Blackberry and sloe wine recipe

[Johnbeer]

I was fishing down by the river yesterday and the banks were laden with blackberries and sloes. I wasn't getting any bites so my mind wandered to booze:grin:blackberry and sloe wine, if they grow together they must go together.
So how many kilos of fruit do I need for a 5L batch and I was thinking 70% blackberry 30% sloe. But what do others think?

 

[Valerie Malcolm]

I was fishing down by the river yesterday and the banks were laden with blackberries and sloes. I wasn't getting any bites so my mind wandered to booze:grin:blackberry and sloe wine, if they grow together they must go together.
So how many kilos of fruit do I need for a 5L batch and I was thinking 70% blackberry 30% sloe. But what do others think?

I was fishing down by the river yesterday and the banks were laden with blackberries and sloes. I wasn't getting any bites so my mind wandered to booze:grin:blackberry and sloe wine, if they grow together they must go together.
So how many kilos of fruit do I need for a 5L batch and I was thinking 70% blackberry 30% sloe. But what do others think?

That sounds interesting I think I will try that myself

 

[MashBag]

Don't pick the sloes yet. As tempting as they look, they probably aren't fully finished.

Fermented sloe is properly new to me.
I had to look this up.

I would make two wines.. blackberry now, because they are ripe.

November time, when the shoes are ripe make the sloes up.
4lb/1 bag sugat/1 gallon Freeze hard and thaw your sloes, it makes all the difference. Ferment whole fruit.

I try to keep sloes from last year in the freezer to time slip.

Consider elderberries too.

Once both wines are finished, you can then bland them according to taste when you bottle.

 

[Cwrw666]

Ripeness of sloes seems to vary a lot. Where I live there's not a slow left by the end of September.
Basically give them a squeeze. If they're soft and the proper colour then they're ripe.
To get the flavour out freeze them after picking.
Basic recipe I use is 4 lb fruit to be made up to a gallon. So I'd guess for 5 L you'd want 2 kilos. Soak the fruit in boiling water and leave for 5 days. Then strain off the fruit add sugar to give you the OG you want and make sure you've got the right volume. Ferment in a bin for a week and then transfer to a demijohn if you prefer.