33 pounds of Northern Indiana blueberrys

[andy123]

Now where is that port recipe? It was a long drive back to Central Florida. Is everyone good with Jack Keller's recipe?

 

[Julie]

Jack is usually lite on the berries, I would add more than what he stated

 

[Deezil]

Freeze the berries
Thaw the berries

Hit them with pectic enzyme and a potato masher
Add just enough water to cover
Strain solids into a bag

Adjust sugar to 1.080 to start
Measure & adjust acidity (TA/pH)

Consider tannin additions, or the use of opti-red & booster rouge
Ferment with something like 1116 or D-47

When SG hits 1.030-1.040, adjust sugar up by 0.040
Spike with brandy/cognac/vodka/everclear when SG lowers back down to about 1.015 - 1.020

Degas & let it clear on its own time
When clear, bottle & forget about it for 5 years

Thats my port recipe, in a nutshell

 

[andy123]

Deezill, that sounds all good except for 33lbs of tater mashing and 5 long lonesome years.

 

[Deezil]

The pectic enzyme does most of the work, you just need to bust the skins open on the blueberries with the masher to mix the skins with the juice

And 5 years.. It's worth it.. Just make a batch every year and you only have to wait 5 years, once

 

[FTC Wines]

My Blueberry, 2heavy gals ( didn't weigh it). Of blueberries to 5 gal batch of wine was very good at18 mo. Now at 3 yrs old it's awesome. Only 2bottles left, which I had 33 lbs of blueberries! Roy

 

[andy123]

I dont use the straining bags as directed. My fruits prefer the freedom. I strain solids out near the end of the ferment when I do a transfer. It is a little messier but I feel I get a more effective breakdown from free living fruit. I cant get an accurate SG. cause of the thickness of this batch. the hydrometer just hits and sticks when dropped in. I used the bottom 3 quarts of a Vieux Chatteau du Roi kit to yeast up this batch.

 

[UBB]

if you don't use straining bags be prepared for lots and lots and lots and lots of lees.

 

[saramc]

Andy, to get enough liquid to get a reading you need a strainer/colander to press into the must. The liquid fills the well of strainer and you have your sample. I just stir the must quite well before I take my sample.

 

[andy123]

Thank You SARAMC. I am probably fruit heavy on this batch. The cap is a foot thick

 

[jswordy]

Deezill, that sounds all good except for 33lbs of tater mashing and 5 long lonesome years.

Freeze yer berries in bags. All you do them is smush the bags and dump. E-Z

 

[wineon4]

I freeze my blueberries then thaw and put through a blender to make a puree of them, add your ingredients along with peptic enzyme then ferment 3 days in primary, then add bentonite, transfer to secondary around 1.01. Last batch I back sweetened with a good high quality organic blueberry jelly turned out great.

 

[andy123]

I pulled out five gallons of good from the carboy and I;m doing a second run blueberry something from the lees and cap. I cant testify to flavor but there is plenty of color left.