Blueberry wine -- too much sugar..now what?

[steviepointer]

ok, so here is the story. Making a batch of blueberry wine. Using the following 5gal recipie:

10# Regular Cane Sugar
10# hand-picked blueberries
4# Raisins
1pkt Redstar Montrachet Yeast
1 tbls Energizer
1 tbls Nutrient
2 Crushed Campden Tablets
1/2 tbls pectic enzyme
1.5 tbls Acid Blend

So, instead of adding the full 10lbs of sugar, I only added 8. I let the blueberries site for a day for:

a) pectic enzime to work
b) sugar to come out of them

This way, I get what I belive, a better starting SG before I add the yeast. It also allows me to use winecalc to bring the sugar up to the 1.085 level (what I usually shoot for, for fruit wines)

Well, this time the SG is 1.110. That really looks like it will be some rocket fuel.

I'm planning on using 1118 yeast.

I'm more concerned about it not fermenting out, than I am about making rocket fuel.

Will 1118 ferment it out? Or do you think I need to worry about a stuck fermentation?

Another thought I had, was change this to a 6gal recipie (add another gal of water), to lower the starting SG. But, I'm afraid the wine won't have enough body.

Thoughts? Comments?

 

[docanddeb]

Hi Steve from Wisconsin... Went to UWSP, I'll wager!!

Where did you get this recipe from? The campden should be 1 per gallon or 5 total and the fruit is usually 3-6# PER GALLON. You have enough blueberries for 2 gal. You need to find a better recipe!! I have 5 gal of blueberry juice that I picked up in NY that I need to get started!

I have 2 children graduated from UWSP, one is a senior and I went there for a year. I know the area well. Grew up 25 min from there.

Debbie

 

[Deezil]

You're low on fruit for a 5-gallon batch, in the opinion of most. I would add another 20# of blueberries if you, and if you can do that then add another gallon of water. Will bring you out to 30# in 6 gallons, 5#/gal. Not really sure what it would do to your sugar levels but the wine would be a better product in the end.

1118 can pretty much handle whatever you can throw at it, provided you add nutrient & energizer. No real issue there, it's good to 18% ABV

 

[steviepointer]

Yup, went to uwsp.

Well, from those 2 posts, it sounds like my blueberries are too low, and that sugar is the least of my probs.

..oh well...don't have any more at this time. Will have to see how it turns out.

I will say this, it sure does seem really rich in blueberries. As for where I got the recipie, it's from:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/blueberry-wine-187037/

I guess I'll keep throwing yeast and nutrient at it as it ferments. In case I forgot about this thread in 2-3mo, someone remind me, and I'll post an update as to how weak the wine is.

 

[docanddeb]

I read that post... unfortunately, I think it was his first fruit wine. I would never follow a recipe from a newbie... just me! Have you read the recipes here? or Jack Kellers? Jack tends to be a little light on fruit. 5-6# per gallon yields the best flavor and mouthfeel. Raisins are rarely needed if enough fruit is used. As to his note about "throwing yeast and nutrient at it until it finishes"..... yeast needs to start out with just sugar and get used to the alcohol level. If you throw yeast into half fermented wine without "conditioning" it... nothing will happen.
You CAN add some frozen blueberries from walmart or aldi's now. It will go a long way to making better wine! I would never add water to adjust the sugar level... it just weakens the wine. To bring up that blueberry flavor, you could make an "f pack" to add at the end to beef up the flavor. That is added AFTER it's totally done and stabalized.

Where in WI do you live?

Debbie

 

[Deezil]

Like Debbie mentioned, frozen blueberries are sold at a lot of stores and would work perfectly fine in this. An option, anyway.

I would have to disagree with Debbie on the raisins. If enough fruit is used, the wine will have plenty of flavor but raisins help add body, but also contribute some tannins and other complexities.

I'm pretty sure you'll only have to pitch the yeast the first time, seeing as you're using 1118. Just make sure to stir in enough oxygen in the beginning, and to dose the nutrient & energizer appropriately. Should be fine, and should make something decent, especially if you F-Pack the wine after stabilizing.

Wont be an "award-winner" but i bet its a good enough batch that you make a better batch with more fruit

 

[boozeboy]

I have made blueberry wine for years.normaly I put 5 lb. berries,2 and half lb. sugar and 1 and half lb. raisens per gall. The raisens really help give the nice body to this wine. I allways freeze the berries as this gives alot more juice and easier to mash when thawed, I use boiling water instead of cold on most of my fruit wines,I also am a firm believer in letting the wine sit befor bottling, I keep in secondary for one year(racking a couple times) Befor bottling, this gives time for clearing and gets some age going, plus when in secondary you wont drink it. The miracle of time will do wonders.


boozeboy