Proposed Blackberry Wine recipie for review

[Thig]

Yeast starter for 5-6 gallon:
In a mason jar or measuring cup add-1 cups warm water 80-90F
2 pinch citric acid
1/2 tsp nutrient
2 Tbls sugar dissolved in the water
Wine Yeast

Yeast starter for 1-3 gallons:
In a mason jar or measuring cup add- 2/3 cup warm water 80-90 F
pinch citric acid
1/4 tsp nutrient
1 Tbls sugar dissolved in the water
Wine Yeast

Let the starter sit and work for 24 hours in a sanitized mason type jar (I use a 2 or 4 cup measuring cup) cover loosely with a paper towel. in 12-24 hours it will really be rolling (if it isn't you might have a problem with that pack of yeast)
When you are ready to add the starter, stir up your must a bit to introduce oxygen, then pour the starter on top of the must. Do not stir in at this point. Wait about 8 hours then gently stir the m

 

[Himatangihooch]

Someone recommended that I post a proposed batch recipe for review and it sounded like great advice. I did leave out all the cleaning/sanitation stuff. This is what I’m thinking about. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Blackberry Wine by Earl

Thaw and crush 6#’s of blackberries
Take initial Brix on juice
Calculate sugar add = 21 - Brix x 2.5oz.
Dissolve sugar in 1qt of boiling water
Pour sugar water over berries in 2gallon plastic pail
Cool to room temperature
Add 1tsp Pectic enzyme and one Camden tablet
Measure Brix, TA, pH, SG
Rest for 12 hours
Add 1-1/2 tsp yeast nutrients, pitch 1/4 tsp Montrachet yeast
Stir once a day for 7 days
Filter and transfer to 1 gallon carboy
Measure Brix, TA, pH, SG.
Cook until finished, transfer off the fines as needed
Chemistry check: SG should be <.98
Stabilize the wine by adding 3/4 tsp Potassium Sorbate and 1 Camden tablet
Wait 48 hours.
Back sweeten as desired
Final chemistry check
Bottle.

last summer, February 22 found big area wild blackberries, easy pick 10 l an hour. I crushed BB, added half honey which was crystallised and some sugar, sg 1.10. NO water added at all. Add yeast which was saved from Pinot noir ferment last year. Some ammonia sulphate, yeast nutrient, some tartaric acid , ferment in open , day 6 ? When frothyness abating , strain and sieve and place in carboy with AirTrap. With honey haveing lots different sugars, fermentation takes another 3 weeks.

1 made 3 x 4.5 L glass containers
So wine is 8 months old but only 4 bottles (20) left, the intensity of BlackBerry with zero water added is just sensational to drink. It’s the best red I’ve enjoyed last 2 yrs and my cellar has 140 commercial reds.
With honey , there are some sugars where yeast won’t ferment so even SG .995, some delectableness

 

[hounddawg]

Heard that. The wild ones probably taste better, but one can get into a whole world of pain collecting them.

2 pair blue jeans and 2 to 3 long sleeved shirts,, lol
Dawg

 

[winemaker81]

2 pair blue jeans and 2 to 3 long sleeved shirts,, lol

Those only protect so much when finding a ground hornet nest. Had that happen a few times.

 

[BigDaveK]

Those only protect so much when finding a ground hornet nest. Had that happen a few times.

Haven't made mine yet, still in the freezer. I hope it's worth it. I was in tank top and shorts during harvest because temps were in the upper 80's. And I was cursing non-stop because of the thorns.

With me it's ground yellow jackets. Mean *******s that go after anything that moves. I deal with them late evening or early morning before they're active. If they left me alone I'd leave them alone.

 

[Arne]

2 pair blue jeans and 2 to 3 long sleeved shirts,, lol
Dawg

Ya and in Arkansas 100 degrees and chiggers. LOL Arne.

 

[hounddawg]

hey no one had to bring up, heat, chiggers, wasps, but yawl did forget SEED TICKS,
Dawg

 

[Arne]

Saw the seed ticks for the first time this year but was in Kansas. Buddy was out moving tree standsand got into them. Had his young boy and another fellow along, they didn't get any but my friend was covered in them. Found some "rubbing" alcohol and wiped them down. Did a pretty good job of getting rid of them. Arne.

 

[hounddawg]

Saw the seed ticks for the first time this year but was in Kansas. Buddy was out moving tree standsand got into them. Had his young boy and another fellow along, they didn't get any but my friend was covered in them. Found some "rubbing" alcohol and wiped them down. Did a pretty good job of getting rid of them. Arne.

could you see each tick, if so, i hate to say so but not a seed tick, when you see a gray shade on you that is seed ticks and to see that grey shade is hundreds if not thousands, lol,,,
Dawg

 

[Arne]

LOL, could see little dots. Guess I don't know what they were cause I hadn't ever seen anything like them. Don't want or need to see them again I hope. Course don'tget outin the trees like I used to. Not much hunting anymore. Get rid of this cold weather and we can start fishing again. Arne.

 

[hounddawg]

LOL, could see little dots. Guess I don't know what they were cause I hadn't ever seen anything like them. Don't want or need to see them again I hope. Course don'tget outin the trees like I used to. Not much hunting anymore. Get rid of this cold weather and we can start fishing again. Arne.

them dots most people call seed ticks are yearlings, a seed tick is the size of a chigger, I used to get in them I'd open the door to my home, grab a bottle of bleach just inside the door , throwing my wallet and anything else inside my pockets on the way to the tub, I'd step into the tub fully dressed shoes and all , turn the water on , pour bleach till gasping for air, then lay down clothes shoes and all after I put head and all under water I'd stand up. peel clothes shoes and all off, get fresh clothes on, then because the bleach had ruined everything, I'd throw my clothes and shoes away . you could try washing them, but when done they were always in pieces,,,
Dawg

 

[Arne]

yall have lots of fun stuff down there. the blankety blankety chiggers got under my socks and I suffered with them for a couple weeks. Can still see where they were. Didn't get on my legs, just under the socks. Made life miserable for a few days. Arne.

 

[wbhutchins]

Someone recommended that I post a proposed batch recipe for review and it sounded like great advice. I did leave out all the cleaning/sanitation stuff. This is what I’m thinking about. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Blackberry Wine by Earl

Thaw and crush 6#’s of blackberries
Take initial Brix on juice
Calculate sugar add = 21 - Brix x 2.5oz.
Dissolve sugar in 1qt of boiling water
Pour sugar water over berries in 2gallon plastic pail
Cool to room temperature
Add 1tsp Pectic enzyme and one Camden tablet
Measure Brix, TA, pH, SG
Rest for 12 hours
Add 1-1/2 tsp yeast nutrients, pitch 1/4 tsp Montrachet yeast
Stir once a day for 7 days
Filter and transfer to 1 gallon carboy
Measure Brix, TA, pH, SG.
Cook until finished, transfer off the fines as needed
Chemistry check: SG should be <.98
Stabilize the wine by adding 3/4 tsp Potassium Sorbate and 1 Camden tablet
Wait 48 hours.
Back sweeten as desired
Final chemistry check
Bottle.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is Brix? I'm tracking SG, pH and even TA (which I don't currently have the means to measure).

 

[BigDaveK]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is Brix? I'm tracking SG, pH and even TA (which I don't currently have the means to measure).

Brix is another measure of the amount of sugar in a solution. An accurate measure is obtained using a refractometer prior to fermentation. Usually used for grapes but I use it for my fruit wines just out of curiosity. Is it better or more accurate than an SG reading? I don't know. Most hydrometers come with conversion tables and I've noticed my two readings (hydrometer and refractometer) are always pretty darn close.

Once fermentation starts the alcohol can throw off the reading from a refractometer. If you're tracking SG you'll be fine.

And don't apologize - if you're unsure about something, ask.

 

[Ohio Bob]

A refractometer is used to measure Brix. It uses light refraction due to sugar in the juice. It’s a great tool when you’re walking in the yard and hand picking fruit. Also when your must has a lot of pulp and solids. Sometimes a real hassle to get enough clear liquid to get an SG reading. Once I press blackberries to get more juice and less pulp I switch over to a hydrometer for SG measurements.

 

[Himatangihooch]

Did you find the 15 pounds of blackberries/gallon of wine a good thumbrule Bob?

Hi, blackberry wine, I’ve made two batches, still just bubbling, re racking, do I leave on Lee’s for month or 2?
One batch is zero water, just berry juice, second batch is 6 lb to gallon water, Sg to 1.120 so allows little topping up with water after shrinking.
Is their any detrimental effect by leaving on Lee’s ?

 

[Hazelemere]

Someone recommended that I post a proposed batch recipe for review and it sounded like great advice. I did leave out all the cleaning/sanitation stuff. This is what I’m thinking about. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Blackberry Wine by Earl

Thaw and crush 6#’s of blackberries
Take initial Brix on juice
Calculate sugar add = 21 - Brix x 2.5oz.
Dissolve sugar in 1qt of boiling water
Pour sugar water over berries in 2gallon plastic pail
Cool to room temperature
Add 1tsp Pectic enzyme and one Camden tablet
Measure Brix, TA, pH, SG
Rest for 12 hours
Add 1-1/2 tsp yeast nutrients, pitch 1/4 tsp Montrachet yeast
Stir once a day for 7 days
Filter and transfer to 1 gallon carboy
Measure Brix, TA, pH, SG.
Cook until finished, transfer off the fines as needed
Chemistry check: SG should be <.98
Stabilize the wine by adding 3/4 tsp Potassium Sorbate and 1 Camden tablet
Wait 48 hours.
Back sweeten as desired
Final chemistry check
Bottle.

you don't need boiling water. Put the sugar on the berries I use 3 lb for 6 lb fruit, let it thaw for 2 days and then add the water and pectic enzyme plus nutrient.

 

[Earldw]

Hi folks,
I ended up with 3 gallons of blackberry along with 9 gallons of red muscadine that have been bulk aging since August. Both are very dry and the muscadine has a wonderful fruity aroma And should be ready for bottling pretty soon.
However, the blackberry has an off smell, kinda like sulfur and has gathered what looks like lees along the sides of the carboy. It doesn’t exactly smell bad, but no fruitiness at all and it makes me pause. It tasted very dry with some background flavors I couldn’t put my finger on, with oak flavors, not overly tart and lots of alcohol. I dissolved a little sugar in my sample and the flavor I couldn’t identify became apparent: it was blackberry!

But about the smell. Any thoughts?

 

[Hazelemere]

trace hydrogen sulphide. Aerate it and then sulphite it.

 

[winemaker81]

trace hydrogen sulphide. Aerate it and then sulphite it.

My first thought was well. Put 3 oz in a glass, cover with your hand and shake it, then immediately sniff. If it's nasty (swamp gas, dog farts), it's H2S. Rack it and add K-meta. If you had a serious amount of H2S, the stench would knock you on your butt.

@Earldw, both wines will want backsweetening. Very few fruit wines are good without a bit a sugar (I've backsweetened from 0.990 to 0.994, so it may not require a lot). Muscadine is the same -- a bit of sugar will bring out the flavors.