Strawberry wine is on the menu

[dralarms]

Just bought 104 lbs of strawberries. Anyone interested UGO has them for 1.00 a LB

 

[dralarms]

They are cleaned and in the freezer, out of 104 lbs we got about 99 lbs of useable fruit. Going to be a good batch.

 

[Cxwgfamily]

Just curious, were are you located and are the strawberries early season, middle season, or late season berries. Have you experimented with berries from different times of the growing season? I purposely waited this year for middle season berries just to compare to last years berries which were early season.

 

[dralarms]

Ea

Just curious, were are you located and are the strawberries early season, middle season, or late season berries. Have you experimented with berries from different times of the growing season? I purposely waited this year for middle season berries just to compare to last years berries which were early season.

Eastern Tennessee , and I’m guessing mid season. They were really sweet tasting.

 

[Arne]

Ea

Eastern Tennessee , and I’m guessing mid season. They were really sweet tasting.

Sweet tasting, huh? there is part of the 5 lbs you lost. We went to a upickit patch once, they told us so much a pound for what you brought up to weigh and all the berries you can eat for free. Hope your wine comes out great. Arne.

 

[dralarms]

Sweet tasting, huh? there is part of the 5 lbs you lost. We went to a upickit patch once, they told us so much a pound for what you brought up to weigh and all the berries you can eat for free. Hope your wine comes out great. Arne.

Thanks. My last batch was too sweet after aging. Learned a lot since then.

 

[dralarms]

Final tally is 99 lbs 10 oz. pretty good for 104 lbs. my 20 gallon fermenter is full along with a 6.5 1/2 full. Plenty of pectic enzyme (guessing 4 to 5 oz), that’ break them down good. Added 3 gallons of apple juice just to have some liquid for the pectic to have some stuff to work with.

 

[dralarms]

Checked it this morning, still cold but no longer frozen. Mostly liquid now. Added sugar and yeast. Will update once I have it in the carboy(s) and find out what my yield is.

 

[meadmaker1]

Starting e.g.?
I like the use of apple juice rather than water.

 

[dralarms]

Starting e.g.?
I like the use of apple juice rather than water.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get a good measurement. I added 9 lbs of sugar to begin with an once I am able to rack it into a carboy I’ll be able to take a reading and if low add a little sugar at a time until it’s finished.

 

[meadmaker1]

This sounds like a ----- THIS IS JUST HOW I DO IT ------ thing.

 

[dralarms]

This sounds like a ----- THIS IS JUST HOW I DO IT ------ thing.

My starting brix is 21.9

 

[dralarms]

Ok, strawberry is in the carboys, 15 gallons. Sure there will be some fallout but if I end up with 12 gallons out of 99 lbs 10 oz I’ll be happy.

The scraps left over was about the size of 2 softballs. Didn’t weight it but guessing 3 lbs at the most.

 

[meadmaker1]

That's pretty dry scrap. Do you press, drip, squeeze ?
I did 25lbs of frozen, that I buy from kiwanis club, in what is finishing at 5 gallons and i had at least that much.

 

[dralarms]

Hand squeeze. And yes pretty dry, when I dump it out it comes out in big clumps

 

[dralarms]

Just racked off the lees, ended up with 13 gal, 1.5 bottles. Still has some clearing to do but should end up with 12.5 to 13 gal. Smells wonderful.

 

[jaxsoneric34]

Just started a 2 gal batch yesterday in a 3 gal fastferment! Really excited to try the fastferment! He was my satrting stats

S.G. 1.090
pH 3.30
Acid .60

Will be using the premier cuvee yeast by red star. What does everyone else use and what have you had success and failure with for yeast?

 

[dralarms]

Racked mine off yesterday and now have 13.7 gallons of clear strawberry wine, super dry right now, going to give it a week before I stabilize and back sweeten.

 

[dralarms]

Just started a 2 gal batch yesterday in a 3 gal fastferment! Really excited to try the fastferment! He was my satrting stats

S.G. 1.090
pH 3.30
Acid .60

Will be using the premier cuvee yeast by red star. What does everyone else use and what have you had success and failure with for yeast?

No experience with any red star yeasts. I use lavin on everything

 

[Cxwgfamily]

Racked mine off yesterday and now have 13.7 gallons of clear strawberry wine, super dry right now, going to give it a week before I stabilize and back sweeten.

When you stabilize, how much Kmeta and Sorbate do you use? I have about 10 gals of strawberry ready to stabilize and back sweeten and i am want to survey what others do. cxwgfamily