Mosti Mondiale Yea/Nay + Suggestions

[jnmar]

I'm going to start my second kit today, a MM Renaissance Unlimited Edition Merlot (16L).

I can drink good wine anyway it comes however most of my family and friends seem to prefer a sweeter wine over a dry wine. I have 2lb 10oz of frozen homegrown Blackberries that were very nice and intensely flavored when picked and frozen.

I've seen kits and read accounts of folks making and/or adding fruit to kit wine. Is it practical and advisable for me to add these blackberries...If so, how, ie. dump em in at start? cook/not cook, smash and put in mesh bag or cheesecloth?

I didn't really intend to make a port but if I'm adding fruit should I add sugar to raise ABV then add Everclear or Brandy to make a port or just back-sweeten a little to make semi-sweet blend

I really don't want to screw up my kit but I don't mind tweaking it a little for family and friends to enjoy. The main thing is I don't want go against nature to such an extent that I end up with something that only me and the dog will drink.

If you don't mind taking the time to share your experience and advice I would certainly appreciate it.

Thanks, Jerry

 

[Randoneur]

Just adding the berries to the kit won't make it a sweet wine. But it will change the acid level, specific gravity, tannin structure, etc. If you want to make a sweeter wine, you can just do the kit as you normally would then add wine conditioner before you bottle.

 

[fivebk]

There is an orchard breezin kit called Blackberry Merlot

I think I would make the merlot kit just as the directions state. Then I would juice the blackberries and add the juice to the merlot after fermentation is complete but before the clearing step. Just make sure that you stabilize the merlot with K-Meta and Sorbate before adding the blackberry juice. The juice should add some sweetness to the wine that your family members may really like.

BOB

 

[Wade E]

Blackberry Merlot sounds really god but Im not sure 2 lbs 10 ounces is enough to make much a difference. Maybe make split it into a 5 gallon and a 1 gallon batch with the fruit going in the 1 gallon batch.

 

[jnmar]

Thanks everyone! I had intended to ask the question if that amount of berries would make a difference. In splitting 5+1, would I split it before ferment or after and then add the berries to the 1 gal portion? Dang, 1 gallon??? that's only a teaser isn't it. lol

 

[Wade E]

I would split it before ferment and put the berries right in the primary with it otherwise like said above the fruit would be hidden greatly. When making fruit wines we usually use at least 6 lbs per gallon, If I were going to try and make a blend like you are speaking of depending on the fruit Id usually cut that % down by 1/2 or maybe a little more or less depending upon which I wanted to shine through more.

 

[wjdonahue]

I agree with Wade that a smaller batch with the limited amount of fruit that you have might be a pretty good wine. My question is why would you want to alter the higher priced kit to turn it, in fact, into an Orchard Breeze kit? When you buy a kit, it has already been acid base balanced, and adding high acid fruit could really screw up this balance, meaning that you would have to titrate and adjust your total acid as if you were starting with just the grapes and the berries. Since your blend would be highly acid, you would have to either add additional water to lower the acidity, or to get a good chemistry set and lower the acid. Not something that is easily done, even by a very experienced winemaker. And if you go the route of adding water, there goes your flavor and body.
I would save the fruit, and make the kit as it is, otherwise you run the risk of ruining the whole thing. If you want fruit flavor in a kit wine, I would use neutral fruit extracts (available in wine and beer making shops). This is added after stabilization, and doesn't affect the balance of the wine.)
To sligtly sweeten the wine....hmmmmm.....the first thing that I would do, is trade in your wife (laughing.) I would make a simple syrup (2 parts corn sugar to 1 part water) and add a little at a time to back sweeten. When you do this, however make sure that the wine is properly sorbated or you will have exploding bottles.

 

[Jackie]

I would make the kit as it and then try sweetening some bottles for the others. You could make a sweetner either just using a simple syrup or using your blackberries(I've heated crushed blackberries, water and sugar then strained to sweeten blackberry wine--I did let the strained mixture sit awhile in the fridge to be sure there wouldn't be any sediment). I have also used simple syrup to individually sweeten bottles to the otherindividual's taste. You could do a bench test to see which way of sweetening tastes best. If you just do indiv bottles then there's no risk of ruining your kit, you just may lose a bottle or two.


I will say, however, that I have added a very small amount of simple syrup to an entire batch of red wine after it's completed fermentation to bring out fruitiness quickly but not enough to make it really taste sweet.It was a bergamis that I did that to.It turned out well and was a real crowd pleaser esp for those that don't liketotally dry wine. I did 1 litre bench tests on the amount to add and then calculated how much to add to the entire batch. When testing, I always compared the taste to the original unsweetened too. Just start with very small amounts and slowly work up from there.

 

[jnmar]

I want to thank every one of you for your input and advice. It's all very much appreciated.

WJ, I know you were teasing and I certainly take it as such, but since she occasionally reads over my shoulder...well, I'd need to say it even if she didn't. I wouldn't trade my wife for all the wives and wine in the world and I mean that. She willingly helps me, even if it's just cleaning up my messes, it doesn't matter if it's outside on the ranch or inside in her kitchen. She is my partner in everything I do. A talented and busy lady who's never too busy to enthusiastically get involved in whatever crazy things I dream up to get involved in. If she had to tell the truth about it, I'm pretty sure she'd say she personally could care less about the wine making stuff...but you'd never know it from her involvement or when I ask for help. She's never been much of a wine drinker. I do encourage her to try dryer wines and we're making progress in that area but the fact is if she enjoys it sweeter I'll do whatever it takes to see that she has it...she'd never hesitate to do the same for me, regardless of what it is. Again, I know you were teasing and it's so taken.

I understand where each of you are coming from regarding leaving the experiments till later, no doubt that's sound advice which I'll follow for the kits I make in the near future.