Pressing Strawberries

[FechterNector]

I am new to wine making. I started my first batch last weekend with strawberries that I froze from last year. I plan on making a lot of strawberry wine this year (I have a large strawberry patch in my garden). All recipes seem call for sliced or mashed strawberries. Would it make sense to press the juice out of the berries rather then slicing? I read several articles that say strawberry seeds give the wine a bitter taste if left in primary too long. Pressing would be easier and faster then slicing. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[cmason1957]

Freeze the strawberries. Put in fermentation bag. Dump in primary, leave there until primary is over. I do it this way all the time never have off taste. No need to press you are left with nothing in the bag.

 

[ffemt128]

I either do as cmason stated or I'll steam the strawberries, no pulp or seeds with steaming.

 

[Bergmann]

X3 on the no press needed, Strawberries give so much to the wine as the pulp is broken down. leaving the seed in the must until fermentation is almost complete or even complete will not harm the wine. It is prolonged contact after enzymes and alcohol have broken down the casing of the seed that created the bitterness. Fruit bag the berries, ferment, rack, age. Makes a marvelous wine.

 

[djrockinsteve]

By freezing strawberries your halfway there. Freezing helps to rupture the cell structure. Dump in a bucket and keep cool. Once they are mostly thawed add Pectic enzyme. Leave alone aside from a few stirs for 12-24 hours.

Then add nutrient and yeast. By 1.050 most of what's left of strawberries can be removed. You will have a billion seeds at bottom of bucket. Watch you don't transfer them over when clearing.

This is the easiest and simplistic way.

 

[Arne]

But if you like, you can press them and just use the juice. If I was going to press them, I would freeze first, then press. Easier to extract the juice. Arne.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I cut and depit my strawberries before i freeze them.

Let the completely thaw then i would put in the ferm bag and into the primary.

Also add pectic enzymes that will aid in further break down of the cell walls.

 

[Bergmann]

I cut and depit my strawberries before i freeze them.

Let the completely thaw then i would put in the ferm bag and into the primary.

Also add pectic enzymes that will aid in further break down of the cell walls.

DEPIT Strawberries? what kind of Strawberries do you have?

 

[winemaker_3352]

Normal. I guess depit is the wrong word. I de-core them. I use a straw and push it from the bottom up through the top