Get ready Waldo..........

[jobe05]

I've now got 105 pounds of blackberries in the freezer getting ready for Blackberry wine......... Looking, once again, to you for guidance. The wine, I pretty much have down based on last years batch coming out so well. But this year, I want to make some port with some. Maybe just 1 gallon....... maybe 2.......... ok..., if I have enough for wine and port, 3 gallons..........





Can't start this weekend thou..... Blueberries are next....... Gotta get'em while the gettens good!

 

[Waldo]

Way to go Jobe

Where the hell did you find that Blackbrry patch man?

Lets see now if I calculate this right 105 lbs Blackberries should be enough to make around 15- 18 gallons of fine Blackberry wine


I started me a batch of Blackberry on 7/3. I had 23.5 lbs of berries which I thawed, placed in a strainer bag and added to my primary fermenter. I poured one gallon of boiling water on them and let them steep overnight.

I then dissolved 10 lbs sugar in another gallon of hot water and added that to the primary the next morning. Stirred it up good and let it cool for a bit then I added 5 dissolved campden tablets, 6tsp of acid blend, 5 tsp of yeast nutrient and 2 tsp of yeast energizer. Stirred it all well and let it set until late that evening and then added 1/4 tsp of liquid pectic enzyme. I let it set for 24 hrs, stirring it good about every 8 hrs and then added my starter of Lalvin 71B-1122 at a temperature of 72 degrees and a SG of 1.102. As of this evening she is perking right along.

I had fully intended to make a Blackberry Port with this batch and had even ran over to North Little Rock to get some Malt which the recipe called for and ended up talking myself out of it primiraly because I have no knowledge of Malt and what it does or how to properly process it so instead of chancing ruining a good batch of Blackberry wineI snuffed the Port idea.
































Edited by: Waldo

 

[paubin]

Most of my recipes are for 1 gal so at 4 lbs per gal I come up with
26.25 gallons of wine. WOW! If you are going to make 3 gals of port
then you want to use port or sherry yeast. You will also want to feed
the wine sugar a little at a time until the yeast cant take it. Your'e
trying to get the finshed alc up as high as possible. 15% is
good, 18% is better. The reason for this is the higher the wine % and
the higher % of the fortifying liquor the less foritying you have to
use, thus keeping as much of the wines original flavor intact as
possible. Terry Garey's book has a great recipe. Let me know if you
need the recipe and I'll post it for you.



Wow, 105 lbs of blackberries, WOW,



Pete

 

[grapeman]

Jobe, did you pick all those berries yourself? If so you must need a blood transfusion about now!

Last weekend I bush hogged an old pasture to keep the brush down and avoided the edge lined with blackberries. One good thing about all the rain this season- bumper crop of blackberries. Looks like about 10 days to 2 weeks until they are ripe. Hope I can fight off the bears to get some. There must be about 250 quarts or so there this year. Never seen them so loaded. Waldo and Jobe, share with us your recipe you use, I can see a batch or two of blackberry wine coming on soon.

 

[jobe05]

Thanks Apple, waldo and Paul..... auh.. Pete

figured you'd have changed your name by now for the boards sake.


Pete, as you described adding sugar during the process for port, is how I made my Blackberry wine last year. I started with 1 gallon, fermented for a week, then added another gallon of must with sugar added to an SG of 1.90, then a week later, added another gallon of the same process, and was delighted with the outcome. Thinking of doing the same this year, but 7 gallons.


Waldo: With your assistance, I will be your guinea pig for 1 gallon..... 2 gallons ofBlackberry port. Study up, give me a shopping list, and next week we'll get started. When complete, I'll send ya a couple bottles for storing and testing to see if you want to make it next year.


Surprisingly enough.... 105 pounds of blackberries is only (average)21,000 berries........... don't ask how me and my son figured that out.


And yes, figure 2 scratches per berry, and 1 thorn hole in your finger, hand or arm for every 10 berries........... I still can't account for the soar right kneee.... But after only getting enough berries last year for 3 gallons, I was bound and determined this year that I was going to get all I could get. We have a huge wild berry patch(s) all over the place were I work, so I just stayed late every day and picked 20 - 25 pounds each day.......... I have to say.... I would do it again! And I just may come Monday night.

 

[PolishWineP]

105 pounds!?

I am green with envy! We are having a terribly dry summer here. I'm keeping the garden watered so I will have my tomatoes, etc. And of course, beets for wine!


Our raspberries are for cr*p. They get a rust every year, and it looks like Sept in the patch in July. We only get a few berries.

They are goners. I've already started cutting canes. Pulling them all this fall. (That should be loads of fun!)


You enjoy your fruits and wine making. I look forward to hearing how things are going for you!

 

[Waldo]

OK Jobe.....I be ready when you are podner. Tell me where ya want to go and I'll get us a road map drawn out

 

[Waldo]

While I wait on Jobe to decide which direction we are going here are some updated photos on my Blackberry.


Fermentation going strong...Mmmmm love that odor !!

Racked to Carboy at SG1.098

 

[jobe05]

Looks very good Waldo....... I love working with Blackberries.


Blueberries are now starting to come in so I wanted to gather 40 or 50 pounds for the freezer before I started any of the blackberry. However when we start, I would like to do about 2 gallons of Blackberry Port. I think it will have to age for a long time. Getting a bunch of blue and brown Tall 375ML bottles ready for it. Again, come up with your best recipe when we get started, 1/2 of it will be yours!


Should be ready in about 2 weeks. So maybe next weekend, you can post a shopping list of things I'll need. I should have most everything except perhaps the right yeast.


The other reason I need to wait a couple of weeks is right now I have way to many kits going, Johannisburg Reisling, Barbera Limited edition, cherry, Another reisling kit and a green apple reisling............ My counter is full in the shop. Once I get some of them clear, we can start.


Appreciate your patience.

 

[OldWino1]

I can smell those berries and the yeasties working good job and have fun. does anybody elses work area look like this and mine also?Edited by: OldWino

 

[Waldo]

Thanks OldWino. I have great anticipation of it being a good one. and now,I will be ready when you are Jobe

 

[Wade E]

Due to current financial problem, I now have 0 wine kits in my basement.

Hope to get back on track soon. Workman's comp. is not what it used to be.


Edited by: wadewade

 

[jobe05]

Waldo:


I think I'm ready with one problem. I won't be around next weekend if I need to rack anything. We are leaving on Thursday to go to Georgia to visit with family for the weekend.


The berries are frozen, so if I take them out today to thaw, and start mixing it up tomorrow, Throw the yeast on Monday evening, I should be good.


Have you found a good Port recipe? What yeast will I need?


Again, only making about 2 gallons (1 for me, 1 for you). I assume, having never made a port wine, that this will be a stronger ABV, sweeter wine.


I have saved up a llot of .375, nice looking slim, tall bottles.


Oh yea.......... Camera's ready also.........

 

[Waldo]

Ok Jobe...Out of all the recipes I looked at, the one on Jack's homepage looked the best to me so lets try this one.
Will need to double everything but the yeast.


Blackberry Port
Blackberry port is seldom made, but well worth the effort. Use fully ripe berries, fresh or frozen. Makes one gallon (3.8 L).

Ingredients
6.0 lb. (2.7 kg) ripe blackberries
1 cup red grape concentrate
1/2 cup light dried malt extract
1 3/4 lb. (0.79 kg) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 1/4 tsp. acid blend
4 pints (1.9 L) water
1 crushed Campden tablet
1/2 tsp. yeast energizer
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 pkg Lalvin K1-V1116 (Montpellier) or a port wine yeast

Wash and crush blackberries in nylon straining bag and strain juice into fermenter. Tie top of nylon bag and place in primary. Stir in all other ingredients except pectic enzyme, yeast and red grape concentrate. Stir well to dissolve sugar, cover well, and set aside for 8–
12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, re-cover, and set aside additional 8–12 hours. Add yeast, cover, stir ingredients daily, and press pulp in nylon bag to extract flavor. When specific gravity is 1.030 (about
5 days), strain juice from bag and siphon liquid off sediment into secondary fermentation vessel. Fit airlock and set aside. Rack in three weeks and again in two months. When wine is clear and well past last evidence of fermentation, stabilize, add red grape concentrate, and set aside for 3 weeks. If no evidence of re-fermentation, rack again and bottle. Allow at least a year to mature, but will improve for several years.

Edited by: Waldo

 

[jobe05]

I'll have to get the malt and the red grape juice.


I have looked for the red grape juice before without much luck. Red Grape juice seems to be a generic term in the stores I shop in. Does George have it? I have everything but these two items, I may have to order from George if he has them.

 

[Waldo]

I know he has the malt Jobe but not sure about the juice

 

[jobe05]

The red grape juice wouldn't be like Welche's grape juice would it?
I hope not. I'll PM George if I don't see it on his site.


He has it, here is the description:

<TABLE =maintable borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=2>
<T>
<TR>
<TD></TD>
<TD>6377</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>Description</TD>
<TD>


Red Grape Concentrate - Gives wine more body, flavor, aroma; For RED wines, 16 oz.</TD></TR></T></TABLE>Edited by: jobe05

 

[jobe05]

This is the only thing "malt I could find:



<TABLE =tableNew id=products borderColor=#cc0000 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 align=center =#ffffcc border=1>
<T>
<TR>
<TD =table align=default width="10%">19250 </TD>
<TD width="10%">

</TD>
<TD width="50%">


Malt Whiskey (Smoked)


Liquor Quik Extract 20 ml.</TD></TR></T></TABLE>

 

[NorthernWinos]

The red grape juice wouldn't be like Welche's grape juice would it?
I hope not.  I'll PM George if I don't see it on his site.
 
He has it, here is the description:

&lt;TABLE =maintable borderColor=#000000 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=2&gt;
&lt;T&gt;
&lt;TR&gt;
&lt;TD&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;
&lt;TD&gt;6377&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;
&lt;TR&gt;
&lt;TD&gt;Description&lt;/TD&gt;
&lt;TD&gt;


Red Grape Concentrate - Gives wine more body, flavor, aroma; For RED wines, 16 oz.&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/T&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;

I use WinExpert Red & White wine grape concentrate in all my fruit wines for added body and flavor...Not sure if George's Red #6377 and White #6376 are from WinExpert, but am sure they will give you the body your after.
I use 2-16oz bottles per 5 or 6 gallon batch... using recipes from the book Winemaking by Anderson & Anderson...guess I just got into that book and use those recipes with some tweaking, so have added the juice to almost all our fruit wines.
Some wine I use frozen apple juice for the body that some fruits lack, like Raspberries...it sure makes a nice wine, at least we think so....but what do we know?....we just drink what we like....?

 

[jobe05]

OK Waldo, George had everything I needed...... (and a couple other things)....... So everything has been ordered.


Based on the amount of Malt and red grape juice, I may just go ahead and make 3 gallons. Also, based on the timing of everything getting here, I probably won't start this till we get back next week. When I get Georges order, I'll let you know, and play it by ear based on our schedules.