Vintner's Harvest canned fruit

[Snafflebit]

I think if you order more than $50, some of the products become eligible for free shipping

 

[franc1969]

homebrewing.org Free shipping on orders over $55, and a current promo for 10% off orders over $55. Out of the blackberry now, though. Blackcurrant is only $25, and most Vintners Harvest / Mangrove Jack yeasts are on sale.
My problem is having gone there needing only a cheap gasket....

 

[Scooter68]

Looks like Austin Brewing may be the same company different location. The Black current is also a great wine maker too - It on sale at $25.00 instead of their normal $38 price.

 

[Darkroom]

I have received notice of shipment of blackberry, I am planning on blending with a grape juice. I found Williams grape concentrates from California, wanted to know if anyone had used their product.

 

[franc1969]

Urrrgh! The UPS driver I have is awful. Stacked boxes on the driveway today instead of on the porch or at the door. The juicy wet box was at the bottom! Damaged the SINGLE can of Blackcurrant, dented all the others. Leaking stuck the packing peanuts to plastic bags. At least it was obvious he damaged everything trying to get off the truck, it was very freshly leaking. Adventures In Homebrewing was great, replacement can already shipped two hours later. Now I have to deal with this can today, instead of waiting. It's ok to use immediately, only because I saw the guy running back into the truck. Thank goodness I got it in the house before I left.

What yeast for Blackcurrant? From memory, I have 71B, D47, D121, RC212, CY17, KV1116, Cote des Blanc, Pasteur Red. CL23 or E1118 in case this is a shoe . There may be something else or I may have used something- can't tell until I get back home this afternoon. I can get standard yeasts here when I leave appt.

 

[Scooter68]

I use either E1118 or KV1116 for pretty much all my wines. I don't do enough warrant getting a bunch of different types and I just buy 10 packs at time. They seem to keep well for me.
Interesting about the damaged can. My order had a UPS label that had been cut off another box and then taped on to a new box. There was some a purple pink staining of that label but not a lot. Suspect something leaked and got repackaged at the shipper. Since all my cans were fine no dents or obvious leaks, I'mm ok with it.

 

[Snafflebit]

Hmm all my cans arrived safely intact

 

[franc1969]

I use either E1118 or KV1116 for pretty much all my wines. I don't do enough warrant getting a bunch of different types and I just buy 10 packs at time. They seem to keep well for me.
Interesting about the damaged can. My order had a UPS label that had been cut off another box and then taped on to a new box. There was some a purple pink staining of that label but not a lot. Suspect something leaked and got repackaged at the shipper. Since all my cans were fine no dents or obvious leaks, I'mm ok with it.

I usually do this with Cote des Blanc and KV1116 for apple or fruits. I have the others for trying an experiment, I hadn't expected to have to make wine this week. I opened the can this afternoon- turns out the blackcurrant is all juice, so I just froze it until Thursday when I have time. I wasn't sure if there would be skins or actual fruit in there.

 

[Scooter68]

Yeah, The VH juices I have used have only had a little bit of pulp/fruit matter in them maybe 1 cup at most. Red Raspberry and Plum had some, but; Black Currant has never had any pulp that I have seen. That's one of the nice things about paying for a wine base - that it's processed enough to eliminate the issues of seeds and pulp. I'd rather use the real fruit but... if I'm going to pay for processing and concentrating it I'd like to avoid the seed and pulp issues.

By the way I have had issues with Black Currant not fermenting all the way dry when I started with all the sugar in there for a dessert wine (16% ABV) so this time I'm going to step-feed this batch and see if I can get to my desired ABV of 15.5% to maybe 17%. Previously I ended up with about 11% on one batch and 14 % on another the upside is that I didn't have to backsweeten and didn't add any sorbate until I was ready to bottle. It just would not ferment more. One advantage of a dessert wine is that folks don't drink a lot at one time - they get that buzz quickly with a dessert wine.

 

[Scooter68]

So I'm waiting while water heats to dissolve sugar for the blackberry batch. Decided to use two cans for a starting volume of 5.5 gallons. The surprise the amount of whole berries in these cans. About 1/4 to 1/3 of the can volume. They are soft and 'bloated' for having been in the can with the liquid for so long so hopefully they will break down nicely. So far I've got 8# of sugar dissolved and I looking at a volume at the moment of 3.25. so I'm disolving 2# more of sugar and raising the vol. To 4.5 before checking sg or pH.

 

[Scooter68]

This is Wine Batch 49 for me according to my log book A Blackberry Dessert Wine.

Pitched the yeast on that 5 gallon batch of Blackberry wine from Vintner's Harvest wine base.
Final numbers look like this
2 x 96 oz cans of Blackberry wine base
12 lbs of sugar
30 drops liquid pectic enzyme
3 tbs Acid blend
4 tsp Citric Acid
8 tsp yeast nutrient
Yeast 1 packet of EC-1118

Starting numbers:
pH 3.42 in both containers (Mixed both containers by swapping 8 cups of each back and forth several times and final numbers match)
SG 1.108 with the following ABV potentials full ferment to .990 = 16.78%, to 1.000 15.51%, to 1.005 14.87%, and to 1.010 14.22%
(Obviously this is planned as a dessert wine and If I can get to go all the way dry - It will be perfect for serving in Cordial glasses)

I actually ended up with 5.6 gallons in two containers 1x 5 gallon with 4 gallons in it and 1 x 2 gallon container with 1.6 gallons in it
Once the ferment starts I'll add in the bentonite I prepared today as well. May also add some tannin and if I can sneak them out of the freezer, some wild blackberries maybe 4-5 lbs total.

 

[Snafflebit]

@Scooter68 How did you decide to add citric acid?

 

[Scooter68]

DIdn't have Tartaric and did not want to add Malic so Opted to use Citric after running out of Acid blend.

 

[Snafflebit]

DIdn't have Tartaric and did not want to add Malic so Opted to use Citric after running out of Acid blend.

That is how some of the best discoveries are made!

 

[Scooter68]

Well there is a risk to that. Citric can convert to Aectic Acid which is no bueno.

 

[wildhair]

Tried to find the manufactures site but that's a tough search. Did find one or two sites that suggested using 1 can of puree for 1 gallon of wine or two cans for 5 gallons - (Not sure I understand that logic) In any case the cost of the purees per gallon of wine at either of those rates is a bit more than the wine base so I have never purchased more of the purees. I used their Black Currant, Plum, and Blackberry. The first two were very good the third is tough to compare as I have made just a couple of one gallon batches from our own wild blackberries and since those are always smaller, low water berries the flavor from the wild blackberries is really strong and robust. Haven't opened a bottle of the wine from the VH wine base yet.

WHOA !!! After looking for the makers site (Vintner's Harvest) and making this post I ran across two sites (Same site in reality ??) with Vintner's harvest wine bases at really good prices. I'm taking a chance on their blackberry as it's at $10,00 / 96 oz because it's past the sell by date. I don't believe those are hard fast "DANGER DANGER" dates so... I ordere 2 cans of Black Berry and two of Black Currant (Not listed as past date but only $25.00/can - a great price.

https://www.austinhomebrew.com/Vintners-Harvest-Fruit-Base-and-Puree_c_776.html

I actually just bought this myself - 2 cans. I personally don't think 1 can makes 3 gallons. Unless you like it very weak. I used 1 can, then tasted it and added 4 pints of home canned black raspberries. In the Q's I read some one says 1 can replaces 5# of fruit. I use about 4# per gallon of wine, so in MY opinion and my very limited experience - 1 can for 5 gallons would just be colored water. 1 can for 3 gallons is still weak, but better.

 

[Scooter68]

Are you talking about the Black Berry, Black Currant or some other variet? I've made about 1/2 dozen 3 gallon batches with their wine base with excellent results.. I'm making 5 gallons (5.5 gallons starting volume) of Blackberry from 3 cans for a dessert wine with a target ABV of 16% or higher and the flavor is quite good. I did add about 1.5 lbs of wild blackberries the day after I pitched the yeast because they have a very distinct and potent flavor . The flavor before that was solid but just didn't have that wild berry bite to it.

Not defending VH wine base but I've had excellent results with two exceptions and those are more about what I don't care for. Apricot Puree made and OK 2 gallon batch, and the 96 ox Red Raspberry is ok for a 3 gallon batch but I now know I don't care for those wine flavors. BUT at the other end... Black Currant wine with the VH wine base has been great so far.
Some things I all have learned on here are:
1) Everyone has different likes and dislikes in flavor and wine making methods
2) Companies products do change at times it may be due to things beyoin their control like different crops outcomes OR it may happen because they change there product. (Some don't even tell us unless you ask them directly - Home Winery Supply Company appears to have done that - but then they also got tagged by the state for not following rules about product identification too.)
3) Even with identical recipes and doing things the same way. There can be variables that change the outcome for better or worse.

 

[Snafflebit]

How much aging do you think blackberry wine requires?

 

[Scooter68]

I would give it no less than 9 months. Starting one now - it might be ready to bottle in time for Thanksgiving.

I've learned, with very few exceptions like Apple Cider due to it's lower ABV that that 9 months is a minimum to have the wine lose those sharp edges, naturally clear, and degass without intervention. The longer you wait the better that first taste will be.

 

[Darkroom]

This is Wine Batch 49 for me according to my log book A Blackberry Dessert Wine.

Pitched the yeast on that 5 gallon batch of Blackberry wine from Vintner's Harvest wine base.
Final numbers look like this
2 x 96 oz cans of Blackberry wine base
12 lbs of sugar
30 drops liquid pectic enzyme
3 tbs Acid blend
4 tsp Citric Acid
8 tsp yeast nutrient
Yeast 1 packet of EC-1118

Starting numbers:
pH 3.42 in both containers (Mixed both containers by swapping 8 cups of each back and forth several times and final numbers match)
SG 1.108 with the following ABV potentials full ferment to .990 = 16.78%, to 1.000 15.51%, to 1.005 14.87%, and to 1.010 14.22%
(Obviously this is planned as a dessert wine and If I can get to go all the way dry - It will be perfect for serving in Cordial glasses)

I actually ended up with 5.6 gallons in two containers 1x 5 gallon with 4 gallons in it and 1 x 2 gallon container with 1.6 gallons in it
Once the ferment starts I'll add in the bentonite I prepared today as well. May also add some tannin and if I can sneak them out of the freezer, some wild blackberries maybe 4-5 lbs total.

Where would you rate this batch with 2 96 oz cans in a 5gallon batch on flavor intensity? Bold, medium, light. I have made from fresh blackberries before but never used the canned juice before.