Red raspberry aging issue

[Larryh86GT]

HI - My name is Larry and I have a problem letting my raspberry wine age. I have made 4 small batches so far. The first batch I ended up with just 2 - 1.5 liter bottles. That is gone now. Friends and family just had to try it. This picture is my second batch, 4 - 1.5 liter bottles, bottled 2 weeks ago. I was determined to let it age a little but my son visited Saturday and said "Dad, got any of your wine?" What can I say? NO, it's aging? So I broke open a bottle. This is a picture of it. Oh it's good, very good.

Now I have searched the subject of aging fruit wine and there appear to be 2 schools of thought on it:
1. It's better drunk young
2. Let it age, it will get better.

My 3rd and 4th batches are raspberry with honey. I'm pretty certain most will say let this age longer.
Larry

 

[NSwiner]

I think you just need to make bigger batches so you can drink a few bottles early & let the rest age . Even if it's makes it to a couple months it would still be longer then it's lsting now .Did you post your recipe on here or can you give us the link to it .This is definitely something I would like to make since raspberries are easy to get around here .

 

[ffemt128]

HI - My name is Larry and I have a problem letting my raspberry wine age. I have made 4 small batches so far. The first batch I ended up with just 2 - 1.5 liter bottles. That is gone now. Friends and family just had to try it. This picture is my second batch, 4 - 1.5 liter bottles, bottled 2 weeks ago. I was determined to let it age a little but my son visited Saturday and said "Dad, got any of your wine?" What can I say? NO, it's aging? So I broke open a bottle. This is a picture of it. Oh it's good, very good.

Now I have searched the subject of aging fruit wine and there appear to be 2 schools of thought on it:
1. It's better drunk young
2. Let it age, it will get better.

My 3rd and 4th batches are raspberry with honey. I'm pretty certain most will say let this age longer.
Larry

That was the issue with our first batch of Apple wine. It lasted just over 4 1/2 months. We bottled at 3 months. Our mistake was we tasted it and realized how good it was. Gave a few bottles away, drank a few more. Had company that tasted it, drank a few bottles. We opened the last bottle of our first batch on the 20th. Oh what a good wine that was.....

Definately agree with NSwiner, need to make bigger batches. Our second batch of apple is 1 1/2 months old at this point, hasn't been stabilized or back sweetened, is already clear as can be and the spices taste just about right. My logic is to wait and do nothing. As long as it is in the carboy, I know drinking is off limits....

 

[Larryh86GT]

I think you just need to make bigger batches so you can drink a few bottles early & let the rest age . Even if it's makes it to a couple months it would still be longer then it's lsting now .Did you post your recipe on here or can you give us the link to it .This is definitely something I would like to make since raspberries are easy to get around here .

I live in a 3 bedroom ranch with no basement and no attic. I've lived here about 24 yrs and have run out of room. So there is not enough space for large carboys. I can stuff a number of 1 gallon carboys on a shelf somewhere but that's about it.

Raspberries are easy to grow and my 20 foot row of them gave me about 15 lbs or so to make into wine after eating our fill of them daily. I'll be planting a second row this year. This wine is really good. (oh, I think I mentioned that).

I will post the recipe I used tonight or tommorrow.

 

[ffemt128]

Raspberries are easy to grow and my 20 foot row of them gave me about 15 lbs or so to make into wine after eating our fill of them daily. I'll be planting a second row this year. This wine is really good. (oh, I think I mentioned that).

I will post the recipe I used tonight or tommorrow.

The wine looks really good. Beautiful color.

 

[jeepingchick]

LOL! as bad as us i swear!!! i say get rid of some of the stuff that is 24 years old and make room LOL! we cleared out loads of old "crap" in order to make room for the carboys. im in the same boat as you , no celler or basement to store, so i store the empys (ya right) under the table , and i put the full buckets and carboys along the dining rom wall, kinda sorta outta the way, and cover them with old towels to keep light off it.

 

[Larryh86GT]

All the stuff that's 24 years old has stood the test of time and is better quality stuff than you can buy nowadays. We are at the point that if we bring something new home something from the house has to go. It's slowed our shopping down a lot. Kind of like it too. If we had a basement we would just fill that up also.

 

[Torch404]

If it tastes good...DRINK IT! It might taste better in six months to a year, but if your thirsty now an years a long time to wait. If you want to keep it around that long you need to make something else to drink right away.

 

[Doodah]

next time try bottling in 750 mil bottles, you will have 'twice as much'

 

[Wade E]

Cmon, you cant tell me there isnt a place to keep 1 6 gallon carboy in your house!!!!! No ones house is that packed or you would be on the show horders.

 

[jeepingchick]

hehehehe i LOVE that show, makes me feel like im a clean person LOL!!! i can point to that show n tell hubby SEE I TOLD YOU ITS NOT THAT BAD! lololol

seriuosly tho, i save find a corner you wont regret it at all !!

 

[Larryh86GT]

I think you just need to make bigger batches so you can drink a few bottles early & let the rest age . Even if it's makes it to a couple months it would still be longer then it's lsting now .Did you post your recipe on here or can you give us the link to it .This is definitely something I would like to make since raspberries are easy to get around here .

Here is the recipe I used:

It started as a 1 gallon recipe, I have increased it somewhat ending up with a full gallon and a full magnum. (hey-the little bucket holds it).

4 lbs frozen red raspberries (the recipe originally called for 3 lbs but 4 lbs give it much better color) bagged the defrosted berries for fermenting then mushed them in the bucket.
10 pints water (original recipe called for 7 pints)
2 1/2 pounds sugar
1/2 tsp acid blend
1/2 tsp pectin enzyme
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
1 tsp nutrient
1 crushed campden tablet

I warmed the water, dissolved the sugar, mixed everything in the bucket. Let it sit 24hrs then added EC1118 yeast that I had pre-started. Stirred the bucket once a day. I removed the bag of what was pretty much just seeds at the 4 or 5 day point. Fermented dry, then back sweetened