First Fruit Wines

[First250]

My first batch from fruit (blueberries) has been completing fermentation in the 1 GL jug for about 2 weeks now. AFter fermentation is complete, what/how muchis recommended to stabilize while it is ageing?I have campden tabs ,k-meta and k-sorbate powder. Plan to bottle and age for a year.
Also, this was not exactly tasty after the primary fermentation. I only sampled a small bit off the top before racking. Should I be concerned? I ask because I also have 1GL of blackberry completing primary fermentation and it has had a great smell (more like apple than blackberry)while fermentingand goodtaste. Not sure why such a big difference in the two taste at that point.


I followed the recipes on this site for both, except that Iadded about 15 oz raisinsto theblueberries . Staring SG was 1.095, 75 degrees F.


I alsogotconcerned when the fermentation of the blackberry appeared to have barely started (if at all) after a few days. I added more yeast, nutrient and energizer. It is fermenting slowly but surely for the last 3 days. Again, awesome smell! At this pointI amvery optimistic about the blackberry.Guess I'll have to see how the blueberry progresses.


I have enough blueberries on the bushes and in the freezerto start one more GL batch this weekend. Any suggestions on the second batch? I prefer a full-bodied.


Again, these are my first fruit wines, and I have a lot to learn as I gain experience.As always I appreciate any and all recommendations.

 

[Waldo]

I would recommend adding one campden tablet, crushed well and dissolved in some of the wine, then stirred back in. I would then add 1/2 tsp Sorbate, dissolved in some of the wine and stirred back in. Let it set for about a month then rack it off the sediment, degass it and let it continue bulk aging for at least another 6 months then bottle it and let it age for another 6 months

 

[Wade E]

As for the stabilizing aspect, use 1 campden tablet and 1/2 tsp of sorbate to stabilize. As for the taste I have found that I need to add much more fruit and less sugar to suit my taste in fruit wines but some fruits wines also take much longer to come around due to its delicate flavor like blueberries and strawberries. Do you plan on back sweetening this batch as I would either make a f-pack with those blueberries like joeswines does or just buy a Wyman's wild blueberry juice and do like I do and reduce it down on stove top by simmering down to 1/2 the size of the bottle you bought. What this does is condense the juice so that all the flavor is there and all the sugar but less liquid so you dont dilute the abv very much.

 

[smurfe]

Not many wines are too tasty right right when fermentation is done. There can be off flavors from fermentation. Thats why we age them. Can you describe what you are or are not tasting?

 

[First250]

Last night when I checked the SG on the blackberry in the primary I used adrinking straw to taste the blueberry. It was notas bad a I remember. Second impression was much better than the first. I could taste the blueberry and raisins.


I may back sweeten before I bottle, but I have yet to try that. The blueberry concentrate sounds good. I need to find that thread and read it . I'd like to make the concentrate out of some of my own blueberries.


Wade: Do you think I could find the Wyman's in a health food store or other retailer? I'm having trouble connecting to their website.Edited by: First250

 

[Wade E]

You should be able to find that Wyman's in any store and also frozen blueberries in that brand at any local retailer. That brand is very good in my opinion and I have used in on a few blueberry wines and melomels.