Should I add pectic enzyme to my f-pack?

[winenerd]

Hello all:

I started a Vintner's Harvest Blackberry at the end of last year. It is nice and clear, but quite light-bodied. I did use 2 96 oz. cans for the 6 gallon batch (essentially doubling the 3 gallon recipe on the can), but it is in dire need of blackberry flavor.

I'm picking up 9 lbs. of fresh blackberries today and intend to try my hand at a f-pack tonight. I would think that I would need to add some pectic enzyme to it after cooling, but I'm not seeing that mentioned much in other threads.

Anybody used that method on a fresh fruit f-pack?

Thanks,
winenerd

 

[DoctorCAD]

I seem to remember reading that if you boil, you set the peptic stuff and the enzyme won't work well.

 

[jamesngalveston]

usually by cooking the fruit down, you have extracted just about everything in it...I wouldnt think you would need pectin enzyme.
your basically making a very thick high high concentrated fruit syrup.
i recent made a f=pak from my mustang grapes.
when done, it smelled so good i added water and made a whole bunch of grape juice..
had to go back and make more f-pak

 

[saramc]

Yes, add pectic enzyme, you definitely are messing with setting the pectin. Better to be safe rather than sorry. It is a habit of mine, any time a fruit component gets added so does enzyme, regardless if in primary or secondary container. Remember, people make jam/jelly/syrup just by cooking fruit down, some add additional sugar and an acid component and some do not, but it all has to do with setting the pectin.

 

[jamesngalveston]

pectin enzyme will remove the haze from the f-pak...i think
in jelly making it helps set the jelly, in wine making it helps remove the haze, not clarify. using pectin enzyme you will get more compacted lees..
which is good, IMO...but
miss saramc is very knowledgeable and i would go with what she says.

 

[winenerd]

Sounds like I'm going to add some pectic enzyme. I'm cooking down the fruit now. Thanks for the help everybody!

EDIT: Can I add it any time, or does the syrup need to be cool?

Thanks.

 

[saramc]

Sounds like I'm going to add some pectic enzyme. I'm cooking down the fruit now. Thanks for the help everybody!

EDIT: Can I add it any time, or does the syrup need to be cool?

Thanks.

Let it cool, it will dissolve with no problems.

 

[winenerd]

Great. Thanks saramc.