Oaking a fresh fruit Blackberry ?

[WineBear]

Any one out there ever added oak to a Blackberry. If so, how much and what kind for a 6 gallon batch. Good or Bad idea?

 

[Bert]

I haven't made any Blackberry wine, but have used oak on other fruit wines that came out pretty nice for my taste....I usually use 1.5 to 2 OZ. for a 5 to 6 gal batch and start tasting at 8 weeks to get the taste I like...good luck...Hope this helps

 

[Bert]

I use Med. toast, but that is up to you and your tastein oaking...

 

[WineBear]

Thanks Bert, the wife and I are just kicking around some ideas and thought we'd ask. Again, thanks.

 

[Wade E]

I would bet that Waldo has oaked a Blackberry wine in fact Id bet money on it. Try searching his name and blackberry and you will most likely come up with some results.

 

[Waldo]

For a 6 gallon batch Wine I would get the spirals that George sells http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=82001Cand add both of them. I would leave them in for 3 months and then start tasting. Blackberry loves a French or American Medium toast

 

[smurfe]

Agree with Waldo. I have oaked berry wines. I normally use 1-2 oz of American medium toast as the vanilla characteristics from the American oak really compliments a berry wine, particularly if you back sweeten. The spirals work really well. I would try a couple of them as well.

 

[joeswine]

to each his own as the saying goes,but in my oppion if the wine a true blackberry,it should be very earth already and deep in body/ very fruit forward no other flavors are required,because unto it self it has other flavor charistics which will be brought out in the ageing process,if the fruit is not deep in flavor,especially this berry than rethinking the recipe is required,no oak for me in my fruit wines,at least thats my thoughts///////

 

[summersolstice]

I always oak my blackberry wines. I made a port style blackberry several months ago and fed the fermentation a few times to boost the alcohol and backsweetened when the fermentation finished. I aged it in a Hungarian oak barrel before bottling. It's almost a year old and very tasty!

 

[WineBear]

I think that we'll try the double oaking. Sounds really interesting with the vanilla possabilities. Thanks again Waldo, Smurfe, and Rule G. And Joe, I respect your comments also. Still have some time to think about it, not done picking yet. The way it looks, I'll have enough berries to maybe do both. I just wish I had Waldo's cooker to get the juice out.

 

[Waldo]

I could UPS it to you WineBear and when you get done just ship it back to me

 

[joeswine]

if you make DOUBLE BATCH REMEMBER TO HOLD SOME OUT AND CREATE AND F/PAC TO ADD BACK AFTER FIRST FERMENTATION,GIVES ALL FRUIT WINES A FLAVOR PACKAGE AND A HALF,,,,,,,,REALLY

 

[Waldo]

How do you make your F/Pack joeswine?

 

[joeswine]

usually waldo i make berries like blackberries,take 4 quarts or more ,place them in my large sauce pan and start to reduce them under low heat,add k/met to the batch and bring down to a sauce consistency,still have some pulp mind you either strain then through a fine chefs colander or leave it alone until cooled and add it back to the finished product stir well let set to bottling time,i believe with raspberries ,blackberries and maybe some other fruits that a heavy concentration on fruit flavor not alcohol is the desired finish to the end product,thats why i don,t finish any fruit wine till totally dry i like to stop fermentation when it taste like i want it to,adding the f/pac enhances the flavor and oak or anything else is not required,only fruit water and sugar//////////////////at least thats my way/

 

[Wade E]

What is the procedure you use for stopping a fermentation in progress. Do you add alc. pr over sulfite and sorbate or cold stabilize?

 

[WineBear]

Waldo, very generious but I couldn't. That's way too much trouble for you and the cost of the shipping, I'll just do it the old fashion way. (Make the wife do it) lol

 

[Wade E]

WineBear, you are fresh!