23L/5 Gal Blackberry wine recipe

[lsshackleto]

I have about 7 kilos of blackberries in the freezer from last summer and I am looking to make a large'ish 5 gallon/23 litre batch. I have previously made a few 1 gallon batches with fantastic results but I am just a dabbler when it comes to 'from scratch' brews and have no idea on scaling up. Any advice much appreciated.

 

[jthomas]

Hi, 7kg should easily give You 20 litres (23 pushed). You have 2 choices, make a juice/wort from it or do crushed fruit fermentation, but in second option, fruits will take a space in fermentor, so forget about 20/23 litres, results will be more likely 12-14 litres max, but IMHO flavor will be much deeper/intense so I would go for this option. when it comes to yeast I will go for some nice fruity ones from Mangrove Jacks, I reccomend Mangrove Jacks R56 they the best for this fruit, other options are Mangrove Jacks SN9-bayanus strain or VR21 - crevisea strain, both good, bayanus will accept high sugar wort and produce more alcohol if You like strong wines, choice is Yours, now You need tiny bit os gypsum coz blackberries are too sharp around 11-13g acids per litre, which is bit too much so wine will be too sharp, You want 8-9g max, so 1-2g gypsum for every litre of juice or kg of fruits, so You need 7-14g gypsum, then You will ne 3-5 tsp yeast nutrient for total 23 L bucket, remember You will need 10-15 cm space in bucket for foam forming in you go for fruit fermentation or 5-7cm if use just juice, and of course sugar - depends how stron You want it. Also is good to prepare yeast, in cup of water and 1-2tbsp sugar and some juice (optional). I hope it helps, let me know if You have any questions.

 

[jceg316]

Where I am there are a sh*t tun of blackberries so I'm interested in making something alcoholic with them. I have a plan to do a plum and blackberry stout or saison, but we have soooooo many. This is useful information @jthomas thanks!

 

[jthomas]

Your welcome jceg316, I have quite few ideas what You can do with them, wine, mead, saison, porter/stout and You can freeeze pulp/puree and use it in winter, I am sooooooo jealous, I would love to have some, in lidl/aldi 150g cost 2-3 pounds, is sh*t too expensive to make it, for small batch I would need 2-3kg,
Blackberries works good with plum, smoked prunes, cinnamon, vanilla pod (smoked prune + cinnamon + blackberries in RIS would be awesome IMO),
You are lucky guys :)

 

[jthomas]

ohhhh just looked in my notes, another way to correct acidity is either not use gypsum and mix some dry plain banana wine with blackberry wine, or just add very ripe banana puree to fermentation, for 7kg blackberries You looking for about 0.5-0.8kg bananas, cheap, brown very ripe ones, or ..... i just remind myself another option, make banana tea, cook sliced ripe bananas in water, cool down and add to wort and reduce amounts of water, like cook 1-1.3kg bananas (equivalent of 0,5-0,8 fresh flesh) in 2 litres of water for 10 minutes, chill down and use it. It helps much by adding more body to wine :)

 

[jceg316]

Your welcome jceg316, I have quite few ideas what You can do with them, wine, mead, saison, porter/stout and You can freeeze pulp/puree and use it in winter, I am sooooooo jealous, I would love to have some, in lidl/aldi 150g cost 2-3 pounds, is sh*t too expensive to make it, for small batch I would need 2-3kg,
Blackberries works good with plum, smoked prunes, cinnamon, vanilla pod (smoked prune + cinnamon + blackberries in RIS would be awesome IMO),
You are lucky guys :)

I find paying for blackberries a huge con in this country. They grow everywhere. IF you are near a field or forest or anywhere which has some grass there will be brambles growing nearby.

My wife runs a farm where there are tonnes and tonnes of blackberries growing. Gonna be making a lot of jam and chutney too!

 

[lsshackleto]

jthomas - Thanks for the reply. Any chance you could break it down a little bit for this novice - A step by step would be much appreciated (I thought gypsum was used in the manufacture of plasterboard) :-?

 

[jthomas]

jthomas - Thanks for the reply. Any chance you could break it down a little bit for this novice - A step by step would be much appreciated (I thought gypsum was used in the manufacture of plasterboard) :-?

What exactly would You like to know? Making wine from raw fruits?

 

[lsshackleto]

What exactly would You like to know? Making wine from raw fruits?

I very much appreciate your initial reply and I would feel safest going for your second option - the snag is that you don't mention how much boiling water to use nor sugar content and whilst this sounds like very basic stuff I obviously don't have your skill set - and I don't want to waste so much fruit by getting things wrong. If you could help me with the basics at kick off I reckon I could take it from there.

 

[jthomas]

I very much appreciate your initial reply and I would feel safest going for your second option - the snag is that you don't mention how much boiling water to use nor sugar content and whilst this sounds like very basic stuff I obviously don't have your skill set - and I don't want to waste so much fruit by getting things wrong. If you could help me with the basics at kick off I reckon I could take it from there.

No problem.
Here we go. If You have 23/25 litre fermentor and want to do fruit fermentation (is that option did U mean?), You really need to leave a quite a bit of space in Your fermentor, coz on 2nd or 3rd day of fermentation, it will be very vigorous/foamy as hell.

So 6-7kg of blackberries + sugar already make a bit of volume. Now its difficult to tell how much sugar You need to use, coz I have no idea what wine You want to archive, sweet, dry, 10% ABV or 16 % ABV? If I know how much sugar (every 1kg sugar is about 0.6L volume) You want to use, I can tell You how much of water and/or juice to use.

Do You have hydrometer or refractometer to measure sugar content? Or if its Your first wine You just want to try given recipe and see how it goes? Let me know bit more specific, I am happy to help You or advice interesting route to go for.

Let me know mate.

 

[liamf89]

No problem.
Here we go. If You have 23/25 litre fermentor and want to do fruit fermentation (is that option did U mean?), You really need to leave a quite a bit of space in Your fermentor, coz on 2nd or 3rd day of fermentation, it will be very vigorous/foamy as hell.

So 6-7kg of blackberries + sugar already make a bit of volume. Now its difficult to tell how much sugar You need to use, coz I have no idea what wine You want to archive, sweet, dry, 10% ABV or 16 % ABV? If I know how much sugar (every 1kg sugar is about 0.6L volume) You want to use, I can tell You how much of water and/or juice to use.

Do You have hydrometer or refractometer to measure sugar content? Or if its Your first wine You just want to try given recipe and see how it goes? Let me know bit more specific, I am happy to help You or advice interesting route to go for.

Let me know mate.

sorry for jumping in on post
I'm interested in sweet wine about 10% have hydrometer and all that never tried wine yet and want to try one mainly just made beers and couple ciders. Is there any nice mixes with blackberries too

 

[lsshackleto]

Essentially I am trying to mimic my first attempt last year which was just a basic one gallon recipe using 4lbs blackberries, 3lb sugar etc. It came out, much to my amazement, like a deep and juicy shiraz at just over 14%. I have a hydrometer and some gypsum is on its way. I am having a bit of trouble finding the Mangrove Jacks yeasts you mention though so if there is an easy to get alternative then that would be handy. Many thanks again.

 

[jthomas]

sorry for jumping in on post
I'm interested in sweet wine about 10% have hydrometer and all that never tried wine yet and want to try one mainly just made beers and couple ciders. Is there any nice mixes with blackberries too

Hi, basically is same principles like in beer making, to make wine sweet is best IMHO to add non fermentable sugars, like lactose (which i dont really like for milky aftertaste) sucralose or stevia (my favourite) in small quantities, or add stopper to kill all yeast, but IMO stoppers is kind of another chemical and ruins bit a wine flavor.

Mixers? Do You mean other fruits/spices etc? If yes then sour-cherry is great addition to blackberries make really nice wine, other option could be ripe dark grapes, not red one's the black ones with stronger flavor, also vanilla & blackcurrrant make great flavor with blackberries, but blackberries goes covered by stronger currant flavor.

 

[jthomas]

Essentially I am trying to mimic my first attempt last year which was just a basic one gallon recipe using 4lbs blackberries, 3lb sugar etc. It came out, much to my amazement, like a deep and juicy shiraz at just over 14%. I have a hydrometer and some gypsum is on its way. I am having a bit of trouble finding the Mangrove Jacks yeasts you mention though so if there is an easy to get alternative then that would be handy. Many thanks again.

Right Mangrove Jacks You can find easily here >> http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Vintner_s_Harvest_Yeast.html all strains which I mentioned above old name Vinters Harvest

Let me know what cleary what You want me do write for You, is it basic recipe for 5 gal pure blackberry wine or with mix with other fruits, or different quantity? Pls be precise. cheers

 

[liamf89]

Hi, basically is same principles like in beer making, to make wine sweet is best IMHO to add non fermentable sugars, like lactose (which i dont really like for milky aftertaste) sucralose or stevia (my favourite) in small quantities, or add stopper to kill all yeast, but IMO stoppers is kind of another chemical and ruins bit a wine flavor.

Mixers? Do You mean other fruits/spices etc? If yes then sour-cherry is great addition to blackberries make really nice wine, other option could be ripe dark grapes, not red one's the black ones with stronger flavor, also vanilla & blackcurrrant make great flavor with blackberries, but blackberries goes covered by stronger currant flavor.

Yeah meant fruit or spices.. Would you be able write a wee step by step breakdown in how the process goes and what is required to make a 5gal batch if you don't mind or link one please for us to see thanks

 

[BeerCat]

I made a fantastic blackberry melomel last year. for a gallonm i used 500g blackberries and 1.5kg honey and a furtther 500g of berries after about a week.

 

[GDog]

this was what I followed for mine, its lovely. (Brewbitz)

His video's are great, I think he's pissed making them - constantly supping his booze during filming

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArZZLEg6b_g&t=1s[/ame]

 

[lsshackleto]

A basic 5 gallon recipe would be fantastic, Thank you.

 

[Andyh2003]

Watching this thread with interest as I too am looking to make a nice red with blackberries!

Il aim for Apx abv 14%, will use fruit and will follow your advice on the bananas as I'm looking for a nice body...so this could be interesting


What's the idea amount of fruit for 20litres ish.... I can pick loads so I've not got a set amount!

 

[jthomas]

Nice, more interested people :) happy to hear, I am busy at the moment, but I will post tomorrow my recipe for blackberry wine I have made in past. Cheers