First blackberry wine

[Gunge]

OMG.

One question though, it really is like arterial blood, will it clear or should I put some more pectolose in it?

One tsp of pectolase per gallon has always done the trick for me. I'm not sure if adding more would work because as I understand it, it's important to add it before or right at the start of fermentation as it loses effectiveness in the presence of alcohol ( like me then lol). I think the appearance you describe is just the yeast and it'll clear fine.

 

[HLA91]

By all means correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm planning on racking it in to a new DJ each week during this 4 week period.
Then add a campden at the end and leave it another few days and bottle it.

Not saying your wrong, each to his/her own, but racking each week seems a tad excessive. Rack when needed, no point racking otherwise. Excessive racking adds to the contamination and oxidisation risk, the latter from excessive splashing, easily mitigated by utilising 'her indoors' as a racking assistant :thumb:.
I would say rack after 4-6 weeks in the DJ depending on how much sediment it throws, then again probably at a guess around 2-3 months for the next one, then possibly one last racking before bottling at 6-9 months if not longer (that way when bottling you can simply stick the racking cane straight down to the bottom of the DJ without worrying about any sediment). I don;t bottle my fruit wines for at least 6 months, I have some still not bottled from 6 years ago (Elderberry/Beetroot & Wheat I believe). The only wines that get bottled that quickly are Juice wines i.e. WOW/Richards Red.

Pectolase will definitely help, should be an almost necessity in fruit wines to aid clearing.

 

[Deltabrew]

I don;t bottle my fruit wines for at least 6 months, I have some still not bottled from 6 years ago (Elderberry/Beetroot & Wheat I believe).

Why is that?

 

[HLA91]

Wines can still throw a sediment even months later. I'd rather it drop out in the DJ where I can see it and do something about it than in the bottle where it can spoil the appearance. Don't be in a rush, chill out and put another gallon (or 5) on the go. If your asking why the ones from 6 years ago then I can't really answer that, I've just never been inclined to bottle them. Elderberry is a long term wine in itself, but I just never fancied bottling it.


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[Deltabrew]

Wines can still throw a sediment even months later. I'd rather it drop out in the DJ where I can see it and do something about it than in the bottle where it can spoil the appearance. Don't be in a rush, chill out and put another gallon (or 5) on the go. If your asking why the ones from 6 years ago then I can't really answer that, I've just never been inclined to bottle them. Elderberry is a long term wine in itself, but I just never fancied bottling it.


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Thanks for the reply, I was wondering if it was a taste thing or not, maybe not!
I did end up with a bit in the bottom of the bottle, but not much and you do get it in commercial wines so it doesn't bother me, well I make cider too so you know where that comes from My worry (as a novice) would be something getting to it not being sealed up tight in a bottle and the space it takes up.

I'm chasing a certain unwanted taste in mine, but really not sure even what to call it, let alone get rid of it. The best I can describe it is 'earthy', like what the seeds would taste like perhaps. I'm wondering if it's because we just threw the whole lot in the bucket and left it to ferment for a week or two instead of filtering out the seeds and pulp nearer the start, or maybe I need to put some grape concentrate or pineapple juice in or something. I'll start another thread for it.

 

[Nicks90]

well i would like my blackberry wine to be bottled for christmas - some people have said its flavour starts to wane after long periods, so i might just leave it for a month and rack as required and hopefully bottle it late nov and try one to see what its like - purely for scientific reasons you understand!!!

anyway, have to shoot off outside and start picking a bucketful of elderberrys that are crying out for sticking in my FV with a bucketful of blackberrys my daughter collected today. hmmm blackberry and elderberry wine!

 

[Gunge]

I've got 9 gallons on the go now, and the first one to come 'on-line' will be in about 5 weeks time - they'll be supped in succession from there on in, never mind all this waiting to mature nonsense. Blackberry and elderberry is good, but there is absolutely none of the latter around here this year. It's tragic.

 

[Nicks90]

Decides to crack a bottle of this open last night.
Bit disappointed. It's not "fizzy", but has a fizzy feel in the mouth
I didn't degass the wine in the DJ before bottling as I had never heard of it before then...but the big question is, what can I do about it now, or is it too late?

 

[2131tom]

I've done quite a few blackberry wines recently and I'd agree with the comment that they can throw quite a bit of sediment after bottling. That's a bit of a nuisance when it comes to drinking, as you have to carefully decant the bottle. Although the taste isn't affected, delaying bottling for a few weeks at least is useful in that respect.

I've always added Pectolase at the beginning of ferment, and de-gas by stirring once but vigorously for 5 minutes, a day or so after adding stabiliser. I then clear a day after that with a proprietary 2-stage fining kit (Kieselsol/Gelatine) and wait 3-4 days before racking off the sediment.

I may have been lucky but all the batches have cleared perfectly except one where I added 'raw' sultanas and the batch turned ropey. I boil dried fruit now when I use it and I haven't had a problem since.

On the 'fizzy' question, what's disappointing you? Is it thin (i.e. lacks body)? Or bite (due to lack of acid?). I've never thought degassing was a significant factor in taste (as it might be in fining) but others might have comments to make. A useful check might be to see whether, if you leave the wine in the glass for a while you see small bubbles forming on the sides of the glass? If you do it would suggest there's excess CO2 left in the wine.

 

[Bigcol49]

Decides to crack a bottle of this open last night.
Bit disappointed. It's not "fizzy", but has a fizzy feel in the mouth
I didn't degass the wine in the DJ before bottling as I had never heard of it before then...but the big question is, what can I do about it now, or is it too late?

Hi!
This works a treat if your wine feels a bit gassy in the mouth.
Pump it, release it; do it 4 or 5 times and the wine's OK.

 

[Nicks90]

Cheers bigcol, going to give one of them a whirl.

Tom, the wine is beautifully clear, fantastic smell and a really good taste. Just the fizzy mouth feel ruins it. Leaving it in the DJ for many months and racking half way through has produced a really good looking wine.