Could use a little direction

[Tomy]

Started a Blackberry using Oregon can fruit 4#11-29 SG 1084 added 1/8 tsp tannen, 1/2 tsp pectin, & yeast nutreint for 1 gal.. pitched Lavin D-47 11-30 with berrys in a bag in primary, and stirred must every day till last 3 days. Racked 12-8 added french med oak & K-meta, Pot sorbate covered secondary to keep out light, and took out berrys. How long should this be left in the secondary on the oak untill I rack to age for 3 mo. Should I rack every 30 days during the 3 mo or what. the SG was 990 going into secondary. I plan to back sweeten to semi sweet when I bottle. Thanks Tomy

Edited by: Tomy

 

[jobe05]

Tomy: It sounds like what you have done so far is perfect. How long to leave it will be dependent on how much Oak infusion you are going for, and that will be dependent on how much Oak you added.

Based on what you have for fruit, and your looking at 3 months to drink and you want to back sweeten, I would strongly suggest that you get 2 more cans (I assume this is Oregon fruit in the can on the grocery store shelf), squeeze out all the juice and throw the pulp away. Simmer the remaining juice to condense / concentrate to at least half, then add some sugar to that and use it to back sweeten. That will infuse more flavor and help it as an early drinker.

Edit: OOOoooops..... Never answered your question: Just taste it weekly till such time you are happy with the Oak flavor. You can rack it then, but it still may need some clearing time.

Edited by: jobe05

 

[Tomy]

Thanks jobe, I plan to age in the jug 3 mo, then bottle to drink in summer as I want a very nice wine out of this one.

 

[Waldo]

TOMY...COM HERE BUDDY !!! Look, I know ya want some good Blackberry wine man so im a willing to take ya under my wing and get ya there but dag nabbit man ya gotta listen to me and do zactly as I tell ya. Iffen yure game, then you let that there Blackberry nurse on them there oak chips until it getz to tastin oaky enuff fer ya. You then rack it offen thatoak. Sweeten er up jes zactlly like jobe done tolt ya and then ya put it all back in thatbig jug, wrap er up real good in some brown paper sacks or whatever ya got and slide er over in the corner and forget about er until somewheres around Labor day next year. Yeah, Yeah, shes gonna be tastin pretty good whan ya sweeten er back up but nothing like she will iffen you will do az I tolt ya.

 

[jobe05]

I did a post to say what Waldo just said but it didn't post for some reason......... I guess Waldo said it better.

I had a bottle that was 2 years old and what a huge difference it made from what the first bottle tasted like (about 2 days old). The 2 year old bottle was awesome, I didn't know I could make such good wine. At least put a bottle under your bed and forget about it, or start another gallon batch and put it away!

 

[Wade E]

Well, youve been told what to do by the Blackberry Masters so i dont think anything can be said after that!

 

[Tomy]

Thanks Waldo, I will do exactually as you said, as this Blackberry i'm making I hope will stand up as a very good wine next summer. I purchased a Strawberry wine made by a local winery in Wisconson, and it tasted like a fresh berry you picked out in the patch, and that is the mark I hope to hit some day.

 

[Guest]

Hey Tomy.
I'm doin almost the same thing you're doin only without the oak.
Here's to Blackberry Wine my friend!!!!


Mike

 

[Tomy]

Hi Mike, I would certinally like to trade samples late summer if your willing. Edited by: Tomy

 

[Guest]

I'd be honored.
Keep in touch!
Mike