Starting A Vinters Harvest Blackberry

[Waldo]

12/30/05 9PM


Started the Blackberry with the following recipe.


2- 96oz cans Vinters Harvest Blackberries


Ozark Mountain Spring Water to bring liquid in fermenter to 6 gallon


6 Campden Tablets cruished and dissolved


3 tsp. Acid Blend


10 lbs Sugar


6 Tsp Yeat Nutrient


Mixed all the above ingrediants well, Put blackberries in strainer bag.


Made a starter using 1/2 cup spring water warmed to 100 degrees and Lalvin EC 1118 yeast. I let it hydrate for 30 minutes and added 1/2 cup of Blackberrymust and covered it.


12/31/05 3AM Added another 1/2 cup of must to starter


12/31/054 AM Tried out my new Vinoferm Acid test kit and found out I needed some distilled water to dilute my must for proper testing so I just used my acid test strips and had to add another 2-1/2 tsp. Acid Blend ( added in 1/2 Tsp increments) to get acid level to around 3.8. checked SG and it was at 1.082 so I dissolved another 2 lbs sugar and added to must and it checked at 1.090.


12/31/05 2PM Added another 1/2 cup must to starter


12/31/05 4PM Added 5/16 tsp of liquid Pectic Enzyme and stirred must well.


01/01/2006 9AM My first wine of 2006

Checked SG of must at 1.090 and a temp of 72 degrees. Added starter to must. Sang her a little tune and covered her up.


01/01/06 3:30 PM Must have been the right tune or the right yeast. She is going strong right now

Edited by: Waldo

 

[MedPretzel]

yumm!

 

[Angell Wine]

Are you going to add a little oak when you rack to the secondary?

 

[jojo]

sweet!

 

[Waldo]

Thanks All.


Angell, I will be adding 2 ounces of French Oak Medium Toast when the wine goes to the secondary

 

[masta]

Looking good my friend....


I haveall my counter space and then some full of primaries and secondaries here at Valley Brew to start off the year right! Edited by: masta

 

[Waldo]

Going to be a fun year I do believe Masta

 

[Maui Joe]

Nice looking batch of wine Waldo! Keep us posted.

 

[Waldo]

Thanks Maui..Fermentation is still going strong.

Edited by: Waldo

 

[pkcook]

Waldo,


Have you tried oak in other fruit wines? I've been tempted to try it, but couldn't imagine peach or raspberry with oak

. I love a good oaky Cab or Shiraz.


Pat

 

[Harry]

Waldo I have some Apple wood i am going to roast in my oven and try it in a Mustang grape Wine . I have 40 lbs in my freezer, and no carboys

Harry

 

[Waldo]

How long has the wood been drying Harry? I think the proper thing to do here would be to next day air to me them ole Mustang grapes and let that apple wood continue drying until this fall. By that time the new crop will be in, you can gather some carboys and you will be ready to rock n roll. And, abou that time I will be bottling the wine from the grapes you sent me.

 

[Waldo]

I have used oak in my Peach, Muscadine and Muscadine/Concord Grape blend and my BlueberryPat. The Muscadine/Concord blend I left the oak on a little too long but I think it will mellow out over time. If not, I will blend a little more Muscadine wioth it this fall. The others were very good.

Waldo,


Have you tried oak in other fruit wines? I've been tempted to try it, but couldn't imagine peach or raspberry with oak

. I love a good oaky Cab or Shiraz.


Pat

Edited by: Waldo

 

[Waldo]

SG this morning was at 1.058 at a must temp of 74 degrees. Looks like that EC 1118 is going to ferment her pretty quick which is why I used it. I donned a pair of disposable gloves and gave the strainer bag a good squeezing. I want all that good Blackberry flavor outa them berries I can get. The taste of the wine was very fruitybut still too sweet to tell much moreabout it.

 

[pkcook]

Waldo,


You have given me the courage to try some in my next batch of concord. Nothing ventured nothing gained!

 

[Waldo]

I think you will like it phcook..I would recommend taste testing at least every 4-5 daysafter the first two weeks on the oak. Any choice on type of oak made yet? I would recommend the French Medium toast myself.

 

[pkcook]

Waldo,


Thanks for the recommendation. I just popped a cork on a 6 month old Apple that I wasn't too fond of at bottling, but what a difference time has worked on this wine. I think I will try a batch of apple with a little oak on my next batch.


Pat

 

[Waldo]

What variety of Apple was the wine made from Pat?


SG on Blackberry was at 1.046 this morning. I gave it a good stirring and mushed some moree goody from the strainer bag. Will probably be racking this one to carboy about Thursday evening if she continues fermenting at this rate.Edited by: Waldo

 

[pkcook]

Waldo,


This was a bottled juice batch from the Wright-Patterson Commisary

.


Pat

 

[Waldo]

Cool......