Blueberry's For Wine

[jbullard1]

I have started a trade today for frozen blueberrys
I don't know the variety and they grow on bushes 6-8 ft tall that were grown locally, here in North Mississippi, this past summer then picked,washed and fresh frozen whole with no preservatives
I want enough to make about 5 gallons of finished wine.
I will be using a couple of 5 gallon primarys then can go to a 6.5 or 5 gallon secondary as required.
About how many pounds should I get? Looks like about 2 pounds to the gallon
And what it the difference in:
Full Body
Medium Body and
Light Body wines as listed on Jack Kellers site

 

[Sacalait]

This is how I do it for a finished 5gal carboy. I use 17# blueberries that I've put through a food processor and then into a straining bag for the primary. Add sugar and water to reach 6gals. This will give you a medium to full bodied wine.

Light, heavy, and full bodied are terms in describing perceived mouth feel.

 

[St Allie]

How is this wine coming along?

Allie

 

[Tom]

You need 5-6#+ per gallon otherwise its colored water with little taste = med body.
Full body I use around 30#'s of blueberry and another 10# for my F-PAC. Med body has a "thin" taste, so I dont bother. I have won many awards for my Blueberry and Peach wines
I would split the blue in 2 buckets as they take alot of room. Thaw, add Pectic enzyme add 4,5 gal of water for 5 gallon and enough sugar to get to 1.085ish wait 24-36 hrs then add yeast.
Be careful using a food prosessor as you will split the seeds and get a bitternes. That is unnecessary when the fruit is fresh or frozen

 

[Sacalait]

Tom, do you buy fresh blueberries locally and if so, what do you pay for them?
I buy them here fresh and bagged for $10/gal and a gal. weighs 4.25#.

 

[St Allie]

I got 10 kilos ( approx 22 lb) for $25NZD frozen.

Allie

 

[Sacalait]

That seems to be in line with what I paid. What is the exchange rate?

 

[St Allie]

1 New Zealand dollar = 0.5935 U.S. dollars

Allie

 

[Tom]

Tom, do you buy fresh blueberries locally and if so, what do you pay for them?
I buy them here fresh and bagged for $10/gal and a gal. weighs 4.25#.

Yea you can pick last year for $1.50 or buy @ $1.75 a pound. I think I bought 70#'s

 

[Tom]

If making Blueberry you need 5# per gallon MINIMUM. I use 6+# per gallon + 10# for my F-PAC

 

[St Allie]

Tom?

did you PYO?

I did last year.. took me an hour to pick a 2lb.. Never again!

Allie

 

[Tom]

Last year no. I didnt have the time. Each year my daughter (37) and I go and pick maybe 50# in a little over 1 hour. This Blueberry farm is a real easy pick. The berries are large and I dont need to bend down.

 

[Tom]

Herre in So. Jersey is known for their blueberry farms. They grow Blueberry and Cranberry one of the top states in production.

 

[St Allie]

I picked after they had harvested the maincrop..

I was up and down ladders there were ripe berries all over the place with unripe berries, you had to pick carefully, I only wanted the really ripe ones.

rabbit eye variety and close to being removed and replanted.

I have planted 16 bushes this year in my orchard. I don't spray anything, so close to organic conditions for finished product.

Allie

 

[Boozehag]

Oh dear I might have not used enough berries in my 5 gallon lot, I only used 5 kg. I still have 2 - 3 kg in the freezer, how do you make up an F Pack Tom?

My wine is almost finished fermenting.

 

[Tom]

Oh dear I might have not used enough berries in my 5 gallon lot, I only used 5 kg. I still have 2 - 3 kg in the freezer, how do you make up an F Pack Tom?

My wine is almost finished fermenting.

Ok calm down. F-pac is added after you rack from the secondary. You MUST have added the K-meta AND Sorbate before the f-pac.
Take all out of freezer. Add them to a large pot or 2. under LOW heat simmer them and start to squash them. adding some simple syrup here helps extract the flavor. DO NOT BOIL. Continue for 15 min or so. Strain thru a metal strainer (not collender) using a back of a large spoon press as much you can thru the strainer. You will have to do this in batches depending how big of a strainer you have. Now you have concentrated FLAVOR. you can do 1 of 2 things now.
1 dump the liquid (puree) in the wine
2 same as above but add the pulp to a nylon bag and toss that in also. (best to do in a bucket if available)
Now, backsweeten (simple syrup) to YOUR TASTE.
Let it sit 2 weekks and let it settle. you will want to add clearing agents now.
Continue till clear.
If you have glycerine you can add that for more body.

 

[Sacalait]

Tom, if you move to a bucket with the F-pac you must be topping up and adding an air lock?? Do you add any additional K-meta at this point?

 

[Tom]

You would have added the k-meta and sorbate just BEFORE you add the f-pac. Make sure the k-meta nad sorbate is mixed well.
If you need to top off then this is a good time ti add the simple syrup. Try not to add any water. Put some in a smaller glass before adding water.

 

[Boozehag]

Oh cheers Tom! Thanks for your help.

Simple syrup is that like sugar syrup that you make up for cocktails or a simple juice syrup like blackcurrant juice or similar?

I presume I remove wine from the carboy to add the fpak rather than put it in a bucket, perhaps I can put that in a smaller bottle to top up when I rack the wine after clearing????
Oh and I understand to add the fpack after adding the sorbate and meta like you would do with a wine kit right!?

 

[Tom]

Simple syrup is a 2part sugar to 1 part water. Boil water add sugar and boil till clear. Keep in mind if you have the cacboy topped you will need something larger once the f-pac is added.
I only say to add everything to a bucket for mixing you can then split the wine in proper sized containers.
I presume I remove wine from the carboy to add the fpak rather than put it in a bucket, perhaps I can put that in a smaller bottle to top up when I rack the wine after clearing???? YES you can do it this way also.