Still another Blackberry Wine question

[misskimmie]

Must be a great year for blackberries. I picked and picked and after making jam and pie I decided to try to make my first batch of wine.
I used proportions from EC Kraus for 5 gallons
20 lbs BB
2 tsp nutrient
3/4 tsp enzyme
2 1/2 Acid Blend
1 pk Monrachet Yeast

I used 7 easy steps to homewinemaking
I DID NOT HAVE A HYDROMETER WHEN I STARTED

Aug 2. Crushed fruit in bucket, added campden (10), then later yeast and 3 cups sugar and the other things. Had good ferment

Aug 12 - racked to 5 gal. carboy. Added 3 cups sugar. Had way too much room in carboy and did not have anything smaller. Based on a winemakers advice I added blueberry juice from the grocery store, and water until level reached the shoulder. Had good ferment. Airlock was chugging.

Aug 13 - got a hydrometer, 1.010

Aug 15 - It slowed down to almost nothing. reading is now 1.000

Smells ok, faint blackberry. tastes a bit tart.

This is all too new to me and I don't know if I should be doing something more or if it's the way it should be.

Thanks for your help.

Kim

 

[Tom]

1st and biggest mistake is NO hydrometer.
Glad you did get one though. But you have no idea of the starting gravity.
Without that we cant really help much. I will say 20# for 5 gallons is low.
3 cups of sugar I think is low as well.
Reason of faint blackberry is low # per gal
It will be tart in the begining
Good start.. can only get better.
Do you have all the chemicals?
I see you didn't add Pectic Enzyme.. May be a little tougher to clear.

 

[WineYooper]

I did 6 gals for my first batch with 24# and found out later it was low. I added the sugar syrup later since I didn't have an f-pack and a year later am drinking this from bottles and find it to be very good and others that have sampled are impressed with it as well. My 1st raspberry is about the same. I have a blackberry batch going again now from 36# and it tastes very good for 5 months old. Even tho it may be low on berries don't despair cause it can still be very good. Hydrometer is a must, glad to see you picked one up. As Tom says it will be very hard to determine what you may end up with for abv. Good luck and ask ? here and you will get help. This site is very good for that.

 

[WineYooper]

I had another thought on this and maybe others can help with this. I have read about chapitalization here (I think that's correct), adding in sugar as the must is fermenting to build alcohol content. I pose the question to senior people, is this an option here with the addition of the hydrometer? Then again maybe this is to far along to add additional sugar. I'll be quiet and go away now.

 

[Tom]

chapitalization is really used to make a "port" type wine
If you want to do that search Parsons Square here.
This would not help this fruit wine.

 

[misskimmie]

Yes, I think I have all the chemicals. I put down "enzyme" in the post, but it is peptic enzyme. So, I still have some more blackberries. Can I make an F-pack and add ?

can I add more sugar now?

thank you

 

[Wade E]

Peptic and pectic are one in the same and Ill never know why they are spelled different. I will say that the amount of fruit is low to some while others prefer a lighter amount so its a personal thing and Ive had a few second run wines (like a Rose) which are wines where the wine is made from using the fruit that has already been pressed once resulting in this lighter wine and they can be very good also so like WineYooper said dont panick as this may very well be your favorite wine. Not knowing what the starting sg was is a problem though and judging by the amount of fruit and sugar added this will be a lower abv wine but adding blindly at this point coul be a mistake. TYou could do as WineYooper suggests and add a little mor sugar to get a little more alc out of this like about 2 lbs of sugar to play it safe or just drink this batch within the first year which if this is your first wine will most likely happen anyway. If you are going to sweeten this wine when its done please add sulfite and sorbate and wait a week to let the additives do their thing and dont add these two until wine is stable for at least 3 days. Welcome to our side of the Net Misskimmie!

 

[misskimmie]

Thank you for your answers to my post. I feel a little better now. I have wanted to make wine for a long time but never jumped in until now. Im already planning my next batch, windfall apple wine.

 

[countrygirl]

Thank you for your answers to my post. I feel a little better now. I have wanted to make wine for a long time but never jumped in until now. Im already planning my next batch, windfall apple wine.

kimmie, welcome! definitely check the recipes and use the search tool.
there are some delicious sounding "spiced apple" wines on here. i plan on it being my next also! keep us updated!