I was having trouble sleeping last night - I think it was the empty primary and empty carboys crying out to be filled... so this morning I finally started a batch with the 2 jars of Blackberry Conserve/Juice that NW had left behind in the Magic Pantry of their friend formerly known as The Bachelor. These two must have been hiding behind the several jars of Highbush Cranberry.
Anyway, cleaning out the cupboards I pushed aside the smelly-socks-juice and had found the Blackberry. On inspiration from NW's Raspberry Merlot recipe, I cooked this one up today:
2 quarts Blackberry Juice
1 Can Alexander's Barbera Concentrate
1/2 Liter Red Grape Concentrate
Water to 3 gallon mark
1 tsp Pectic Enzyme (there was a bit of jell'in happening in the juice)
2 tsp Tartaric Acid
2 tsp Acid Blend
1 tsp Tannin
3 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 tsp Yeast Energizer
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp Bentonite in 1/2 c. warm water - slurry-fied.
1 c. of light toast American Oak
I was very surprised I didn't need to add sugar...but I triple checked with my triple scale hydrometer, and the SG = 1.076 is just fine - hoping to let the fruit flavor through from the blackberry and to have something that "matures early".
Debating now between RC-212 and the 71B-1122 yeast, leaning to the RC-212 except when I flip-flop towards the 71B-1122. I'll have to decide at some point
I did not add campden as the Alexander's "contains sulfites" and -- the blackberry juice jars have stood the test of time, if there was any wild yeast it's long since "expired".
I took a picture of it in the bucket, but the photo turned out quite unappealing. Will try to get a better photo when I pitch the yeast.
Wish me luck! Years and Years and Years ago, I used to quite like Barbera. My mother actually still has a bottle of Barbera which I had bought back in the mid 1980s - when I moved overseas I had left the contents of the wine and liquor cabinet (such as it was) with her. Bless her heart, she's saved my "special wine" all these years. LOL, it will either be awesome or awful, more likely the latter, when I finally get reunited with it...
Anyway, cleaning out the cupboards I pushed aside the smelly-socks-juice and had found the Blackberry. On inspiration from NW's Raspberry Merlot recipe, I cooked this one up today:
2 quarts Blackberry Juice
1 Can Alexander's Barbera Concentrate
1/2 Liter Red Grape Concentrate
Water to 3 gallon mark
1 tsp Pectic Enzyme (there was a bit of jell'in happening in the juice)
2 tsp Tartaric Acid
2 tsp Acid Blend
1 tsp Tannin
3 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 tsp Yeast Energizer
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp Bentonite in 1/2 c. warm water - slurry-fied.
1 c. of light toast American Oak
I was very surprised I didn't need to add sugar...but I triple checked with my triple scale hydrometer, and the SG = 1.076 is just fine - hoping to let the fruit flavor through from the blackberry and to have something that "matures early".
Debating now between RC-212 and the 71B-1122 yeast, leaning to the RC-212 except when I flip-flop towards the 71B-1122. I'll have to decide at some point
I did not add campden as the Alexander's "contains sulfites" and -- the blackberry juice jars have stood the test of time, if there was any wild yeast it's long since "expired".
I took a picture of it in the bucket, but the photo turned out quite unappealing. Will try to get a better photo when I pitch the yeast.
Wish me luck! Years and Years and Years ago, I used to quite like Barbera. My mother actually still has a bottle of Barbera which I had bought back in the mid 1980s - when I moved overseas I had left the contents of the wine and liquor cabinet (such as it was) with her. Bless her heart, she's saved my "special wine" all these years. LOL, it will either be awesome or awful, more likely the latter, when I finally get reunited with it...