First Time Strawberry Wine - Running Log

[m_kluch]

I started my first strawberry wine the other day. Meijer had them on sale for 99 cents per pound so I bought 24lb. The strawberries were somewhat tasteless so I decided to do a 3 gallon batch. After destemming/cleaning I ended up with 22lb of berries.

Recipe - 03-17-24
22lb clean strawberries previously frozen for 4 days.
Placed frozen berries in two nylon bags in a fermenting bucket to thaw. Sprinkled 2t pectic enzyme on berries
Dissolved 6lb sugar in 1-gallon hot water and poured over berries.
When berries have mostly thawed, crushed 2 Campden tabs and stirred it in.
S.G. = 1.090

Next morning - 03-18-24
Added 1t Fermaid K and 1t wine tannin
Tested pH (3.75) and TA (4g/L)
Started a yeast starter with 50/50 mix of warm water/must and 1t sugar. Yeast - Red Star Premier Cuvee
30 hours after Campden tabs went in, pitched yeast.

Next morning - 03-19-24
Have good activity. Very nice color extraction, smells wonderful, and the berries are really breaking down.
Ambient and must temp. - 66F


Notes: I didn't adjust pH or TA even though acid level is low. I may end up mixing half of this batch with some black currant wine that I have going (pH- 3.00, TA- 11g/L). Whatever amount I don't mix I will add acid to it to help with stability/longevity.

Any comments or advice welcome.

 

[m_kluch]

Update 03-22-24
This batch is flying through fermentation. Already down to 1.014 gravity in 4 days.
I removed the nylon bags with fruit pulp and poured into a 5 gallon carboy. I’m impressed at how much extraction I got from the strawberries. From 22lb of berries I was left with 2.5lb of lightly squeezed pulp. Looks like I have about 3.5-3.75gal. of wine right now. Should make for a good transfer to a 3 gallon carboy once ferm. is done and settled.

Question…should I add a couple campden tabs in at this point or just wait a couple weeks until next racking?

 

[mainshipfred]

Update 03-22-24
This batch is flying through fermentation. Already down to 1.014 gravity in 4 days.
I removed the nylon bags with fruit pulp and poured into a 5 gallon carboy. I’m impressed at how much extraction I got from the strawberries. From 22lb of berries I was left with 2.5lb of lightly squeezed pulp. Looks like I have about 3.5-3.75gal. of wine right now. Should make for a good transfer to a 3 gallon carboy once ferm. is done and settled.

Question…should I add a couple campden tabs in at this point or just wait a couple weeks until next racking?

Personally I would wait. There is still enough CO2 being generated plus what is in suspension.

 

[cmason1957]

You should wait until fermentation is completed before adding anything more to your carboy.

 

[m_kluch]

Personally I would wait. There is still enough CO2 being generated plus what is in suspension.

You should wait until fermentation is completed before adding anything more to your carboy.

Thanks for the quick reply. I will wait until next racking then.

 

[m_kluch]

Update
03/27/24 - SG 0.990, Abv: 13.1%
Racked and split the batch into two. Half blended with a black currant wine and half went into a 5L carboy. Into the 5L I added 1t acid blend, 2 campden tabs, 1/2t sorbate and sparkolloid.
The campden tabs immediately turned the wine an orange color.
04/07/24
Wine is still quite orange but is clearing nicely.

 

[Smoke]

Update
03/27/24 - SG 0.990, Abv: 13.1%
Racked and split the batch into two. Half blended with a black currant wine and half went into a 5L carboy. Into the 5L I added 1t acid blend, 2 campden tabs, 1/2t sorbate and sparkolloid.
The campden tabs immediately turned the wine an orange color.
04/07/24
Wine is still quite orange but is clearing nicely.
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