Raspberies Frozen and Rasp/ Grape concentrate

[timber]

Raspberies Frozen and Vintners Harvest Raspberry

I've got enough fresh frozen raspberries (~8 lbs) that we picked to make a couple of gallons of wine. I'd like to make up a 6 gallon batch.

Thinking about picking up a 96 oz Vintners Harvest Raspberry to add to the fresh frozen. Do you think this would turn out too weak or do you think this would make a full 6 gal batch?

I suppose I could always add some Welches Rasp/ White Grape concentrate to make up any difference, if needed.

Any comments regarding the Vintners Harvest Raspberry would be great too, how did you like it?

Would raisins be appropriate with raspberry to add some body or would that just taste weird?
(Suppose that's a subjective question but I have no idea).

Thanks,

 

[Deezil]

When it comes to the vintner's harvest cans of fruit, the general rule of thumb is 2 - 96oz cans per 5-6 gallons. One can makes a beautiful 3 gallon batch, from what i hear - but makes a thinner, larger batch. I would think the 8lbs additional might be a little shy of making up for that 2nd can of puree.

If you could afford it, you could get 2 cans of the vintner's harvest raspberry for the fermentation & save the 8lbs for a F-Pack later. That would be the best batch, given what you're looking at.

Or just as good as the "Best" option - only buy 1 can & instead of 5-6 gallons, shoot for 3 gallons with the 8lbs for an F-pack.

Second best would be as you suggest - 1 96oz can + 8lbs fruit + raspberry-grape concentrates.

Raisins or bananas would help for rounding out the wine, indeed.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Do you want a lot of weak wine or good wine? On can of VH base, your frozen berries into a total of 3 gallons would make the good wine. Crackedcork

 

[timber]

Thanks to you both!
Just what I needed.

I'll have to read up on F-pacs to understand what they are all about.
1) Are they added after fermentation has completed (K-meta & sorbate added)?

2) Is the F-pac a preferred method over just fermentation of the berries along with the VH base?

3) Any suggestions on a suitable yeast for raspberry wine, I currently have Red Star, Premier Cuvee but can get another if it would improve the end product.

Thanks,

 

[Deezil]

F-packs are added post-fermentation after the additions of k-meta and sorbate. It's explained in the stickied-posts of the Fruit Wines section, but basically you take some fruit and get it over low heat for a while, mash it up and wait for the water to evaporate.. Making a syrup of sorts - packed with flavor, hence the name.

Strain out the solids and add this to the wine to give it the original fruit character that was changed in the fermentation process. Usually 20-25% of the fruit used during fermentation, is recommended for the f-pack. So if you made a batch using 60lbs of fruit, you'd use about 12-15lbs for a f-pack.

 

[timber]

Great!
I'll check out the sticky.
A 3 gal. batch from one 96 oz. VH base appears to be a very economical way to go. The F-pack made from berries from our yard will make it all the more special. I'll mince up some raisins and put them in a strainer bag in the primary as well. I can almost taste it now ...

Thanks,

 

[FTC Wines]

Timber, Just a thought, the BEST Skeeter Pee I ever made was from a Raspberry wine slurry. You should try it. Roy

 

[Sammyk]

I made 3 gallons of the VH Raspberry. I used 1 can of frozen white grape and red raspberry per gallon. Really round out this wine,

 

[timber]

All good stuff.

Hi Roy, I had to educate myself on just what Skeeter Pee is, I've seen reference to it, of course, here and there but hadn't really checked out how it's made until today. As I make my raspberry, I do have a 6 gal. carboy available since I'll be doing my secondary in 3 one gal. jugs for the raspberry. I'll consider using the slurry from the raspberry to make some summertime refreshment. May take you up on your suggestion ... bet my wife would love it.

Hi Sammyk, what are your thoughts about adding raisins as well as the white grape and red raspberry? My thoughts are to use the raisins to add tannins as well as body.
I'm assuming that you enjoyed the end result of using VH Raspberry base but felt it needed something more to round it out a bit.

Thanks,

 

[wvbrewer]

That would be good for a three gallon batch, but I would double that for six gallons.

 

[timber]

Yup, I'll go for the three gal. batch and rack to secondary before fully dry so I can make some skeeter pee with the slurry.
Guess I'd better get some bottles and a corker together, I'm going to need them.

 

[wvbrewer]

Sounds like fun.. I am waiting to put my Chianti into the secondary. I got to count my bottles to. I am going to need 30 of them.

 

[Turock]

When we make red rasp, we use 8# of fruit per gallon. We've used the Vintner's Harvest, and even eliminated a lot of water addition but the wine came out too weak. What works the best for us is to buy the 1 pound bags of frozen berries from Aldi's for $2.99 each. Very cheap for red rasp. We recently did a 40# batch of those berries and it turned out excellent. If you want to make great fruit wines, use juice only and NO water.

 

[harleydmn]

I haven't made any fruit wine but at $3 a pound and use 8 lbs per gal, that seems to be expensive.

 

[Turock]

Not when 1/2 pint in season can go for anywhere between $3.00 and $6.00!!!!

 

[Larryh86GT]

I haven't made any fruit wine but at $3 a pound and use 8 lbs per gal, that seems to be expensive.

Yes they are pricey to buy. It's best to grow your own.

 

[timber]

As a beginner I'm learning that wine making is, indeed, an extremely flexible and most rewarding hobby.

The varietal of grape wines, the varied range of fruit and flower wines, the quality and characteristics of these wines are so diverse that most any of us living most anywhere on most any budget can find a niche and reap the rewards of making our own wine.
I think the most successful wine makers are likely flexible themselves, able to adapt to conditions and what is available to them at any given time.

We feel very fortunate to live where the harvest of grapes, fruits and flowers are plentiful. Even so, we tend to "go for the hedgerows", so to speak, to harvest what we can to free up resources so we can purchase that which supplements these bounties.

I've never tried them but the 96 oz. Vintners Harvest base appears to be one way to make a good wine so long as enough is used per batch.
It obviously takes a lot of fruit to make a good wine. I'm curious as to how many #'s of raspberries go into one 96 oz. can of VH Raspbery base.

Hopefully a combination of one of the VH and 8# frozen berries will make a quality 3 gal batch of fruit wine. I would imagine using more of of the VH could make it better yet but it's just not in my current budget.

This summer I'll be tracking down a number of resources for local fruit and grapes, I'll go with what's available and priced reasonably. Should be a fun summer.