Strawberry

[mmadmikes1]

I couple months ago I was out of anything to ferment, so while Mom was om Vacation in Minnesota I raided her freezer for her Jam Strawberries(I have since had to promise Apricot wine this year) Any way it has almost finished clearing. The taste test will be this week by people who like Strawberry wine(not me)but all looks well. Has nice nose with heavy strawberry

 

[surlees]

It looks really good. How did you get that deep red color? My strawberry has a good flavor, but it's more orange/red in color. Is the secret that bottle that looks like cranberry juice behind the carboy?

Fred

 

[Newbie]

Do you mind sharing your recipe? My next batch will probably be strawberry and I always thought that strawberry was more of a rose, I'd definitely like to end up with a deeper red wine like yours.

 

[mmadmikes1]

The Deep red color seems to be because I used strawberies my mom grows and waits till last min to pick for jam. They are almost over ripe. She pick sometime twice a day. Unless you go u picking at a field it will be hard as hell to get these kind berries,The Cranberry juice in behind I drink its cocktail and would never ferment well.

trying to remember what I did to make this batch. It is very close to Kellers #23, I used more berries,25 pounds for 6 gallon batch and a 8 pound F pack. I used a mix of Brown and white sugar(mostly brown) that may help with darker color. Used Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast and starting SG was 1.095. Also has i can White grape concentate in it. . This recipe thing I dont realy do . I make up each batch of anything as I go and hope I remember if it turns out real good. Made this last summer as well and it disappeared.
I would start with a proven receipe (Kellers #23 will work great and has a proven record) for your first try.Get berries as ripe as possible even a little over. I am lucky to live in Western Washington because we have premium berry fields everywhere around here. BTW there is a member here who grows strawberries and he can probably add more on the subject of berry quality for wine

 

[outdoorsmadness]

thats a great looking wine, now i want to make a batch of that, running out of carboys.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Buy more Carboys or bottle something, I know I'm not the only person here who has bottled simply to fill a carboy need

 

[Wade E]

Nice color extraction! Pastuer Red yeast?

 

[mmadmikes1]

No, I used 71b 1122

 

[Midwest Vintner]

Buy more Carboys or bottle something, I know I'm not the only person here who has bottled simply to fill a carboy need

i hear that!

i also agree that the berries need to be almost overly ripe. we've picked various berries at "pick your own" places and it's very hard to get really ripe ones. the wine ends up having an unripe berry taste. seems like the wine process amplifies it as the berries tasted and looked ripe.

we actually go much higher in #/gal than that even. IMO, straight juice might be the best way or atleast close to it. just not the most cost effective for sure.

i really want to try the 1122 as the 1116 and 1118 seem to work well in the ways we've used them. the montriarc (sp?) and red starr don't seem to fare as well as we like slow fermentations. keeping temps around ~70F with them has led to a few almost stuck fermentations. had to warm, stir and add some more yeast nutrient to keep them going. luckily none have ever completely stopped.

 

[Newbie]

Thanks for the info, Mike. My strawberries are from a local field and I believe that they were nice and ripe when I froze them last summer. I'll use at least 4 lbs for the gallon batch. Can I use a can of red Welsh's juice instead of white or will that take away from the strawberry taste?

 

[mmadmikes1]

I used the white because I ahd it in freezer, I am sure red would be ok too, But U wouldnt put concord in. Never tried red but what the hell, try, If it just about drink booze then it doesnt matter and if it is about a hobby, we learn by experimenting

 

[Midwest Vintner]

if it is about a hobby, we learn by experimenting

totally agree here, but even the "pros" need to experiment or eventually they will be outdone!

i would really like to try and grow some of my own strawberries for wine. this way, you get the ultra ripe berries the mad mikes is using. IMO, the berries we get locally don't have alot of flavor and are larger than i think the home grown type are. not to mention getting them to a better ripeness. maybe that's why we use so much.

thanks for sharing mad mikes! i like strawberry wine, but it's not easy to get alot of flavor from what we are getting. to do so, ends up as expensive as a raspberry, black currant or black berry and they make better wine, IMO.

 

[mmadmikes1]

We are lucky, Strawberries are a native plant. If you plan on growing your own it will be 2 seasons before you get a good harvest. I would suggest Everbear strain. It will fruit all summer and just keep thoughing berries into freezer till you have enough. I really dont know how well strawberries grow in MO, but you local nursery will know the best growing for your region. You make me feel lucky, we have so many blackberries here they are considered a weed . Blackberry cost about 8 cents a bottle to make

 

[Midwest Vintner]

strawberries and blackberries grow well here. we just moved and don't have much going as far as fruits. the land needed lots of work and so we did not want to destroy plants when we needed to take down old buildings and trees (over 10 and counting). we have wild black raspberries and grapes (i think mostly concord, but who knows as the land supposedly used to supplement the local wineries).

i will suggest the everbear's to my parents. my dad has a horticulture degree and we plan on growing some of the fruit we plan on making, but not near all. thanks for the info on that one! although i suggested strawberries for their durability and easy of spreading, but he didn't seem interested as they are considered "invasive."