Black Raspberry Wine Experiences ?

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Scooter68

Fruit "Wine" Maker
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
4,042
Reaction score
3,421
Location
Northwest Arkansas
About 4 months ago Feb 1st, 2016) I started a batch of Black raspberry wine with some frozen wild black raspberries my wife picked last year.

4 liter batch (1gal + 7 1/4 oz) with 5lbs of berries.
2lbs sugar,
1/2 tsp Acid Blend
1 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/4 tsp Tannin
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient (1/2 tsp in must 1/2 tsp in Yeast Starter)
1 Campden tab

Normal processing of:
Bag & mash thawed berries
Dissolve sugar (2lbs into 3 cups water)
Add Acid Blend, Pectic Enzyme, Tannin, 1/2 of Yeast Nutrient
Check - SG 1.112 Acid pH 3.67
dissolve & drop Campden Tab

Cover & Wait 24 hrs

Same time - Prep Yeast Starter with 1/4 tsp EC118 & 1/2 tsp Yeast nutrient
Set starter in warm area (65 degrees plus) for 24 hrs

Next Day recheck SG & Acid - Add Yeast and cover


AND NOW The Questions


This has been unlike any of my other wine batches. Not worried but interested to learn more. As this batched fermented and I racked it at each step the must had a quality none of my others have had. It left a rich dark purple clear coating on the containers. Not a stain or film but it just had this thickness to it that impressed me. Is there an actual name for this attribute/quality? I am assuming it's good because all along the way the flavor has been great!
Virtually no lees after the secondary finished (2/11/2016)
Final SG .990 = ABV of 16.1% and pH 3.63

It has been very clear (but dark) stable since then with 3 more rackings and only a trace of lees on the first of those.

Along the way I always left a little in the carboy in case I missed seeing lees. Back-sweetened those remains when I found them sediment free. Has anyone else had a blackberry clear that quickly? Has always, throughout had a very strong wild berry taste to it. It will probably be a love or hate it wine. Compared to a similar high ABV store bought concord grape wine, the taste will knock your socks off. At 16% A small glass goes a long way. Very stable each time with very little change in the pH SG (as one would expect) and the taste.

Sooo I decided to bottle it 3 weeks ago just after our vacation and before my surgery. Back-sweeetened to 1.002 with pH 3.42 and stabilized it. I know that's a rush to bottle but being a small batch and the flavor as strong and clear I couldn't resist this time. No plans to pop a bottle for several more months. Also had a full 12 oz left after all was done and it just keeps tasting better.
Anyone else have much experience with wild Black Raspberry wine?
 
Last edited:
I make 5 gallons of blackberry wine each year with Walker's blackberry juice. It is our favorite wine that has an awesome taste. My ABV is usually around 15% so it too has some kick to it.
Larry
 
I make 5 gallons of blackberry wine each year with Walker's blackberry juice. It is our favorite wine that has an awesome taste. My ABV is usually around 15% so it too has some kick to it.
Larry


Hope you gwt a chance sometime to use wild blackberries. There is a difference with them.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top