Wish me luck...

[n2tazmania]

Starting my first blackberry.

PH 3.45
1/4 tsp k meta
5 tsp yeast nutrient
2 tsp yeast energizer
s.g. 1.085

Plan on throwing in 71b tomorrow night. Add some bentonite on 3rd day. Later down the road add 3oz medium french oak.

Any suggestions or wise guidance welcomed.

 

[Julie]

Lookin pretty good!!! Good Luck!

 

[jamesngalveston]

you better add some pectin enzyme....and i would throw in some acid blend

 

[Turock]

That PH sounds good---don't use anymore acid on it. Use bentonite on the 3rd day of the FERMENT.

Yes, you need to use pectic enzyme on this fruit--all fruit needs it in order to break it down better.

 

[SBWs]

Along the line of wise guidance

If you have another primary, you might want to go to your local hardware store and look into buying a paint straining bag for 5 gallon buckets. Put it in the other primary and pour everything in before you pitch the yeast.

If you use these it is a lot easier to remove the fruit and saves a lot of racking time.

If you don't have another primary there is always next time.

And, Good Luck and happy wine making!

 

[jamesngalveston]

i thought acid blend balances out the three acids...i have been using in my blackberry...should i not....

 

[Turock]

James---there is no "right" or "wrong." But when adding acid blend to, what can be a very acidic fruit, your PH goes even lower. And acid blend is adding back some malic that you're trying to reduce by using 71B culture.

I don't know what the beginning PH is on the blackberries you are using. But ours are almost all wild and because out soil here is so acidic, the beginning PH is 2.8 or 2.9 on them. So it requires calcium carbonate to bring the PH up to 3.4 which is an acceptable PH on blackberry.

Some people have more of a tolerance for tartness--that's why I say there is no "right" or "wrong." But when many people on this forum are working with this fruit for the first time, it's wise that they follow good practices or else they end up with such an acidic wine that they won't be able to fix in the post ferment, and they'll be very frustrated with the advice they've been given.

Technically, you add acid if your PH is too high from your desired target PH, and calcium carbonate if your PH is low. All fruits have a dominate acid to them---and I'm unfamiliar with your desire to balance the 3 acids. Can you elaborate?

 

[RegionRat]

Concurring the proper acid balance in wine is the next chapter of my wine making. I had and still have trouble understanding how to test and adjust. Some things like the hard cider I make I dont test I just add acid to taste. I am getting there though, thanks to all of you. If my ph is high I try to add the dominant acid in the fruit.

Here is a list of Dominant Acids in Common Fruit

Apple Malic
Apricot Malic
Banana Malic/Citric
Bilberry Citric
Blackberry Malic
Blueberry Citric
Boysenberry Malic
Cherry Malic
Choke Cherry Malic
Crabapple Malic
Cranberry Citric/Malic
Currant, Black Citric
Currant, Red Citric
Currant, White Citric
Dewberry Malic
Elderberry Citric
Fig Malic
Gooseberry Citric
Grape Tartaric/Malic
Grapefruit Citric
Huckleberry Citric
Kiwi Citric
Kumquat Citric
Lemon Citric
Lime Citric
Loganberry Malic/Citric
Marionberry Malic
Nectarine Malic
Orange Citric
Passion Fruit Malic
Peach Malic
Pear Malic
Plum Malic
Pomegranate Citric/Malic
Raspberry Citric
Rhubarb Malic/Oxalic
Rosehip Malic
Salal Citric/Malic
Salmon Berry Malic
Saskatoon Berry Malic
Strawberry Citric

RR

 

[n2tazmania]

Added the pectic and yeast. She is bubbling away.

 

[fabrictodyefor]

Thanks, Regionrat, for that chart. I don't know what I am doing yet, but I am sure some day I'll understand what that all means! I have printed it off so I'll have it handy!

 

[RegionRat]

Thanks, Regionrat, for that chart. I don't know what I am doing yet, but I am sure some day I'll understand what that all means! I have printed it off so I'll have it handy!

When it come so acid I am still in the dark. But I am getting there.


RR

 

[n2tazmania]

Latest pic. S.G. is .996 at racking into secondary. Got about 3 1/2 gallons.

Do i need to add any k-meta now? What are the next steps? Wait for 9 months......

 

[Loner]

Your going to be disappointed if your don't down size to a smaller Carboy. If you had already planned on that excuse my advice. Yes. ... Once you reach dry you need to add potassium metabisulphite. Check your SO2 levels every three months or so and dose it again as needed. The rule of thumb on airspace in a Carboy is two inches or so between your wine and the bung.

 

[n2tazmania]

Thanks Loner. I am letting it settle out for a few days and then I plan on racking into a smaller carboy for the long term. I wasn't sure how much wine I would have after the ferment so I racked into a 5 gal carboy.

What is a good method for testing SO2?

 

[Loner]

I haven't pulled the trigger yet but am leaning toward the vinmetrica sc300. It's pricey but covers all the bases. There are plenty of cheaper ways but maybe not as accurate. At this point I add kmeta when my wine goes dry. Every three to four months that it sets in the Carboy I give it another dose. If you do a google search in so2 testers you can find them starting @$35 bucks. The vinmetrica starts wayyyy higher !

 

[BernardSmith]

Your point about measuring SO2 is interesting. I have not yet tried to measure free SO2 but every three months (or every time I rack - it could be after two months) I rack onto K-meta. Is there really much benefit in measuring SO2 with such small batches? I try to keep the pH around 3.5

 

[n2tazmania]

UPDATE:

Racked down to a 3 gal. SG is .990. So, it is dry. I plan to let it set for 4 mths then add 1/4 tsp kmeta and rack again. Then let set for another 4 months before degassing, backsweetening and bottling. It has a good blackberry flavor but is a little harsh. But that is to be expected from what I have read.

 

[GreginND]

It looks good but I would try to top it up and get the airspace out. Even that's too much. You want the top of the wine to have very little surface area - so bring it up into the bottom of the neck. You could add another similar wine, water if you think it will not dilute the flavor. Or you can sanitize some marbles and toss those in to bring the level up.

By the way, the color is absolutely fantastic!!

 

[n2tazmania]

How about adding more blackberry juice?