Strawberry Wine Recipe Questions

[Chopper]

Regarding the Frozen Strawberry Wine recipe listed on Jack Keller’s web site, I have the following questions, if anybody has the time to answer them. Keep in mind, I’m a beginner, so some of these questions may be stupid.
<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

1. 
   <LI =Msonormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">The recipe calls for 2 tsp citric acid. Could I use acid blend powder instead without sacrificing quality? If so, how much of the powder should I use instead of the 2 tsp citric acid?</LI>

1. 
   <LI =Msonormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">The recipe calls for 1 tsp yeast nutrient. I have something called “Nutrient Powder”. Is this the same as “yeast nutrient”?</LI>

1. 
   <LI =Msonormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">The recipe calls for 3 lbs frozen strawberries per gallon. Could I use 3.5 lbs per gallon instead to give it a stronger strawberry taste?</LI>

1. 
   <LI =Msonormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">The recipe calls for dissolving sugar in water, and bringing it to a boil, and then pouring it in the primary fermenter over the fruit. Is it really necessary to bring the water to boiling temperature? No other recipes I’ve seen in other places call for boiling water.</LI>

1. 
   <LI =Msonormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">The recipe does not call for a campden tablet to be added until racking into secondary fermenter (45 days). All other recipes I’ve seen on other web sites call for the campden tablet to be added on the first day, before the yeast is added. Which is correct?</LI>

Thanks,

Chopper

 

[grapeman]

Regarding the Frozen Strawberry Wine recipe listed on Jack Keller’s web site, I have the following questions, if anybody has the time to answer them. Keep in mind, I’m a beginner, so some of these questions may be stupid.
<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><O>I will give you some general answer's just keep in mind I have never done this particular recipe. Also remember that the recipe's Jack lists are oftern from other winemakers and not him so procedures vary.
</O>

1. 
   <LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in" ="Msonormal">The recipe calls for 2 tsp citric acid. Could I use acid blend powder instead without sacrificing quality? If so, how much of the powder should I use instead of the 2 tsp citric acid?</LI>

<O></O>The blend should be fine to use. I would substitute 1 for 1 as a start. If it tastes to bland after mixing you could add a bit more if needed.

1. 
   <LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in" ="Msonormal">The recipe calls for 1 tsp yeast nutrient. I have something called “Nutrient Powder”. Is this the same as “yeast nutrient”?</LI>

<O>That is likely the same type product with a different name from a different manufacturer.</O>

1. 
   <LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in" ="Msonormal">The recipe calls for 3 lbs frozen strawberries per gallon. Could I use 3.5 lbs per gallon instead to give it a stronger strawberry taste?</LI>

<O>The extra half pound per gallon won't hurt a thing and may give it just a bit more flavor.</O>

1. 
   <LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in" ="Msonormal">The recipe calls for dissolving sugar in water, and bringing it to a boil, and then pouring it in the primary fermenter over the fruit. Is it really necessary to bring the water to boiling temperature? No other recipes I’ve seen in other places call for boiling water.</LI>

<O>They do it that way to help soften the strawberries so they go to work faster. It also kills the wild yeasts and bacteria which brings us to the next question....</O>

1. 
   <LI style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in" ="Msonormal">The recipe does not call for a campden tablet to be added until racking into secondary fermenter (45 days). All other recipes I’ve seen on other web sites call for the campden tablet to be added on the first day, before the yeast is added. Which is correct?</LI>

<O>Since they brought the sugar mixture to a boil and poured over the fruit, they basically pasteurized the must so they didn't feel they needed the campden. If you would rather, dissolve the sugar in water over heat until fully melted, let it cool and pour into the bucket. Put the berries in a strainer bag to keep most of the pulp out and make racking easier later. Add one campden per gallon - wait 24 hours and then pitch the yeast- after following all the rest of the directions.</O>
Thanks,
<O></O>
Chopper

The blue text I added for answering your questions. Remember there isn't a single way to do things. It is all a process and we all do things slightly differently. Keep a journal or recipe log of your batches.

 

[gaudet]

One little thing to consider is adding extra fruit increases your sugar content. So if you are shooting for a certain starting SG then you may need to add less sugar than a recipe suggests if you modify it by adding more fruit.

 

[Wade E]

1 thing I would add is to add the pecic enzyme 12 hours after adding any sulfites (campden) as that will negate some or all of the effect of the enzymes to do their job.Chopper and any other new wine makers, the recipes on Jack's site are really made for a very patient wine maker or someone who like jet fuel! Best recommendation from me is to keep all fruit wines to a beginning SG of 1.090 max.

 

[whino-wino]

I agree with both gaudet and wade. More fruit will add some sugar and Jack Keller's recipes do tend to make wines more closely related to jet fuel. 1.090 is a good ceiling to have, but for fruit wines I think that's even a bit high. Of course it's all in your personal preferences. Maybe you like jet fuel. My experience is that for some reason fruit wines always seem like they have a higher alcohol than they usually do. They are for the most part a bit more harsh than grape wines. For this reason I tend to shoot for a S.G. of 1.080.


Never add all of the sugar at once no matter how reliable the recipe. I usually start with 1/2 of what a recipe calls for and then add more in smaller increments until the desired S.G. is reached. Sugar content in fruits varies greatly and can be affected by anything from the variety of the fruit, what time ofthe seasonit was harvested, or how much rain fell in an particular year. Also, setting your own S.G. to your tastes makes it a bit more "individualized".

 

[grapeman]

Stawberries have approximately 5 grams sugar per 100 grams which is 5% so 3 pounds has .15 pounds sugar and 3.5 pounds has .175 pounds in it or .025 pounds difference or practically negligible. That difference can easily be made up simply by adjusting the amount of initial sugar and hopefully increase flavors.

 

[Wade E]

Good to know Rich! Do you have a list of fruits and their sugars?

 

[grapeman]

I did have the whole list but can't find it this evening. I had written the strawberry down for when I made it. I will see if I can find the whole list. It had most fruits on it that are commonly made.


One thing to keep in mind is that the total sugars does vary somewhat depending on variety and ripeness. The safest way to check the total sugar in the must is to check it with a hydrometer.

 

[whino-wino]

One more word of advice I can offer for strawberry wine is patience.


For some reason strawberry will always throw a little sediment even if it appears crystal clear. First two batches of strawberry I made ended up with gobs of sediment in the bottles a few months after bottling. Once it appears that it is super clear and ready to bottle, I'd leave it in the carboy for at least another 3 months. You'll be surprised how much stuff will collect in the bottom.

 

[Waldo]

Once your wine has completed fermentation and been thoroughly degassed I would highly recommen using some Super kleer on it
http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=6383

 

[dfwwino]

Strawberry is a delicate and subtle flavor and sometimes the nose or flavor can get overcome during the fermentation process. If you wish to restore some of that nose and taste before bottling, you might add a couple of ounces of strawberry flavoring:
http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=3555

 

[Wayne1]

This discussion about sugar in fruit raises a general question I have wondered about - it seems when we mix all the initial ingredients together, some of the sugar will be trapped in the fruit so that when we take a hydrometer reading, it may be reading primarily the added sugar which is dissolved and not account for sugar in the fruit. Then, during fermentation, the sugar in the fruit might be released which would result in more sugar than realized and a higher alcohol content - could this have something to do with why fruit wines seem to have a higher alcohol content than we think? (from Appleman's post - maybe there is not really enough sugar in the fruit to throw the initial hydrometer reading off significantly)


Just reflections from an idle mind.....
Wayne

 

[grapeman]

Some fruits have quite a bit of sugar in them. Apple for instance if pressed to yield juice will result in a SG reading of about 1.040 - 1.060 alone. So if you use a lot of fruit the sugar level could get quite high. That's why I prefer to start with a juice and maybe add just a bit of fruit. Below is a basic chart of average amounts of sugar in different fruits listed from low to high. There is a large spread.




Fruit Sugar Content Acid Content
%of fresh weight %of fresh weight

Lime 1% 5.0%
Avocado 1 0.2
Lemon 2 5.0
Tomato 3 0.5
Cranberry 4 3.0
Red Currant 6 1.8
Grapefruit 6 2.0
Guava 7 0.4
Cantaloupe 7 0.2
Strawberry 7 1.6
Raspberry 7 1.6
Blackberry 8 1.5
Papaya 8 0.1
Apricot 9 1.7
Watermelon 9 0.2
Peach 9 0.4
Black Currant 10 3.2
Pear 10 0.1
Honeydew 10 0.2
Orange 11 1.2
Plum 11 0.6
Blueberry 11 0.3
Gooseberry 11 1.8
Passion Fruit 11 3.0
Prickly Pear 11 0.1
Mango 11 0.5
Pineapple 13 1.1
Pomegranate 13 1.2
Apple 13 0.8
Cherry 14 0.5
Kiwi 14 3.0
Persimmon 14 0.2
Fig 15 0.4
Grape 16 0.2
Banana 17 0.3
Litchi 17 0.3

 

[Wade E]

Thanks Rich, wow, never knew bananas had so much sugar. That would explain why that recipe went nuts and why it works so well to throw a mashed banana on to a fermentation to get it going well.

 

[suprasteve]

just my quick thoughts, I did the same recipe (so it sounds) from Keller's website a few months back, I believe i added a can of welch's white grape and used some brown sugar in the recipe. It isn't done aging yet at 3 monts but it has good flavor and isn't too weak, I believe the brown sugar and white grape juice is meant to impart some more flavor into the finished product. As has been said before, I haven't ever bothered boiling the water first, just threw in some K meta (does the same as campden) about 24 hours before pitching yeast and it turned out fine. It is important to note that to be 'correct' you should most importantly test the SG with a hydrometer and to a lesser extent if you use an acid titration test it will get you closer to what you want in the acid department. That being said, I use a hydrometer every time, but more than once I've gone off Keller's calling for acid addition cause it was easier and everything seemed to turn out alright