Used a blender... oh no!

[SubVet]

So... last night I mixed everything for some Elderberry Blackberry must.
I used the Vintner's Harvest 96oz can for Elderberry and (from reading suggestions on this site) I used frozen fruit to supplement a 5 gal batch. I pretty much followed the recipe on the can with the exception of the blackberries, and I have not pitched yet because I'm in the waiting period for the PE and Campden Tabs.

I'm freaking out because I blended the blackberries instead of smashing them! I put the blended berries in a nylon bag and they are sitting in the bucket of must right now. I'm worried about the ill effect blending will have on the final product.

Do you guys anticipate a problem with taste? bitterness? tannins? anything?
Do you guys know anything I can do at this point to prevent a problem.

I'm super cheap (thus making my own wine) and would hate to discard the blackberries and buy new ones just to do it "right"; all in an effort to counteract a POTENTIAL problem that my (naive and inexperienced) palate won't even notice...ya know

thanks all

 

[Bergmann]

your (naïve and inexperienced) palate will notice the difference between a wine made with crushed and fractured seed, and one that was made without, but since you already have it soaking in the must some damage may already be done. Bare minimum I would pull the fruit and use fruit that has not had the seeds fractured. I certainly would not continue with the fruit that has been through a blender with the seeds in it.

 

[SubVet]

crud...

I was afraid of that

 

[SubVet]

Bergmann, not that I don't believe you (or value your input)...because I do...but...



Does anyone else have input?

 

[Angelina]

Just my two cents worth. I would pull them. A lot of Fractured seeds are never good thing. JMO I asked a question about seeds on here a few years ago and I think you might get some good insight on the read. Here ya go... just take it with a grain of salt.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f6/toxic-levels-arsenic-found-popular-juice-brands-16531/

 

[SubVet]

Angelina, thank you for that.

I don't care if it kills me, I just don't want it to taste bad...haha

My plan is:
When I get home today the blended berries will have been in the must for about 19 hours. I'll hit up the store on the way home and get new fruit, take the bad stuff out, put the good stuff in, and then post here, lol.

Followup questions:
Should I or should I not get all the fluid out of the bag-o-berries I remove?

Do I need to add more PE or C-tabs or wait a day or whatever after I add the good berries? OR can I just pitch the yeast?

 

[Angelina]

Let the bag drain but don't squeeze it. Again, just my thought.

 

[Angelina]

Someone else may chime in with more experience, but with adding more fruit you will change your SG from the natural sugars in the fruit. If your not to bothered with it then keep going as planned

 

[SubVet]

SG was 1.081 when all was said and done last night.
I think if I swap out the same amount of fruit and maybe add some water I'll be ok in that regard.

I'm thinking of calling my wife and having her take the bag out. If she does that right now time will only be 15 hrs.

 

[Angelina]

Sounds like a good plan!

 

[LeChat]

Maybe a contrarian opinion:

What else is in your must? Are the fruits the most expensive thing?

If yes, I would just ferment as is with minimal contact with the fruit and then let it age a long time.

No sense putting some new fruit in this must, the damage may be done already.

If you are using a wine kit as base, ok, maybe you don't want to spoil this and should pull the fruit.

 

[SubVet]

Vintner's Harvest elderberry wine base - 96 oz
Blackberries - 3.5 lbs
Sugar - 15 cups
Water - to make 5 gal
Tannin - 0.5 tsp
Acid Blend - 2 tsp
Yeast Nut - 4 tsp
Pectic Enzyme - 2.5 tsp
K-Meta - 5 tabs

i'm freakin' out

 

[Angelina]

No need to freak out neighbour! Remove old fruit...add new fruit and keep going. Have a glass of wine and smile I'm betting its gonna be good!

 

[Angelina]

Btw... that looks like a good recipe. Which I also happen to have sitting in my kitchen waiting to be started. Maybe I should get it going. Hmm.

 

[SubVet]

wow, you're right down 81 only about 40 min drive

 

[Angelina]

Just a stone's throw away

 

[Wiz]

At this point I would say you are committed. Just go with what you have and see what you end up with. You have already made the investment in everything.

 

[Bergmann]

Personally I feel leaving the fruit that has been through a blender in would be unwise. Since you have the investment of the elderberry puree why risk a ferment with the blackberries with fractured seeds. Strawberry and blackberry are among the worst for imparting bitterness from seeds. I have seen blackberry seeds left in the gross lees for too long after fermentation all but spoil a wine. Blackberries can be purchased frozen for around 3.50 per pound, and can easily be added to the must in a fruit bag. The longer the exposure and the more aggressive the ferment the more likely the damage. Rather than take a wait and see approach, and hope for a fortunate outcome, I would take measures to minimize the risk. But that's me.

 

[Arne]

Taste it and see how it tastes. Arne.

 

[SubVet]

Arne, I tasted it and the elderberry is so powerful it was all I could identify.
Wiz, thanks for the input.
Bergmann, I wound up taking your advice.

I hit up the store on the way home and blackberries were on sale! so I got 3 lbs.
I also got a new nylon bag from the local brew store because I am paranoid the old one is "contaminated" with evil.
Swapped out the bad berries with the good ones, took a new SG (1.082) and pitched some yeast (Red Star Montrachet E491)
Must is now stowed in a safe place and is at 72*F.

Oh yeah...and my fingers are crossed.