Need to use more fruit than most recipes call for...

[theshoeshiner]

Does anyone else find that they need to use more fresh fruit than many recipes call for? When I say *recipes* im referring to sort of generic recipes that you find around the web. For instance many berry recipes that I've looked at call for 15-20 lbs of fresh fruit per 5 gallon batch. I currently I have to make my wine in 1 gallon batches, and I find that need about 8lbs to get a good flavor from a single gallon. Obviously we all have personal preferences, so is this just a personal preference of mine? Or do people commonly find that they need more fruit than generic recipes. I'm wondering if Im just doing something wrong.

For reference - I sort of begin many of my batches with suggestions from the below link, and then I tweak as necessary.
http://eckraus.com/wine-recipes/?_ga=2. ... 1509731330

[Shine0n]

IMHO it completely depends on what flavor you're looking for, strong, med or lite.

it also depends on which fruit you're using, raspberries for instance are a strong flavor that carries over well with less, peaches...not so much. I hope you get the picture I'm trying to paint here.

If you like mead than you can use the honey for the sugar so you don't have to add any, I've tried 30 different meads (melomels) over the last 8 months which are mead with fruit added, I did one using peaches and mango and had to use 15 lbs for a 5 gal batch which I only got 3 out of but the flavors still weren't that strong but good none the less, I'm sipping a glass right now running a batch of rum

You could always (if possible) press the fruit so it doesn't take up all the room you have and use honey to up the abv if it's too low, I like my wines around 10-12% and the melomel around 14 or so.

Try different ways to find what you prefer as my taste and yours will vary on what we like I'm sure.

Experimentation my friend!!!
Shine0n

[Kareltje]

When I made wine I used about 2 kg berries for 5 liters wine, so about 4 lb per gallon.
That is about the same ratio as for making a Geist and not as for making brandy.
But indeed it depends on taste too.

[Pikey]

When I made wine I used about 2 kg berries for 5 liters wine, so about 4 lb per gallon.
That is about the same ratio as for making a Geist and not as for making brandy.
But indeed it depends on taste too.

did your wine taste of the fruit K ?

I have only ever had banana taste "of the fruit" when winemaking - and to do that - I boiled 3lb/gall including skins to a grey mush which I was tempted to just throw away !

My experience leads me to believe that in distil and indeed in Winemaking - if you are getting "good fruit flavours" - Those flavours are added after the ferment (and in our case the "distil" have finished)

I'm really thinking "it can't be done" without "cheating"

[Kareltje]

Well yes, Pikey! I used 2 kg of fruit and 1.5 kg of sugar in 5 liters of wine. So about 4 lbs fruit and 3 lbs sugar in a Imperial gallon of wine.
Of course it all depends on the fruit: I used 5 kg of apples for 5 liters of apple wine.

The whole point is, in my view at least, to get as much taste of the fruit into your drink. (Without eating the fruit, of course!)

We discussed the use of elderberry some time ago. When I made wine I was quite proud of my elderberry wine, that I used to feed and that tasted a bit portish.

I once visited a distillery of eaux de vie in Elzas/Lorraine, but I do not remember if they fermented the fruits with or without added sugar. The eaux de vie are very tasty.
The same about the slivovitz: are they fermented without added sugar (so in fact diluted taste)?

[Tater]

I use 10-15 lbs blueberries 5lbs inverted sugar for a 3 gallon finished wine.Seems to have plenty flavor

[theshoeshiner]

Thanks all! Seems like 4-5 lbs per gallon is about the standard. So either...

1) I'm just expecting (or preferring) wayyyy too much fruitiness, or...
2) I'm not getting all the flavor out of the fruit.

In relation to #2, I'm pressing the fruit, and letting it sit in the primary fermenter for 5 days before removing it. I've never tried fermenting *just* on the juice, but I would expect that to result in slightly less flavor? When I press the juice I only get ~1qt of straight juice from 6-8 lbs of fruit. Which I guess is a lot considering I'm only making a gallon of wine, it just doesnt seem like much because I can sit down and drink a quart of that pressed juice in like 15 minutes (and have )

[raketemensch]

Don’t forget that:

1) a huge chunk of the flavor of fruit comes from the sugar, and
2) your Yeast will be eating it all.

Don’t be afraid to macerate your desired fruit in your products. You want some of the sugars if you want that original flavor.