should give us a good start, thanks for all the tips.

After measuring SG there was no room for additional sugar so we had to drop the concord conc in primary, but we will use it to boost the sugar for more alchohol by feeding it later.

Crackedcork

Edited by: Cracked Cork

 

[NorthernWinos]

Cracked....did you dry your own Elderberries????? If so...How?

 

[Cracked Cork]

NW, we picked off the ripe berries by hand and put them in an Excalibur dehydrator set at about 125F, took overnight or longer, and we reduced their weight to about 20% of fresh. They are nice and black and crunchy and taste very good raw. Crackedcork

 

[Cracked Cork]

We went to a hippie store and found some Tree of LIfe brand organic fruit concentrates to add the the primary, I wanted to use those to boost the alchohol and add some taste and richness. I added 32 ounces of their concord concentrate when the gravity got to 1.02, 2 cans of welches grape concentrated when it fell back to 1.02, and then a black cherry conce when it fell back to 1.02. I racked into a glass carboy when the gravity fell to 1.01 and its still cooking away. I have a few ounces of room left and will top off with some sugar syrup. When it settles out and we rack again I plan on hitting it with the black cherry again and probably some more oak. Yes I want this to be as full bodied and alcholic as can be, doesnt matter if it takes a couple of years to be drinkable.

Crackedcork

So we decided to start this batch today, cant really call it a port since we are not going to stop the fermentation.

25lb blackberry, very ripe and frozen
20 ounces dried elderberries
Dropped this for primary - AG at 1.1, save for secondary to boost alchohol {5 cans Welches Concord conc.}
2.5 lb extra light dried malt extract
2.5 t sp nutrient start, 2.5 in a week probably
95gm American Toasted Oakmor Powder in primary, Oak stave for aging
Sugar to start ~7lb
Acid Tested = .675 with no additions required
KMeta Overnight

Then added:
10 ml pectinase
2 ml amylase
2.5 tsp DAP
2.5 tsp Superferment
EC-118 added as starter 24 hrs after KMeta

We decided to steam the blackberries, add the dried elderberries to the hot steamed juice to get them rehydrated, stir in the ELDME and about 6lb of sugar. Its now cooling, later today will add KMeta for insurance and make a starter of EC-118 for high alchohol levels. EBs will be bagged and removed right before transferring to glass. Will add the concord and adjust SG to about 1.095 to start off, then make additions of syrup a couple of times during fermentation. When its done I plan on sweetening to around ~1.02 if the alchohol gets high enough and age it an oak stave too for a while. That should give us a good start, thanks for all the tips.

After measuring SG there was no room for additional sugar so we had to drop the concord conc in primary, but we will use it to boost the sugar for more alchohol by feeding it later.

Crackedcork

Edited by: Cracked Cork