Recipes

Pleas note pH and acid in berries differ from year to year and different areas of the country so you may need to adjust the acid level with acid blend to raise acid and lower pH or calcium carbonate to lower acid and raise pH. These recipes are meant as a starting point, as with all wine recipes you should use your hydrometer, and pH meter to adjust as needed.

Blackberry Wine (Super Sugar Method)

I’ve been watching online where a guy made some Concord Grape Wine using Welch’s Grape Concentrate with a lot of sugar and a lower alcohol yeast.  I figured I’d try this with some blackberry wine.  What I used:

• 1 1/2 gallon of steamed blackberry juice
• 10 lbs of frozen blackberry (in mesh paint strainer bag)
• 8 lbs sugar (will need additional sugar for later)
• 2 gallons water
• 2.0 grams FT Blanc Soft
• 1/4 tsp K-meta
• 3 tsp pectic enzyme
• 2 tsp DAP Yeast Nutrient
• Fermax Yeast Nutrient (for later)
• 1 tsp Yeast Energizer
• Hungarian Oak Cubes (for later)

And how I did it:

January 21st – Mixed the juice, blackberries, sugar, water, FT Blanc Soft and K-meta.  Allowed to warm to room temp and added pectic enzyme.  After 12 hours added Yeast Nutrient and Yeast Energizer and Lalvin 71B-1122 Yeast.

January 25th – Specific Gravity 1.048 – removed mesh bag with blackberries, squeezed out juice and added 2 tsp Fermax Yeast Nutrient

January 27th – added 4 lbs of sugar and 1 tsp Fermax Yeast Nutrient

January 3oth – Specific Gravity at 1.010 added sugar to 1.032 racked to 6 gal carboy

February 5th Specific Gravity at 1.025 for 3 days – racked to 5 gal carboy added 1/4 tsp K-meta and 10 Hungarian Oak cubes. Clearing nicely.

So far so good, has good flavor, not to sweet and can taste the alcohol.  I plan on using egg whites to reduce the astringent/bitterness normal in Blackberry Wine (or at least mine) and then aging about a year before doing anything else to it.

UPDATE: Didn’t need the egg whites, racked off the oak cubes on the 10th of April and this wine is good already and it’s only a little over 3 month old.

 

 

Elderberry Wine (3 gallon)

This is one of the best to date for me.

6 qt Steamed Elderberry Juice
5 lbs Sugar (Specific Gravity = 1.082)
9 1/2 tsp Acid Blend
1/2 cup Real Lemon Juice
Water to 3 1/2 gallons
1/8 tsp K-meta
3 1/2 tsp Yeast Nutreint
1 3/4 tsp Yeast Energizer
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
Lalvin K1-V1116
American House Toast Oak Chips

Base numbers for this one: pH of 3.45, Acid at 6.75 and S.G. of 1.082. Mix everything together except the last 2 items in primary. Left set for 24 hours and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir twice daily until S.G. of 1.020. Rack to Secondary. Rack again when dry, add 1/8 tsp K-meta and Oak. Rack off Oak at 21 days and age 9 months to a year, adding 1/16 tsp k-meta every 90 days. At 9 months add 1/8 tsp k-meta and sorbate (as directed on bottle) and sweeten to taste. At one year mark test SO2 and pH and adjusted before filtering and bottling.

Full Body Blueberry Wine (3 gallon)

15 pints Steamed Blueberry Juice
1 cup extra light dry malt
Water to 3 1/2 gallons total
3 tsp Pectic Enzyme
Sugar add until = SG 1.085
3 tsp yeast nutrient
1 ½ tsp yeast energizer
20 grams citric acid (can use 4 tsp acid blend)
3 Campden Tablets (1/8 tsp K-meta)

After 24 hrs add Lalvin K1v-1116 Yeast to MUST

At 6 months add 1/8 tsp k-meta and Potassium Sorbate (as directed on bottle) and sweeten to taste.

Niagara Strawberry (3 gallon)

6 Cans Welch’s White Grape Frozen Concentrate
3 Quarts Steamed Strawberry Juice
Water to 3 1/2 Gallons
Sugar add until = @ SG 1.076
19 grams acid blend (4 tsp)
1 ½ tsp peptic enzyme
3 tsp yeast nutrient
1 ½ tsp yeast energizer
¼ tsp wine tannin
3 Campden Tablets (1/8 tsp K-meta)

After 24 hrs Add 1 pack Lalvin K1-V1116 yeast

Starting numbers pH – 3.4 acid 7.0 S.G. 1.076

Can use 2 cans of Bacardi Strawberry Daiquiri Mixer and 1/2 cup of Sugar to flavor and sweeten.

Age

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Lucky Lady Port Style Wine (3 gal)

In Primary add Bentonite per directions to 1 inch of hot tap water and swirl until dissolved. Then add:
1 96 oz can VH Black Current
2 qts Steamed Blackberry Juice
2 qts Steamed Blueberry Juice
1 cup Extra Light Dry Malt
2 tsp Fermax Nutrient
1 1/2 tsp Yeast Energizer
4 tsp Petic Enzyme
1/8 tsp k-meta
1 mashed banana

Add water to 3 gallon mark

Add sugar to Specific Gravity of 1.112 and adjust acid to pH of 3.3 to 3.4

After 24 hours Pitch Lalvin K1-V1116

When S.G. drops to 1.040 add 1 tsp Fermax nutrient

At S.G. of 1.020 add 1 pint Steamed blackberry juice, 1 cup sugar

When S.G. drops back to S.G. of 1.020 add 1 pt Blueberry juice, 2 cups sugar and 1 mashed banana

When S.G. drops back to S.G. of 1.020 add 1 cup sugar and 1 can frozen grape juice concentrate at room temp.

When S.G. stops going down rack to secondary and add sugar to S.G. of 1.040, 1/8 tsp k-meta, 2 750ml bottles Christian Brothers Brandy, and 10 Hungarian oak cubes

In 60 to 90 days rack and top off with 350 ml of brandy.

AGE

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Sweet Niagara Peach (3 gal)

In Primary add 1 tsp Bentonite to 1 inch of hot tap water and swirl until dissolved. Then add:
3 29oz cans Yellow Cling Peach slices in heavy syrup
6 64oz Great Value 100% White Grape Peach Juice
3 tsp Fermax Nutrient
1 1/2 tsp Yeast Energizer
3 tsp Petic Enzyme
1/8 tsp k-meta

* May need to add sugar to adjust Specific Gravity to around 1.080.

After 24 hours add Lalvin K1-v1116 yeast

Rack to Secondary at S.G. of 1.020

After dry add k-meta & sorbate to stabilize then degas and age 90 days

Sweeten to taste. I added 1/8 tsp k-meta, 2 tsp Glycerin, 2 cups sugar, 2 cans frozen White grape concentrate, and 1 tsp citric acid. But then I love my peach wine very sweet just like I like my peaches.

Let clear another month and filter and bottle. Can drink soon after.

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Paps Pear Wine(3 gal)

In Primary add 1 tsp Bentonite to 1 inch of hot tap water and swirl until dissolved. Then add:
2 1/2 gallons steamed pear juice
Sugar water to Specific Gravity of 1.086 and 3 1/4 gallon total
Adjust Acid to 5.5 – 6.0 or pH of 3.5
3 tsp Fermax Nutrient
1 1/2 tsp Yeast Energizer
3 tsp Petic Enzyme
1/8 tsp k-meta

After 24 hours add Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast

Rack to Secondary at S.G. of 1.020

After dry add k-meta & sorbate to stabilize then degas and age 90 days

Sweeten to taste. (This one doesn’t need a lot of sweetness added)

Let clear another month and filter and bottle. Can drink soon after.

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Strawberry Rhubarb (3 gal) Strawbarbie

In Primary add 1 tsp Bentonite to 1 inch of hot tap water and swirl until dissolved. Then add:

• 1.2 g FT Blanc Soft Swril until dissolved
• 1/8 tsp K-meta Swril until dissolved
• 96 oz can of Vintner’s Harvest Strawberry
• 5 lbs 1 inch chunks of frozen rhubarb  (I use a paint straining bag found in most hardware stores to hold fruit making it easier to remove later)
• 3 – 96 oz cans of hot water
• Sugar to Specific Gravity of 1.082
• Calcium Carb to pH of 3.6
• After 12 hours add 2 tsp Pectic Enzyme

After 12 hours add Wine Yeast (I used RBS 133 Dry Wine Yeast)

Cover with lid (do not seal) or towel and stir twice a day for first 3 days

Rack to Secondary at S.G. of 1.030 leaving behind solids, and place under airlock.

After dry, rack, add 1/8 tsp k-meta

Degas

Age 90 days add k-meta & sorbate to stabilize

I used 2 cans of Bacardi Strawberry Daiquiri Mixer to flavor and sweeten to taste.

Can use fining agent at this stage if you are in a hurry.

I filtered and bottled at 6 month.

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