strawberry wine

[appleweld]

we have a 1/2 acre of strawberrys planted for june harvest. i cant hardly wait to start some strawberry wine variations with that. id like to start now with some storebought berrys and make some 1 gallon batches to get things down pat before i go after 6 gallons at a time. im open to any suggestions or tips before i start. any advice or recipie appreciated. thanks in advance.

 

[Goodfella]

I would suggest using something to give it a little extra body. Strawberry wine can be thin. I would suggest somegolden raisins or welch's white grape concentrate. And plenty of strawberries. (I would guess 5 lbs per gallon).


I'm sure others here will have some great advise...

 

[vcasey]

Next time I make a wine or mead with strawberries I am going to use some red grape concentrate for both body and color. Not only do they need body but the color tends to be light and sometimes a bit ....... orange.

<table ="Catalog" id="products" align="center" border="1" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><t><tr><td ="table" align="default" width="2%"><div align="center">6377
</td>
<td width="5%"><div align="center">

</td>
<td width="20%">

Red Grape Concentrate - Gives wine
more body, flavor, aroma; For RED wines, 1 liter


1 Liter</td></tr></t></table>

 

[Goodfella]

I would also make sure to select a good yeast. (maybe cote des blancs or champagne)

 

[Tom]

Like said above 5-6#'s per gallon (I use 6) Cote des Blancs is the yeast I use. Since strawberry loses flavor you should add a F-Pac and Back sweeten.
Also make sure you ck the TA and add Pectic Enzyme.
In lou of Red Grape Concentrate you can add glycerine or f-pac. I don't like the concentrate as I feel it gives a cough medicine taste and if you bump up the # per gal that will add BODY..


FYI, I make at least 12 gallons a year and everyone loves it

 

[corn field]

chocklet strawberry is verrrrry good. Use 1/2 cup of hershies cocoa per galon. 1cup of the must inblender add cocoa slowely while blending at slow speed. then return to primary and fermint as normal

 

[appleweld]

do you use only the berries and the juice from them, or do you add water?

 

[Goodfella]

you will add some water. 5-6 lbs fruit, all other ingredients, then water to a little over a gallon.












unless you have a steam juicer... then others will give advise to use the juice amounts, and still some water

 

[appleweld]

seeing as we have a huge amount of berries, what would the wine we like if no water was added? when we made the pear wine, it was all juice, has anyone ever tried this with strawberries? we also have rhubarb. ive had both wines individually, but what about a combo?

 

[hannabarn]

I made a batch of strawberry rhubarb wine this past summer. It tasted very promising at the time I bottled it. Only one problem. I forgot toadd K sorbate when I bottled it!! Had exploding bottles and had to dump it!!!! I plan on making it again this summer.

 

[appleweld]

did you use pure juice, or add water?

 

[fivebk]

I think you could use all juice , but you would really have to watch the acidity in it and be ready to lower it some. I made a pear wine using all juice but pear is low on acidity and I actually had to add acid blend to it. Also watch your starting SG because if you let the berries get really ripe before picking them they may have a pretty good sugar content to them.

BOB

 

[whino-wino]

One thing I could add, and I maybe it's just me, but the strawberry wines I've made always have a tendency to throw sediment even after I've filtered it into crystal clear wine. After clearing I like to let mine set in the carboy for another 3-4 months before bottling. Peach does the same thing for some reason.

 

[boozinsusan]

One thing I could add, and I maybe it's just me, but the strawberry wines I've made always have a tendency to throw sediment even after I've filtered it into crystal clear wine. After clearing I like to let mine set in the carboy for another 3-4 months before bottling. Peach does the same thing for some reason.

That is good to know! Thanks!


I have talked all winter, and have sources for loads of all sorts of fruitd (for free) so I am taking in all advice I can get here!

 

[Waldo]

Get all that free fruit you can and freeze it for leaner times

 

[boozinsusan]

That's the plan! Thanks for that advice too!

 

[IQwine]

extra free fruit can be sent to this address........

 

[Waldo]

OK IQ....You gonna have to explain what "Extra Free Fruit" is...I understand Free Fruit but is "Extra Free Fruit" fruit that is not only free but they like bring it to you also

 

[Tom]

 

[intoxicating]

If you want to add cocoa powder, I like to simmer the slurry of powder and water at below a boil for 20 minutes to help extract the chocolate flavor. Let it cool to desired temp before proceeding to add fruit or whatever. I did this with chocolate mead and it is YUM.