1st vinters harvest black currant

[Paulc]

I picked up a 96oz can of the above to do my first fruit wine. I was going to follow the recipe for 3 gal of wine. I would like to have some black currant flavor and smell to the finished wine.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I thought I might hold back 1/4 cup of the juice and put it in the freezer until after the ferment is done...is that a good or bad idea. How else can I get currant aroma and flavor, just a hint, in the finished wine?

Also, I wondered about maybe adding raisins (1 lb?) to get some more body in the wine...any thoughts on that idea?

TIA, paulc

 

[Tom]

raisins would help. For adding more aroma I would save 1-2 cups. Add that after the wine is stabilized

 

[Wade E]

If you use the 3 gallon recipe youll have plenty of favor left. IMO you dont need any raisons.

 

[deboard]

I made this one as well, it turned out very good. I wanted to backsweeten to semi-sweet with an f-pac, but I couldn't find any straight black currant juice. BUT..I did find a blueberry-black currant by Wyland, which tasted great. I put half the bottle in a saucepan with 1 cup of sugar and boiled it down to a syrup. I think I used about 1 1/4 cups of it to backsweeten, but if you like it sweeter you could use more.

I did strain the juice through a coffee filter before putting it in the saucepan, but the f-pac did add a couple of rackings. It was worth it though.

 

[Paulc]

I wanted to get some practice using the titration type acid kit that I picked up this week. What is the recommended acid level for the black currant? thanks, paulc

 

[Wade E]

It will most likely be around .65 - 75 on this or possibly even a little bit higher but thats fine. Not all wines will or should fall in the .55 - .70 range or they would be flabby.

 

[Paulc]

slow start...?

So I started my black currant this week and it seems to be starting pretty slow compared to my wine kits. I opened and mixed everything but the yeast on Wed. evening after work. I stirred it a good bit to help it gas out and mixed. Yesterday morning I pitched one packet of lalvin 212 yeast. So far there is not any movement in the airlock but there is some fizzing going on when I open the lid. My concern is I will be gone all weekend and will not be able to check on it after late this afternoon until late on Sunday. Would it be a bad idea to add a second dose of yeast to be sure it gets established? I thought I might get a small batch of starter going today and then add it to the must as I am walking out the door. Or should I just leave it be? Thanks, paulc

 

[Midwest Vintner]

leave it be. black currant is slower, somewhat like blueberry. IMO, i go 3 gal, no raisens and leave all the juice there as then you have plenty of flavor.

 

[Paulc]

thanks for the info...I will leave it be. And yeah, I followed yours and Wade's advice and followed the 3 gal as on the can. But I added a small handfull of oak. I couldn't help it. Hope it does not turn out to be a mistake. Paulc

 

[docanddeb]

I've made 2 batches of that wine now... great stuff. I pretty much follow the directions on the label... comes out great! A little sweetening at the end will bring the fruit flavor out! Oak would be nice!

Debbie

 

[Wade E]

It was one of my favs, now I have 18 bushes in my yard.

 

[Paulc]

Pot Sorb question

Well, I think my black currant is about ready to go into bottles...I guess. I have tasted it and it is a good bit sweeter than I had expected/hoped but it has not been bubbling since early March. I checked the SG on 3-11 and it was 1.015. I let it continue to bubble, very slowly, until 3-22 but did not check SG. I had assumed it would be down darn close to 1.00 at that point but when I taste it it is still pretty sweet. But anyway, I am afraid of playing with it too much and screwing it up as I currently have 6 gal of a brunello monster that has gone very much not like it had been planned(its a long story).

So anyway, my question is, this black currant, 3 gallons, was racked on 3-22 and 3 campden tablets (crushed) were added. I had to top it off with about 6oz of a Nero D'Avola wine from the store cause that is what I had open. So there is now some yeast collected on the bottom of the carboy but not a lot. I was hoping to bottle late in May. But I have not added pot sorb yet...should I rack again and then add the pot sorb or can I just add the sorbate, let everything sit like it is till late May and then bottle?

TIA, paulc

 

[docanddeb]

You have a few more rackings to do, probably. I has some settling to do. I would rack... then add sorbate... then let it sit some more.

What is SG now?

Debbie

 

[Paulc]

I just checked the SG and it is reading 1.014...not sure how that is possible seeing as it was 1.015 or so about 4 weeks ago. It seems this batch is not
going to conform to my schedule. I have already added campden tablets. Am I stuck with a sweet wine? Splash rack it and let it/hope it will restart?

It seems I need a little help please! TIA, paulc

 

[docanddeb]

I think I missed what your original SG was....

Debbie

 

[Wade E]

What temp is this at right now, what was the starting gravity and what yeast did you use?

 

[Paulc]

wine was started on 2-9-2011. I followed the 3 gal recipe on can, added 1/4 tsp grape tannin powder and small handful of heavy toast american oak at beginning. Starting SG was 1.08 and I used Lalvin RC 212. SG is now 1.014.

TIA, paulc

 

[Paulc]

Temp is 70-72 degrees.

 

[Wade E]

Dont know why it stopped so early then, Ive never had that problem except with the W.E. raspberry port kit and veryone has that problem with that kit. That wine is stillm very young to be bottling!!!!!! Patience my friend!

 

[Paulc]

So do I rack it? Or leave it sit? Add a little heat? Or just leave it alone?