Second Try at Blackberry

[blackpage]

I started my second batch of Blackberry tonight and I figure I'll just talk with you guys every step of the way and hopefully this one will turn out awesome...I've done tons of research and THINK I can do it well but...we'll see.

here is what i've done so far:
Recipe (1 gallon)
3 3/4 quarts water
2 1/2 lbs sugar
9 lbs blackberries
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 Campden tablet
Tomorrow:
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 packet of yeast (I will use Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast)

I just added the campden tablet and checked the pH, acid, and SG. I've got a 1.88 SG and had a 4.0 pH and my TA was only .3% so I added the 2 tsp of acid blend (I hadn't added any until I checked it) and that brought my pH to 3.3 but my TA was still only about .45% to .5%. I thought after adding 2 tsp of acid blend the TA would be around .6% which is what I was shooting for. I don't feel comfortable adding anymore acid blend because the pH is about where it should be, plus the acid titration kit is somewhat subjective so I don't want to be doing it wrong and then screw it up.

Anyways, that's where I'm at so far. I'll be adding the pectic enzyme tomorrow morning and then add the yeast tomorrow evening.

What do you think? Am I on the right track this time?

 

[blackpage]

I meant the SG is at 1.088 (obviously) oops!

 

[mmadmikes1]

I like my PH at b3.4 to 3.7

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

9lb of blackberries should have raised your TA higher than .5% unless you diluted it a lot with water, you only left a quarter of a cup of space for 9 pounds of berries and 2.5 lbs of sugar, are you really making 2 gallons? Good luck, Blackberry is great. Crackedcork

I started my second batch of Blackberry tonight and I figure I'll just talk with you guys every step of the way and hopefully this one will turn out awesome...I've done tons of research and THINK I can do it well but...we'll see.

here is what i've done so far:
Recipe (1 gallon)
3 3/4 quarts water
2 1/2 lbs sugar
9 lbs blackberries
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 Campden tablet
Tomorrow:
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 packet of yeast (I will use Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast)

I just added the campden tablet and checked the pH, acid, and SG. I've got a 1.88 SG and had a 4.0 pH and my TA was only .3% so I added the 2 tsp of acid blend (I hadn't added any until I checked it) and that brought my pH to 3.3 but my TA was still only about .45% to .5%. I thought after adding 2 tsp of acid blend the TA would be around .6% which is what I was shooting for. I don't feel comfortable adding anymore acid blend because the pH is about where it should be, plus the acid titration kit is somewhat subjective so I don't want to be doing it wrong and then screw it up.

Anyways, that's where I'm at so far. I'll be adding the pectic enzyme tomorrow morning and then add the yeast tomorrow evening.

What do you think? Am I on the right track this time?

 

[blackpage]

I was only intending to make 1 gallon. I had originally held back on the water and got an SG of 1.1 which I would have originally left alone but I'm going by Tom's blackberry recipe that the SG should be around 1.085 so I added the rest of the water and it brought it down to 1.088.

I guess when we go to rack to secondary we will see if we can get 2 lbs out of it...but I guess I don't really want to do that either because that would put me back to only having about 4.5 lbs per gallon of wine. hmmm

 

[blackpage]

what is the reason that you don't stir the must after you pitch the yeast. I have read some that say to stir and others that say not to but I was just curious why not to?

 

[blackpage]

It's only day 2...what's wrong?

nothing is bubbling...grr I did everything with my blackberry batch by the recipe and nothing is bubbling to show fermentation. I posted the recipe and what I have done so far in a post a couple of nights ago as "Second try at Blackberry" What's wrong with my wine? Anyone?

 

[LanMan]

I didn't read your other post but signs of fermentation can take 72 hours to become visible.

 

[cpfan]

nothing is bubbling...grr I did everything with my blackberry batch by the recipe and nothing is bubbling to show fermentation. I posted the recipe and what I have done so far in a post a couple of nights ago as "Second try at Blackberry" What's wrong with my wine? Anyone?

Without temperature of the must, specific gravities, and if not the recipe, at least a link to it......can't do much to help you.

Steve

 

[Julie]

blackpage, you should continue in the same thread as to where you posted your recipe.

Have you taken any readings? Just because you are not seeing bubbles does not necessarily mean you do not have a ferentation started. Some fermentations start very slowly and do not bubble right away. Also, you don't need to worry as of yet, two days in a very short time. I have had wines that has taken three to four days before they started to ferment.

 

[blackpage]

thanks I will post anything else in my original thread but I'll chill for a couple more days before I get nervous. Just the first one that started slow for me

 

[grapeman]

I put these both together. It really was only one day as you didn't add the yeast until the next day on the 16th. Also don't stir the yeast until it is going so the yeas colonies can congregate and get reproducing quicker, then stir. It is probably going by now and if not will be soon. Make sure your must temp is about 70-75.

 

[blackpage]

Thanks grapeman (for putting the posts together and the advice) I sadly have 2 things working against me right now. I did stir when I added the yeast (I did it without thinking and as soon as I stopped I realized what I did) also my heater spazzed out yesterday and out house was only about 60 degrees so the must was definitely not the right temperature. It's not around 70 degrees so should be better. As of this morning when I stirred the must, it was still not going. Should I not be stirring it until I see signs of fermentation?

 

[blackpage]

so it's Friday...4 days after I added yeast and there doesn't seem to be any change. :-( I just took the SG and it is 1.08 which is SLIGHTLY lower than it was on Monday (1.088) but I don't know that I want to get excited that it's doing something with that small of a change. The temperature is still sitting too low so maybe that's it too. It's around 60F (which shocked me because my house is sitting at 70 so I thought it was ok being closer to that) I just put a heater by my wine cabinet set on 75 so that will bring the temp up but...

Also, I have not stirred the must since yesterday morning. I was stirring twice a day like I usually do until the last post made me think maybe I shouldn't be stirring until fermentation starts.

Anyone have some input for me? Not sure what to do or where to go from here?

 

[blackpage]

Lo and behold it was the temperature. It took leaving a space heater in my bedroom with the door closed all weekend to get it fermented but it is dry now...whew!! Now the question is this...does the fact that I just had such a hard time fermenting that the wine might be tainted or hurt in some way?

I will hopefully be racking to secondary tomorrow...my plan is to check and adjust the acid/pH again if necessary. Is that right?