Strawberry wine- smell is odd

[Downwards]

I used Pasteur Red. Think that might have stripped color?

Dend78, I saw your competition too late, or I'd have certainly jumped at trying to buy that white and join in, looks like fun! Let me know if you all do another one.

 

[Dend78]

will do! here is some fun I put some of the cleared wine in a glass last night, looks red still in carboy brownish yellow in a glass kinda strange

 

[Kraffty]

Did you mean to show a pic of that brownish yellow strawberry?
Mike

 

[BernardSmith]

Actually, mine is also that color in the carboy, just not in the glass. I'll try and get two pictures for you so you can see what I mean. It's kind of an odd thing. The color is drop dead gorgeous in the carboy (as far down as it's cleared).
My friend got these berries from a farmer contact in Oxnard (where I grew up) , we're pretty famous for our strawberries I think, but actually I know what you mean about the ripe ones. Our berries that ship are nothing like what you can get direct from the farmers. These came to us topped by the pickers right off the plant because they are so ripe and normally these ones would have been frozen because they can't ship in any other condition.
I only wish we had used more..
I also appreciate the admonition about my patience. I'm still very new at this, and I think I have been told that on every single thread that I've ever reported a problem on. ME--->
You all are right I'm sure. I'll rack this when it clears and then put it in a closet somewhere and forget about it..

Let me go get photos now..

EDIT: Ok, here they are. The carboy on left is mostly clear, so I think I'm getting a good impression of its color. The glass shot is taken from that carboy. Interesting difference in color huh?

is the yellowish color what people mean when they talk about hair being "strawberry blonde"?

 

[Downwards]

Funny you say that. The gal I'm making this strawberry with (it's really her first wine and she's sort of making it here under my supervision- but she's doing everything physically so I say it's her wine) is actually a strawberry blonde and I keep telling her she ought to call the wine "Strawberry Blonde" for the color.

 

[saramc]

The color of the finished strawberry wine has a lot to do with the cultivar of berry being used (you can find case studies on color retention in strawberry ferments, etc). There is a specific type of anthocyanin maybe, I think that was what I read a few months ago, which impacts color retention. And the berry either has it or it does not. Then you have to consider the yeast being used. And as always the quality, ripeness and quantity of fruit factor in to the big picture.

I once read an article that said it was called a strawberry because the juice was light orange, straw colored. Strawberries were not always red, they were orange too...and they are making a comeback.

The evolution of the strawberry.

 

[Downwards]

I have seeds for a white strawberry, a friend sent them to me and I never got around to planting them. Wonder if they are still good? Only one way to find out I suppose.

By the way, just racked this as it's gone very very clear in both carboys. Smell and taste both are much better. I think the yeast flavor and slight carbonation was throwing me off. Bulk aging now, a minimum of 6 months before the next taste. I even wrote it on the carboys, so that means my impatience will have to confront my instructions anytime I think of opening them.

 

[saramc]

I have seeds for a white strawberry, a friend sent them to me and I never got around to planting them. Wonder if they are still good? Only one way to find out I suppose.

The seeds of your white strawberry will yield a red berry, though it will still taste like the white berry. At least that is what a horticulture professor shared with me.

 

[GreginND]

Every strawberry wine I have seen has been orange in color unless artificial color had been added.

 

[Downwards]

Yeah, I don't think I would ever color mine. I think it is pretty in it's own way. I try to foster an appreciation for what the fruit gives me, even if it isn't what I expect. After all if it's a different color than I expect, that is INTERESTING to me. Every fruit wine I've ever made (I haven't really tasted anyone else's) is different in taste too than what I expected. If you got surprises, make them pleasant ones, lol.
I do believe folks who say theirs are coming out red though- I'll bet saramc nailed it with the theory on varietals. After all my local farmers are not likely growing the same berries as folks way up north. And I don't think anyone is growing strawberries for how they hold their color in wine.

 

[JFire]

Here is my first ever attempt at wine also a strawberry. I thought the color was my error. Glad its not. Wasn't sure if I should sweeten it prior to aging or not. This was about 7lbs to the gallon. 2nd pic is about 12 hours out of primary.


Any idea why the pics came out upside down?

 

[dralarms]

Seems like that would run out of the bottles like that.

 

[JFire]

Just sweetened up one gallon. I can't wait. But I can tell the difference in just a week or so of aging.




Still can't get the pictures right side up.

 

[Downwards]

The seeds of your white strawberry will yield a red berry, though it will still taste like the white berry. At least that is what a horticulture professor shared with me.

These do grow true from seed. They don't produce runners at all, so I can't imagine how you'd ever get them otherwise. I was mistaken in the color maybe though, just checked the seed packet and they are an alpine berry called "yellow wonder". http://www.rareseeds.com/yellow-wonder-wild-strawberry/

 

[pwrose]

I have never seen strawberry that color. I have been making strawberry wine for some time now and all of mine look like this.

 

[Downwards]

Got a picture of it in the glass pwrose? Are you adding juice in the end or an fpack at all? How many pounds of fruit per gallon in the must? It sure is pretty.

 

[pwrose]

That is last years batch, it was 197 lbs of berries and made 12-13 gallons. I did not add any extra water and I didn't ferment on the fruit. I cooked/boiled down the berries and removed the pulp. I do this because the berries I get are not always in the best shape. I freeze them in 5 lbs bags with stems and the occasional leaf, thaw them out and put them straight in the pot to cook. Any loose leaves or stems will float and I do remove those but the green stems on the top of the berry get cooked right in. I have never noticed any off flavors from them but I also do not ferment with them in the must. I don't have a pic of it in a glass right now but when I return home this Friday I plan to bottle some of it, probably just one 5 gallon carboy. I will let the other one age for a little while longer, or until I need the carboy. lol I ended up with 12 gallons of finished not bottled wine. I used the 2 extra gallons to mix in to the strawberry skeeter pee to enhance the strawberry flavor in that wine.

This years strawberry will have 375 lbs of berries and I am guessing I will get around 24 gallons give or take a gallon or two.

 

[Downwards]

I'm sure in your case, that color is from that quantity of fruit. Mine is pretty golden colored in the glass, but in the carboy it's very red. That tells me that mine is red but the color watered down, don't you think?

Does yours taste acidic at all?

 

[GreginND]

I think cooking it may also set the color.

 

[pwrose]

I think cooking it probably helps keep the color, but the very first batch I did was with 24 lbs and I added water back then. That made a 3 gallon batch after I strained the pulp. I did not cook that batch and cut every berry up. It kept the red color as well. After that I swore to never spend that much time cutting berries again. I also made that batch rather high octane by accident. I really have never done a true acid test on the strawberry, I never felt like it was way out of range. I also never had anyone not like it except one person who doesn't care for wine to start with.
Through all the batches I have made they seem to keep getting better. This year will be yet another new try to improve what is already great. You will have to follow along with that post when I start it. I do have a post started for acquiring the berries, but will start another one when I start this years batch.