Waldo's Blackberry Port

[Waldo]

Last Monday a friend at work asked me if I wanted some frozen Blackberries from last year that they were cleaning out their freezer. I assured him I did and he brought me about 7 lbs Tues. I took them home and put them in my new Steamer Juicer ( still frozen) and put the steam to them.

After about 10 minutes of steaming

I sprinkled 2 cups of sugar over them and continued steaming.The Blackberry Juice began flowing soon after.

Yep, that jug was well cleaned and sanitized before them juices began flowing.


I ended up with just over a half gallon of deep, rich, aromatic Blackberry juice.

The pulp from the steaming was discarded as I wanted to try the juice alone for this batch of Port. I used the same recipe I gave jobe05 for the Blackberry Port he is also making. The Ingrediants being used are:

I let the juice cool until Wednesday evening, checked the SG at 1.060. I added water to bring it to just over 1 gallon and an additional 2-1/4 cups of sugar, well dissolved. This brought the SG up to 1.100 . I then added my Campden, Yeast Nutrient, Malt and yeast energizer and stirred it well. I let it sit overnight, checked my SG again and it was just a tad higher, which was fine. I went ahead let it sit until Thursday evening and then added my Pectic Enzyme. Early Friday morning, I pitched the ole Lalvin KI-V116 yeast to her, I just sprinkled it across the top and did not stir it in. Didn't want to throw my yeastie beasties into instant gorging. As of this morning the fermentation is going strong.

Will keep this post updated as the Port progresses.Edited by: Waldo

 

[Wade E]

Looking good there Waldo. Looks like a big smoothie!

 

[NorthernWinos]

WOW!!!
That looks great....So glad you are having fun with your juicer...fun isn't it???
I will be most interested in the results of the wine/port...if you find it much like the last batch you made....or...if the juicer changed the flavors...will watch this Post...

 

[sangwitch]

Looks great Waldo! I think I need to start mentioning to everyone I know that I make wine... maybe I've got some friends out there with frozen fruit in their freezers just waiting to find a new home. I really like the idea of that steam juicer as well.

 

[pkcook]

Waldo,


You keep showing picture like that and you'll have us all making wine with steam juicers

. Keep us posted on this as a lot of us are on the edge with purchasing this contraption. The must looks so good!

 

[Waldo]

Thanks all..I am equally anxious to see if the steamed juice makes a better/worse wine than convential methods. Or maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe it's the steaming that is supposed to be convential and I have been making all my wines in the unconvential way

Not sure why but the Lalvin KI-V116 sure created a lot more foam than I had anticipated or experienced in the past. At one point it almost raised the lid on my fermenter. Was this because of the use of malt in my must?
Any thoughts, ideas?

 

[pkcook]

Waldo,


What does the malt add to the mix?

 

[Waldo]

I honestly cannot say pkcook what the malt does. When jobe05 started his batch I posed the same question and I think it was masta said hethought it was to add body to the wine. I have emailed jack Keller posing the question to him but have yet to get a response.

 

[jobe05]

Sorry Waldo, I saw your post earlier but couldn't respond right then. I didn't get as much foaming as what you are describing, there was maybe 1/2" on the top, that was caused by the mixing of everything when I first started, after that, during fermentation, I really didn't have that much. The malt in this batch, seems to add body, but also seems to mellow the wine a bit, smoothes it out if you know what I mean. Kinda the buttery taste one gets from Chardonnay, is the Malts equal to this port.


I would be interested in seeing the outcome of the port that you are making with the "steamed" juice, -vs- fresh sqeezed juice. How do you think a steamer would work on peaches? Does the steamer add water to the juice via direct contact (steam) or through condensation? If it does, it doesn't show in your pics. Something tells me I should have gotten a steamer -vs- my press......... sigh..............

 

[Waldo]

Sorry Waldo, I saw your post earlier but couldn't respond right then. I didn't get as much foaming as what you are describing, there was maybe 1/2" on the top, that was caused by the mixing of everything when I first started, after that, during fermentation, I really didn't have that much. The malt in this batch, seems to add body, but also seems to mellow the wine a bit, smoothes it out if you know what I mean. Kinda the buttery taste one gets from Chardonnay, is the Malts equal to this port.


I would be interested in seeing the outcome of the port that you are making with the "steamed" juice, -vs- fresh sqeezed juice. How do you think a steamer would work on peaches? Does the steamer add water to the juice via direct contact (steam) or through condensation? If it does, it doesn't show in your pics. Something tells me I should have gotten a steamer -vs- my press......... sigh..............

From what is did to the apples jobe I think the steamer would do a great job on peaches as well. I think this sucker could get juice from a rock

As for the steamer adding water, i'm sure it adds some but it is very minimal. I ma basing this on the fact that from a cold start, with the fruit loaded it put less than 1/2 tsp of water into the jug before the juice from the apples began flowing.

 

[Waldo]

Racked the Port this morning at an SG of 1.050 and fed it a tad more sugar and yeast nutrient.

Went ahead and took a shot of all my current wines...Bottomwine is a Muscadine that is still fermenting as well as the gallon jug on bar. Under towel is Blueberry Mead, Blackberry, CampbellsEarly Grape and Plum. On counter is a menagarie oftopping up wines as wellas the Port. Tell me my wife is not patient, kind and long suffering

Edited by: Waldo

 

[Wade E]

Is that a high SG for a 1st racking. I thought it was usually done
around 1.030 or1.020. Is this because its a port and you're youre going
to be adding more sugar?

 

[Waldo]

A combination wade. My personal preference is to get my wines into glass as soon as initial agressive fermentation has ended.

 

[peterCooper]

About the only exception to that is if you have some oak or elderflower or other additive that is lost in that first racking. Then you want to time it according to taste.

I agree with you Waldo. Getting the must into glass is a priority. I always feel 'safer' after that. Like I'm in control.