Blueberries

Alcoholic beverages which are not classified as spirits.

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Tater
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Blueberries

Post by Tater »

Got around 30 lbs of them any wine recipes anyone's tried and would recommend?
I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
radio11
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Re: Blueberries

Post by radio11 »

Tater,here is one i have used in the past,with blackberries and blueberries.

Blueberry Wine

Ingredients for 6 US Gallons (23 Liters)
Ingredients:

Blueberries - 15 pounds (7 Kilograms)

Sugar - 10 pounds (4.5 Kilograms)

Vintner-s Grape Concentrate - 9 ounces (250 mL)

Muslin Fruit Straining Bag - 1 each

Acid Blend - 2½ teaspoons

Pectic Enzyme - 2½ teaspoons

Yeast Nutrient - 3 teaspoons

Campden Tablets - 3 each

Super-Kleer Finings 2 fluid ounces (60 mL)

Potassium Sorbate 1½ teaspoons

Tannin - 1 teaspoon

Yeast Lalvin EC1118 - 1 package

Step No 1 - Primary Fermentation - Day 1

1. Prepare the blueberries by crushing them, placing inside the nylon straining bag.

2. In a Food Grade plastic fermenter pour in 2 gallons (7.5 Liters) of warm water. Add the blueberries (in the nylon straining bag) to the water. Add the campden tablets. Cover, and leave for 48 hours.

3. After 48 hours add the tannin, acid blend, pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient.

4. Bring the contents of your fermenter to the 6 US gallon (23 Liter) mark using cool water. Stir well. Using your hydrometer and hydrometer test jar check for the desired starting specific gravity (Specific Gravity). ). This reading will determine the potential alcohol of your wine (approx. 10.5-11.5% alc/vol). If mixed properly your Specific Gravity should be between 1.065 and 1.072.

5. Check the temperature of the wine must (mixture) using your floating thermometer. Open the yeast packet and gently sprinkle over the must. The temperature should be as close to 75-80°F (21–24°C) as possible to activate the yeast.

6. Loosely cover the primary fermenter with a plastic lid and place in a warm area (75-80°F/21–24°C) to maintain a constant temperature for the next few days. Fermentation will start within 24–48 hours if the temperature is kept constant.

7. Using a mixing spoon or brewing paddle stir the floating cap of fruit pulp into the fermenting must twice a day during this period. This will ensure maximum fruit extraction.

Step No 2 -Secondary Fermentation - Day 6 - 8

Note: When the Specific Gravity reaches 1.005 - 1.010, usually 6 to 8 days, (it depends on the fermenting temperature; the warmer the temperature the faster the fermentation) it is time to rack (siphon) the wine into the carboy (secondary fermenter). Your must is now referred to as wine because it contains alcohol.

1. Carefully rack the wine into a clean and sanitized carboy (preferably glass) using a proper siphon system, leaving all the fruit pulp behind. Prepare your residual fruit pulp for juice extraction. Sterilize the muslin straining bag with sulphite solution then rinse well. Place the fruit pulp in the muslin bag to squeeze out the excess juice. Add this excess fruit juice to your carboy. Discard the spent fruit pulp.

2. If the wine level is not within 2 inches (5 centimetres) of the top of the carboy neck use some white, rose or red wine (use the same color as your must) to top up the carboy air space. Never use water to top up a fruit wine; it will dilute the body and flavor of your wine. It is important to reduce the amount of air space in the carboy so as to minimize oxidation (a slightly bitter taste caused by prolonged exposure to oxygen).

3. Sterilize your airlock and rubber bung. Fill the airlock with a neutral solution (preferably sulphite) or water and insert the airlock and bung into the carboy neck opening.

4. Leave the carboy at a temperature between 75-80°F (21–24°C) for a further 18-20 days to finish fermentation. After 18 days, check the Specific Gravity. You should get a reading of 1.000 or less. If the Specific Gravity is above 1.000 allow a few more days of fermentation and then check the Specific Gravity again. Bru-Berries fruit wines finish medium-dry. To make a sweet wine add a commercially prepared Wine Sweetener & Conditioner to your wine just prior to bottling.

Step No 3 -Stabilizing & De-gassing - Day 28

Note: To clear your wine faster you should now rack your wine into a sterilized carboy (backup carboys are very helpful for this) before stabilization, leaving the lees (sediment) and any residual fruit pulp behind.

1. Dissolve the Potassium Sorbate into 1 cup (250 mL) of wine. The Sorbate will ensure fermentation ceases. Add this mixture to the carboy and stir vigorously (using the handle end of your mixing spoon) for 2–3 minutes to release any excess CO2 gas. This is very important.

2. Add the Super-Kleer finings. Super-Kleer will help your wine clear faster. Pour the Super-Kleer into the carboy and stir gently, using your spoon handle, for 2–3 minutes to mix the Super-Kleer into the wine.

3. Top up the carboy air space with wine (same procedure as before). Place the wine in a cooler area between 60-68°F (16-20°C) to clear faster. Stir the wine twice a day over the next two days to rid it of any excess carbonation. Always make sure the airlock and bung is secure after stirring and the airlock is full of solution.

Step No 4 - Clearing - Day 30

After 2 days of stirring, leave your wine in a cool area for 5-12 (preferably) days to clear.
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

getting ready to rack for 2nd time.This is dryer then I prefere any suggestions on how to sweetin it up a tad?
I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
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Re: Blueberries

Post by MuleKicker »

If you wish to sweeten a dry wine to taste, you may find the following table helpful.

Type of wine Weight in grams of granulated white sugar, i.e. sucrose, required per bottle Weight in grams of granulated white sugar, i.e. sucrose, required gallon/4.5 litres
Table Wine
Medium dry 3 18
Medium sweet 14 84
Sweet 35 210
Aperitif
Medium dry 7 42
Medium sweet 21 126
Sweet 42 252
Social
Medium dry 11 66
Medium sweet 28 168
Sweet 49 294
Dessert
Medium dry 14 84
Medium sweet 35 210
Sweet 56 336

These figures are a useful guide if you are sweetening a dry wine to taste. However, it is important to remember that they are only a guide, and that as your palate becomes more discriminating you will be able to detect smaller amounts of sugar.

As I've already explained, the unfermentable sugar lactose may be used as a sweetening agent without any risk of refermentation; however, it is only about one-third as sweet as sucrose, so proportionately more needs to be added. Obviously lactose may be added at any stage of production, whereas sucrose must be added when the wine is perfectly clear and stable.

You should add the sugar by dissolving it in a little wine and then stirring this solution into the main bulk of the wine. A totally dry wine may be a little astringent - even dry wines need a little sugar in them!
that table didnt copy too well, here is the site i got it from http://www.home-winemaking.com/winemaking-3.html
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Re: Blueberries

Post by goose eye »

if you aint gonna be sorbatein id be lookin some beadin oil

so im tole
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Re: Blueberries

Post by MuleKicker »

yeah, it says to obviously use the extra sugar after PS. Or yeah, you'd be fermenting again.
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

Tks guys for the info.I got a qt of some good sourwood honey other day as a tip .Wonder how that do .
I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
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Re: Blueberries

Post by goose eye »

think id be putin some in a glass an tryin it first cause it gonna carry a flaver an mite over power your blueberrys. if you lookin just sweet id find me some clover/alfalfa honey it wont come cross near that strong. about like a ole boys round here uses honey instead of suger in everythang. dont take long to learn your druthers an his sweet tea aint one of em.

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Re: Blueberries

Post by Dnderhead »

there are several ways of sweetening.
1) using potassium metabisulphite 1/4 tea to 5 gal. then adding potassium sorbate 1/2 tea to gal.wait until it clears then sweeten.
2) using lactose this sugar does not ferment.
3) adding a small amount of sugar until ferment stops,(above the capacity of yeast)then sweeten (a old way,a bit hard to hit targit)
4) pasteurize by heating 140f (60c) then cool/sweeten (this is hard for the home brewer to do without cooked taste)
5) filtering ending with a .5 micron filter .then sweeten (this can be expensive if doing a small amount)
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Re: Blueberries

Post by scotty »

I prefer the sulfite and sorbate treatment which will stop any further fermentation if you want to back sweeten. I like to use super clear to clarify after giving the Kmeta and sorbate a day to work. After treating with the super clear you will have a beautifull wine in 2 to 3 days. Taste it then add the back sweetning for the whole batch to a portion of the must. pour it into an oversized sanitised carboy and rack rest of the clarified wine into it. The idea is not to have too much more wine because of the added sugar

I use an unscientific back sweetning method. This is something folks have to adjust to thier own taste. I use 4 ouncesof white sugar((measured in a measuring cup)) to each gallon. Others like less or more. Of course the wine must have fermented dry before back sweetning.


A note on blueberrys---they are a bit naturally sweet tasting and you might want to try back sweetning with less to see how you like it.

good luck--
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

Just checked still dryer then I like adding some more sugar
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

That did the trick .I bottled it last weekend .Was well received after dinner by family.I would still call it dry but now has a slight sweet taste. Will be enjoyed I'm sure at next camp-out .Blooms off bushes and berries growing I know where first bunch berries are gonna end up :) Tks to all who replied.
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

Got around 70 -80 lbs of blueberries in freezer.cant decide on making wine or wash.
I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
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Re: Blueberries

Post by MDH »

Do the wild ferment method. Take a few unfrozen berries, put it in a small ziplock and press the air out, when it expands a lot and bubbles move it to a bigger bag of more crushed berries, let that expand a few times, throw the whole thing in the rest of the crushed berries, it'll ferment out easily with lots of good character, distill it twice save 60% as hearts, cut it with some nice spring water leave it for a year. Remember if you do this with added sugar invert the sugar first simple sugars are easy to digest for wild strains
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Re: Blueberries

Post by ga flatwoods »

Tater some of the best wine I ever made was a muscodine (4lbs/gal) blueberry (2lbs/gal). I think it would have made a great brandy.
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

That sounds tasty ga.Wondering how blueberry's and yellow peaches might taste.MDH I invert the sugar most times in all my brews.With that much berries ya only talking around 7 lbs fermentable natural sugars.So if I make a wash outta it id add 13 lbs cain sugar and shoot for around 2 gallons drinkin likker from it. Or around 15 gallons wine. :econfused:
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Re: Blueberries

Post by frozenthunderbolt »

Tater wrote:Wondering how blueberry's and yellow peaches might taste.
Makes a good upsidedown cake/cobbler - i think the key to gitting real strong bluberry flavour is to cook them a bit though - IMHO they are one of the few things that gain rather than loose flavour from cooking.
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

Decided on a 4 gallon wash for 3 gallons of finished wine. used 10 lbs berries that were ran through a food processor and 5 lbs inverted sugar.
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

Berries are still fermenting along was suppose to rack this weekend but am thinking I will let finish fermenting then rack.
I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

It has slowed down to almost nothing .So have racked back with 2 cups sugar .Tasted dry but like berries
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Re: Blueberries

Post by wannab »

Mr. Tater, what did you end up with for your recipe for that great blueberrie wine i tasted this last april 2017? Thanks in advance, T looking to get 100lbs!
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

the 4 gallon above was one you tasted just keep racking and adding back sugar till it quits fermenting . then add sugar to get a sweet as you like
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Re: Blueberries

Post by Tater »

that be 40 gallons water 50 lb sugar and 100 lbs berries . should end up with around 30 gallons.racking every time ya add more sugar till wont ferment anymore.Then sugar to sweetness
I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
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