Wanting to make a red raspberry wine

[gorillla68]

Tried something similar in Maui a few years ago and it was delicious. I remember it was a sweet dessert wine and around 20% alc made entirely of raspberries.

My main question... If I am shooting for around 40 brix to get 20% alc... will this end up being sweet enough as a dessert wine or do I need to back sweeten it before bottling? Thanks for the help!

 

[sour_grapes]

40 Brix? I don't know if your yeast could thrive in such a high-sugar environment. (For the SG-minded, this is 1.179, with a potential alcohol of 28.8%.)

 

[gorillla68]

40 Brix? I don't know if your yeast could thrive in such a high-sugar environment. (For the SG-minded, this is 1.179, with a potential alcohol of 28.8%.)

Its possible I have no idea what Im talking about but the end result would be around 20% alc and sweet.

 

[Johnd]

Agree with @sour_grapes , 40 BRIX would be super high as a starting point. Consider a starting BRIX around 28 or so with a yeast like EC 1118 to get your wine fermented dry. Then you can fortify the wine with brandy (or some other spirit) to get the the ABV you desire, then sweeten it to your liking.

 

[Johnd]

Its possible I have no idea what Im talking about but the end result would be around 20% alc and sweet.

Problem is, your yeast will most likely die off before hitting 20%, probably around 18%, and you may have too much sugar left with no way to reduce it other than blending or watering it down. You have more control fermenting to dry, or very near, fortifying, and being in control of how much sugar gets you the taste you want.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Some Vinters will formulate for about 12 or 14% alcohol and when the fermentation slows/ it is close to dry, they will add more sugar, , repeat till dry and add a third dose, repeat for a fourth and so on up till 18% alcohol at which time the yeast usually will die off.

 

[NorCal]

Tried something similar in Maui a few years ago and it was delicious. I remember it was a sweet dessert wine and around 20% alc made entirely of raspberries.

My main question... If I am shooting for around 40 brix to get 20% alc... will this end up being sweet enough as a dessert wine or do I need to back sweeten it before bottling? Thanks for the help!

Since raspberries are 22-28 brix, 17.5 abv max so are going to have to step feed in sugar to meet your abv goals. I would look at Avante yeast, it’s a beast! I step fed in a Petite Sirah port that I was making and I had to keep dumping sugar in to get it to finally stop. I’m sure it got close to 20%.

 

[gorillla68]

Thank you everyone for all of these tips. I'll have to try stepping up different ways, diff yeasts, back sweetening, etc and see what happens. Will probably do small batches. Need to write down all my ideas and formulate something that makes sense and go from there. This is all new/different to me since Ive only done one 5g batch of wine. Also started a 1g batch of pinot grigio from a mini kit. Threw in a little lemon zest and WOW its great already. Still need to bottle it at some point. Im just amazed at so many different directions this hobby can go. Wife wants more pinot grigio and thinks I can pull off a good raspberry wine now. Uuttt ohh!