Advice needed on explosive Blackberry fermentation

[MNwino]

Hi all. New to this forum, but not new to wine making. Ive made a few kits and plenty of welches wines. What I need help with is this. I started my first fruit wine(Blackberry 5gallons) yesterday with redstar Pasture red yeast. As of about 3 hours ago the fermentation has become so explosive its clogging up the airlock and ready to blow the lid off. Ive taken the lid and airlock off 3 times and washed sanitized to no avail. Now I just have a cotton dish cloth over it and everything seems fine

Getting to my question: Will I be ok with just a dish cloth over the top? Ive read about open container ferments and Im sure everything will be ok. Just need some reassurence. Ps: I plan to put the lid on tomorrow if things have settled down

Thanks Matt

 

[novalou]

Hi all. New to this forum, but not new to wine making. Ive made a few kits and plenty of welches wines. What I need help with is this. I started my first fruit wine(Blackberry 5gallons) yesterday with redstar Pasture red yeast. As of about 3 hours ago the fermentation has become so explosive its clogging up the airlock and ready to blow the lid off. Ive taken the lid and airlock off 3 times and washed sanitized to no avail. Now I just have a cotton dish cloth over it and everything seems fine

Getting to my question: Will I be ok with just a dish cloth over the top? Ive read about open container ferments and Im sure everything will be ok. Just need some reassurence. Ps: I plan to put the lid on tomorrow if things have settled down

Thanks Matt

I open ferment my fermentations with fruit covered with a towel. It works. There is enough CO2 being developed to keep things protected.

 

[roger80465]

Matt

As long as your fermentation is that strong, a towel over the fermenter should be fine. Or just set the lid on top without snapping it tight. Should be fine. After it settles down, snap the lid in place. I just set the lid on top for all my primary fermentation, at least for the first 3 or 4 days.

 

[Thig]

Yes it will be fine. You do not need an airlock at this early stage of fermentation-.

 

[MNwino]

Matt

As long as your fermentation is that strong, a towel over the fermenter should be fine. Or just set the lid on top without snapping it tight. Should be fine. After it settles down, snap the lid in place. I just set the lid on top for all my primary fermentation, at least for the first 3 or 4 days.

Ya I tryed that and it started comming out the sides lol. funny thing is their is ALOT of head room. The towl is even wet with the blackberry sludge and rising as I write. This is the crazyest most explosive ferment Iver ever saw

 

[Abrnth3]

Really need to put more information in your post such as date started, sg, amount in fermenter and size of fermenter, anything else would be icing on the cake to get you the best answer possible.

If I read you right you started 1-2 days ago, activated about 12 hrs or more ago, and now it's cooking the lid off. Welcome to wine making This happens to me every time. I usually start with either a 5 gallon batch in a 6-6-5 gallon fermenter or a 6 gal batch in my primery and an additional gallon fermenter for 7-10 days till this volital action subsides then rack to a secondary fermenter. Then you may stop fermentation at any point you want or you can do as most and finish it out just rack it every month for 2-3 months should clear well on it's own or you may add a fining agent a day- a week before bottling. Good luck and keep cooking

 

[MNwino]

Really need to put more information in your post such as date started, sg, amount in fermenter and size of fermenter, anything else would be icing on the cake to get you the best answer possible.

If I read you right you started 1-2 days ago, activated about 12 hrs or more ago, and now it's cooking the lid off. Welcome to wine making This happens to me every time. I usually start with either a 5 gallon batch in a 6-6-5 gallon fermenter or a 6 gal batch in my primery and an additional gallon fermenter for 7-10 days till this volital action subsides then rack to a secondary fermenter. Then you may stop fermentation at any point you want or you can do as most and finish it out just rack it every month for 2-3 months should clear well on it's own or you may add a fining agent a day- a week before bottling. Good luck and keep cooking

My first post has the amount(5gal), Fermenter size is 6 gal, when started(Yesterday) and the Starting SG was 1.095. My friend gave me 4 vintners harvest purees and I bought 3 more for a total of 7. I then topped up to 5 gallons using one 64 oz Welches concord grape and the rest bottled water. Fermentation started about 5 hours after pitch.

 

[jimmyjames23]

1.095?

You will get very hammered.

What yeast did you use?

 

[Abrnth3]

That sounds like the makings of a great full bodied wine. Lots flavor and character.

 

[Abrnth3]

I ussually only use 2 purees in a 5gal batch and add sugar/syrup and water up to 5 gal mark at 1.080 sg. Comes out between 10% to 12% abv. Plenty of flavor and enough alcohal to put my wife to bed.

 

[MNwino]

1.095?

You will get very hammered.

What yeast did you use?

Red Star Pasture Red. Id never used this one befor but it sounded decent for a blackberry.

 

[MNwino]

That sounds like the makings of a great full bodied wine. Lots flavor and character.

Ya I definately want a full body wine with tons of berry flaver which is why I used so much puree. I guess it would equal out to about 4lb per gallon as each can is 3lb(49oz) and I used 7 of them. Then again is says you need 10-15% less on the can so its a bit more. Ive made plenty of Apple, Welches Concord grape and other juice wines but this is my first real fruit

 

[Abrnth3]

2 94oz cans in 5 gal gives me a good flavor and the sugar goes to making alcohal, ferment to dry and back sweeten to desired taste. I made a cherry in Dec with 2 can of wine base and added 2 cans of puree cause I was not thrilled with the amount of fruit in the bases. It came out nicely full bodied, full flavor, and just the right sweetness with out back sweetening at all.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Red Star Pasture Red. Id never used this one befor but it sounded decent for a blackberry.

Buddy...u will be smashed!
Recommend racking when your Hydrometer reads 1.000 and topping up with..
1 can (super sweetened) Welches frozen grape concentrate wit 3 cans of water.
It will Ferment a little longer but the rewards will be worth it. You have what we call rocket fuel otherwise.

 

[MNwino]

Buddy...u will be smashed!
Recommend racking when your Hydrometer reads 1.000 and topping up with..
1 can (super sweetened) Welches frozen grape concentrate wit 3 cans of water.
It will Ferment a little longer but the rewards will be worth it. You have what we call rocket fuel otherwise.

how will it be rocket fuel 1.095 is about 14% Ive made wines in this range befor and they turned out fine. I like my wines on the sweet side for most and I find the sugar helps cut that alcohol. Alittle heat never hurt anyone lol. My concord black cherry welches is at this level and everyone seems to like it.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Is it naturally sweet when done?

 

[MNwino]

Is it naturally sweet when done?

no i backsweeten it

 

[jimmyjames23]

Sounds good to me.

I don't mind rocket fuel at all.
I made a Shiraz using Montrachet with an OG of 1.105 that finished off at 0.993.
Came out to a little under 16%.

It surprised people because though it was very dry it wasn't harsh. One of my little 375ml bottles got a few ppl pissed.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Original question answer: Get a bigger fermenter or make smaller batches. Welcome to Pasteur Red yeast., I us 7B1122 for Blackberry because the Blackberries here have high acid if you dont wait until they are ready to fall off bush. I never wait

 

[loumik]

I ussually only use 2 purees in a 5gal batch and add sugar/syrup and water up to 5 gal mark at 1.080 sg. Comes out between 10% to 12% abv. Plenty of flavor and enough alcohal to put my wife to bed.

Abrnth3
You are confusing VH wine base and VH Purees. The wine base does come in a 96 oz can and 2 will work fine to make 5 gallons. The Puree however comes in 3 lb cans and each can will make 1 gallon of wine, so you would use 5 cns for 5 gallons.
I have used the bases and the purees and they both work pretty well if you follow the correct recipe.
Hope this helps to clearup the continueing confusion over fruit bases and purees.

LOUMIK