juice from berries - thick??

[Wine4Me]

I was giving some blackberries & I put them through a juicer & to my surprise it came out thick.... My question is:: When I find a recipe to make this into wine do I add water to make it less think??
Hope I explained this right?

 

[St Allie]

most recipes add water ... were you thinking of fermenting out on just the juice?.. I'd say if you did, the solids will drop out as it ferments anyway..

How much juice have you got?

Allie

 

[Tom]

Even if you were doing a 6 gallon batch and had 6 gallons of blackberry the brix would be to low. So. only way to make it to come to 1.085 is add sugar. Look in the "RECIPE" section here for Blackberry. There you will notice the #'s needed. Water and sugar is needed to bring the gravity to 1.085ish. I have about 45-50#'s of frozen blackberries waiting for yeast!

 

[St Allie]

This has got me thinking though Tom..

a bit like cider where you ferment out the apple juice with no added sugar or water.

If you fermented out on the natural sugars you'd have a low alcohol level with exceptional flavour.

I might do a bit of experimenting on this when the blackberries ripen up, possibly have to add some apple juice to it for volume.. with the aim of adding no water or sugar.

Allie

 

[Tom]

Problem with Balckberry is they are mostly water, little sugar there.

 

[St Allie]

the applejuice would get the final abv up to about 6 or 7 per cent though.

I might do a gallon as an experiment.

Allie

 

[Wine4Me]

So if I understand this right, I treat this just like when you buy juice in a can?? I was wondering because the juice in cans are more watery then this stuff is that I have..
as for how much I have not sure because I juiced it & froze it?? but it will be a SMALL batch!~
and TY for the help~

 

[Sacalait]

When juicing blackberries you're getting the pulp and skins mixed in unless you're using a steam juicer. The juice from a can is likely obtained from a steam juicer which is why it is so clear. Follow the normal recipe for the juice you've got.

 

[Wine4Me]

OK... I know understand!

 

[arcticsid]

I've noticed quite a few recipes since I started making wine and noticed quite a few that use apple or white grape as an addition. I used white grape juice this last summer for my wild rose pedal wine and it worked excellent. So using one of these, plus the addition of sugar may be a way to go with the blackberries, or any other berrie for that matter. Both the w grape and the apple tend to be somewhat of a "neutral" flavor.

 

[mmadmikes1]

my Blackberry went 99 yesterday so I tasted it. Alittle raw but nice anyway. Think I will most of it to my son. He will like it if I back sweaten it

 

[smurfe]

If you masticate (mash) the berries to juice you basically made Jam which is OK. You got the juice and solids. If you steam juice, you get just the juice. One thing I noticed you said, You juiced and then froze them? You can do that but to extract the most juice you should freeze the fruit first for a couple weeks and then juice the berries. After that if you don't use all of the juice, you can freeze the juice again.

 

[smurfe]

my Blackberry went 99 yesterday so I tasted it. Alittle raw but nice anyway. Think I will most of it to my son. He will like it if I back sweaten it

I find blackberry much nicer if sweetened a bit. A light oaking is nice as well. I know a guy who's blackberry wine tastes just like taking a bite of blackberry cobbler. Absolutely fantastic!

 

[Luc]

When juicing blackberries you're getting the pulp and skins mixed in unless you're using a steam juicer.

That is indeed true.

However just ferment it and you will have lees dropping out in no time and the juice will get clear on its own.
Make sure to use plenty pectic enzyme.

When watering down you will loose a lot of sugar and flavor.

However, blackberry might be high in acid. You really ought to test that (even tasting would give you a clue if you do not own a titration kit).
Then you need to water it down to reduce the acid.

Allies suggestion by dilluting it with apple juice would be a good solution.
You could also make banana juice (low in acid high in sugar and nutrients) to dillute it with.

Luc

 

[Tom]

Luc,
Can you add to much Pectic Enzyme? How far above the suggested can you go. Or does it depend on the fruit?

 

[Wine4Me]

I also wondering how much extra Pectic Enzyme to use? A general idea would be good...

I like the idea of adding white grape juice.. I have come here [the kind you just open & drink]

 

[Luc]

It will be very hard to overdo the pectic enzyme.

They just stop working after a while and will settle out as lees. And will not give any off flavors or nasty side effects.

I am talking here about the powdered form as I do NOT have any experience with the fluid version. I do not know what the fluid is made of and if it will impart off-flavors.

Even adding a few teaspoons (4 to 5) to a gallon must will not do any harm. I have experienced that myself.

Jack Keller somewhere wrote that he once added 7 teaspoons pectic enzymes to a gallon without any side effects.

Luc

 

[myakkagldwngr]

I know that the Pectic enzyme helps speed up the settling of the solids and clearing the wine. I did five gallons of blackberries from my yard and am pleased with the results. It cleared in a couple months with no enzyme. I have to say that the acid is high, I haven't tested to see just how high it was in the beginning, I'm still learning, but I know I'm depressed that I only made five gallons. I back sweetened it twiced with canned berries being I didn't have any to save.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Luc.
I was figuring in is a much. Some fruit can us more as they are denser.

 

[Wine4Me]

{I am talking here about the powdered form as I do NOT have any experience with the fluid version. I do not know what the fluid is made of and if it will impart off-flavors.}
Its the powder that I have here...
I think I am ready to try this now... I will now check this site for recipes........
Thanks for all the help!


A different question here now?
Is there a list somewhere what fruits are higher in acid or they all are?
Trying to decide how to word this, to ask on the WEB!!