My blackbery wine

[wiliams40]

Started my wine on 8/1/12 today is 8/19/12 it's a blackberry wine my reading was 0.990 is it to late to add more sugar? It's my first large batch it's 20 gallons any ideas would be great thank you.

 

[Calvus]

Why do you want to add more sugar? What did you start at? 20 gallons. Holy crap.

 

[wiliams40]

That's where my mistake started I didn't get a good reading I took 70 pounds of black berrys and crushed then and I took a recipe for 5 gallons and multiplied it by 4 my profile pic is it I covered it and let it work storing it everyday I removed the pulp and waste and took my reading I want to keep my alcohol around 10 to 12% I was afraid to try for much more than that , I wish now I hadn't started this in such a large batch. I was thinking I needed to rack it into a barrel with air lock but I want to make sure I'm done here first. I'm kinda just lost now any ideas?

 

[mmadmikes1]

At .0990 is might be to dry for your liking so adding some sugar and see if it restarts is an option. It may not and you will have sweetened it. It is hard to restart a wine that dry but it could happen. I like to make blackberry a about 1.0

 

[olusteebus]

I don't understand. Isn't it done fermenting? do you need to restart it or do you want it sweeter.

Seems to me you should rack into a barrel or carboys perhaps for a couple of weeks, degas, stabilize with k-meta, sorbate and then you can add sugar to taste. That way, it should not start fermenting. Then add a fining agent and age.

 

[UBB]

70lbs of blackberries for 20 gallons of wine? I think you are a little light on the fruit for that much wine.

 

[Turock]

Get it in carboys and let it age and clear. Don't add sorbate at this time.

 

[wiliams40]

Thanks everyone I watched it fore awhile lastnight and it was still bubbling some so I added alittle sugar , maybe today it'll still be working I've been told before that adding champagne yeast to a fruit wine could restart fermention could this be true? And I hope I'm not to light on black berries I was shooting for 15 gallons but between the water and berries I'm at 20 this may be me last large batch for along time , thanks everyone

 

[Turock]

Don't add sugar--don't add yeast. Yes, you will see bubbles in the beginning of secondary ferment because the yeast is still using remaining sugars. Big mistake to add sugar--just raises ABV and if it gets too high, you can kill the yeast depending on the culture used.

I'm not trying to be snarky here, but it seems you don't have the basics of wine fermentation down, yet. Some good books on the subject would help you or start doing some searches on it. You'd be amazed at the number of white papers on the internet that can firm up your knowledge.

If you want to make good fruit wines, don't dilute with water. Water's only purpose is to reduce acid content that can't be managed by calcium carbonate. Like Mustang grapes. The other purpose is for high brix grapes because you will make rocket fuel with them if you don't dilute. Other than those reasons, you should never use water. Hopes this helps for your future wines.

 

[wiliams40]

Everything I found on the Internet and in books called for water in black berry wine I just wish I'd make it in 4 5 gallon batches instead of one big batch . Thanks

 

[ckassotis]

Well blackberry is tricky, due to the really high acid. So, some water can help dilute it so that you don't need to chemically alter the acid to such a great extent (which can also be detrimental to your wine). However, there are some yeasts that are best for fruits like this with an excess of malic acid (which I believe is what blackberry has going on). But yeah, generally you don't want to add water - or as little as possible if you do.

 

[Turock]

Well, don't beat yourself up too much. I know recipes have you using water, and it's so that you get a specific amount of wine--like 5 gallons or whatever--so that measurement of the chemical additions is easier for you. But recipes don't make great wines. Blackberry can be hard to work with--most people use malic metabolizing yeasts, and a PH meter in order to bring the acidity in line. Without that, you can make a real harsh wine that you won't enjoy too much. At least your water additions will help control the low PH somewhat.

We let our blackberry age from 9 months to a year. When you reach that point, and if the wine has flaws that you don't like, let us know because there are measures you can take to make it somewhat better.

Whatever you do, don't toss it out--give it a chance. I just hope your ABV won't be terribly high.

 

[mmadmikes1]

This make me think it is time to tap the blackberry keg setting behind me. It has been a year now

 

[wiliams40]

I've racked my wine again into 3 carboys with air locks but now I'm not seeing much activity it's at 72 degrees should I just wait longer or is it anything I can do? Thanks

 

[Turock]

Once you have it racked off the gross lees, just let it sit. You won't see much activity at this point. But you want to let it age on the fine lees at the bottom. This helps the flavors come to full potential. We let our blackberry age this way for about one year. Then we sweeten and bottle.