Raspberry Wine

I started this tonight with my wife, she is having as much fun as I am making wine. This is our first scratch wine...


Here it is in the primary:





Starting SG 1.114, should get just over 15% ABV!!!


We'll pitch the yeast tomorrow, I wanted to use a 71B-1122, but the three I have right now are EC-1118, K1-V1116, and D 47. Any recommendations, I am thinking K1-V1116.

The K1V-1116 and EC-1118 will ferment your wine completely dry but since your SG is fairly high for a fruit wine I would try the D-47 and you will most likely end up with some residual sugar and the wine will be off-dry.


I made a mead with the same starting SG and it ended up with a finished gravity of 1.005.


So it depends if you plan to sweeten a bit in the end.

This wine is for her and she wanted it to be off-dry, so I guess D 47 it is. Thanks for the help... Edited by: Steve

Per my recipe I did not add any Tannin, should I???

I think most raspberry recipes call for some grape tannin....what recipe are you using?

Ingredients:
<TABLE =table cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="100%">
<T>
<TR>
<TD>3 lbs. Blackberries (fresh or frozen)</TD>
<TD>7 Pints Water</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>2-1/4 lbs. Sugar</TD>
<TD>1/2 tsp Acid Blend</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme</TD>
<TD>1 Campden, crush</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>1 Pkg Wine Yeast</TD>
<TD>1 tsp Yeast Nutrient</TD></TR></T></TABLE>


It is out of a book we bought today, but the same as the one on George's website.

My acid level was way off too, 0.20%. I had to add 3 tsp to get it to 0.60%.


Is that ok?Edited by: Steve

Acid level is perfect at .60%....20% would have been too low and the wine would have been very bland and unbalanced.


Great Job!

Thanks, I am going to have to check my Green Apple Riesling and see if it is ok... I love having new toys...


Would it be ok to adjust the acid in a kit if it needs it?

You should never have to adjust the acid level in a kit even with adding extra sugar to boost the alcohol.

Looking good! You did the right thing by adjusting the acid up to .60%. I just worked with a customer whose acid was too low and the must would not ferment. We added some tartaric acid to get it up to the .60% level and off it took.


If you want more tannic taste in your kit wine, add oak. I would never recommend adjusting the acid on a kit wine.

Thanks for the info.

Just for fun I checked the Apple kit's acid level, it wasaround 0.65% which sholud be good.

to the question of tannin. It gives somewhat of a "bite" to the wine, as well as aids in some forms of fining agents (I forget off-hand which one).





It looks very yummy, and I think you and your wife are going to have a winner-wine there. 1 gallon of it or more?





If it's one gallon, and it turns out fantastic (as all first-time scratch wines do) -- I can tell you with utmost certainty -- look around for 5 gallon carboys. You're gonna need them.





Oh yes, not just one.

Thats the way to go Steve, start of doing the singular gallons for scratch wines andwhen you find what you like progress to the 5's

Checked the SG again before I pitched the yeast, it is @ 1.118, so I hope it does finish off-dry. I'll post more pictures later.


I definitly have to get a scale, my guesstimatingseems to be a little off on sugar weight but, I now have a book that wil help me with that until I get a scale...

Does anyone think I should add any Tannin or is it to late? We threw in a hand full of rasins last night.

The raisins will help add some tannin and I would go with that for now.


Make sure you stir it wellfor the first 3-4 days to give that yeast plenty of oxygen to multiply.


I am thinking the D-47 will work well for you with this starting SG.

I think this is going to be the label:

Man I can almost taste those berries!