Question:
Dick Simpson writes: One last thought in what is in danger of becoming a treatise – don’t ever ferment on the pulp; avoid bitter tastes by soaking the fruit (after keeping it in your freezer for a while) in water for 48 – 72 hours then throwing out the pulp and fermenting the liquid extract.
Does this apply only to blackberry, raspberry etc? My experience with fruit wine is mostly with chokecherry. I have always fermented it on the pulp. My understanding is that the skins contribute desirable tannins, similar to making red wine from grapes. The young chokecherry wines are often harsh, but mellow out with time. Is the bitterness you refer to from the seeds? Again with chokecherries I try not to break the seeds when crushing the fruit. Have others on the group made chokecherry wine using only the liquid extract, minus the pulp? I’d be interested in trying it this Fall if others recommend it. … Phil Loseth
Response:
writes: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Dick Simpson writes: One last thought in what is in danger of becoming a treatise – don’t ever ferment on the pulp; avoid bitter tastes by soaking the fruit (after keeping it in your freezer for a while) in water for 48 – 72 hours then throwing out the pulp and fermenting the liquid extract. Does this apply only to blackberry, raspberry etc? My experience with fruit wine is mostly with chokecherry. I have always fermented it on the pulp. My understanding is that the skins contribute desirable tannins, similar to making red wine from grapes. The young chokecherry wines are often harsh, but mellow out with time. Is the bitterness you refer to from the seeds? Again with chokecherries I try not to break the seeds when crushing the fruit. Have others on the group made chokecherry wine using only the liquid extract, minus the pulp? I’d be interested in trying it this Fall if others recommend it. … Phil Loseth
There are several fruits that are better getting juice and not fermenting on the pulp. Rhubarb is one that come to mind. Any fruit that is high acid or tannin might be a good subject for freezing/juice extraction and not fermenting on the pulp. I did ferment raspberry on the pulp and am not fighting to correct problems from the pulp contact. The other option, as Phil mentioned above, ferment on the pulp but for a shorter period of time to allow color, tannins to be extracted from the skin. BTW-I have a recipe that says chokecherries don’t need to be crushed. This may be due to the seeds. I have never made it (never found a supply of chokecherries), so can’t speak from experience.
Response:
Having picked over 20 lbs of blackberries yesterday, I am starting a 5-gallon batch of wine. I am following a simple recipe that I picked up from the local home-winemaking supply store, and I would like to know if anyone has experience with making wine from this fruit. Personally, I made a 1-gallon batch two years ago following the same recipe and it finished very nicely. The recipe calls for the following: (1-gallon) 4 lb blackberries (fresh or frozen) 7 pts water 2 1/4 lb sugar 1/2 tsp acid blend 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme 1 tsp nutrient 1 campden tablet, crushed 1 pkg wine yeast I have read about adding oak chips for flavor (complexity?) enhancement, and I’m considering breaking the 5-gallon batch into smaller secondary containers to experiment with them individually. Any comments on what I should (or might want to) add are appreciated. Glenn A. Santa Cruz — Glenn A. Santa Cruz ‘Ever wonder what radio stations will say in the next decade when they’re describing their format? Songs from the 80s, 90s, and ??s’
Response:
: Having picked over 20 lbs of blackberries yesterday, I am starting a : 5-gallon batch of wine. I am following a simple recipe that I picked up : from the local home-winemaking supply store, and I would like to know if : anyone has experience with making wine from this fruit. Personally, I made : a 1-gallon batch two years ago following the same recipe and it finished : very nicely. : The recipe calls for the following: (1-gallon) : 4 lb blackberries (fresh or frozen) : 7 pts water : 2 1/4 lb sugar : 1/2 tsp acid blend : 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme : 1 tsp nutrient : 1 campden tablet, crushed : 1 pkg wine yeast : I have read about adding oak chips for flavor (complexity?) enhancement, : and I’m considering breaking the 5-gallon batch into smaller secondary : containers to experiment with them individually. : Any comments on what I should (or might want to) add are appreciated. : Glenn A. Santa Cruz : — : Glenn A. Santa Cruz I wouldn’t use oak chips for a fruit wine, but must admit that if any can handle the oak it would be blackberry. If you do, be sure to wash the chips well in fresh water and rinse a couple of times, then soak them for a few days in a SMALL amount of the wine; this will give you your own oak extract you can add in tentatively small amounts. But BEWARE usually when you think you have the oak JUST right you have already overdone it. Try adding BANANAS for body to any fruit wine, as follows:- Peel 5lb fully ripe bananas and bring to the boil in 1 gallon water; simmer half an hour or so; drain the liquid from the pulp (discard the latter – ugh) and add the liquid to 5 gallons must to be fermented. These proportions can of course be multiplied; the banana liquid will not affect the taste of your wine but will improve the body. Also – why not sparkle some of your blackberry? A wonderful social tipple. Blackberry also blends magnificently with many other fruits such as raspberry; this is best done by blending them before fermentation. One last thought in what is in danger of becoming a treatise – don’t ever ferment on the pulp; avoid bitter tastes by soaking the fruit (after keeping it in your freezer for a while) in water for 48 – 72 hours then throwing out the pulp and fermenting the liquid extract. Good luck! : ‘Ever wonder what radio stations will say in the next decade when they’re : describing their format? Songs from the 80s, 90s, and ??s’ — Dick Simpson | Tel. – (604) 263-1301 | "eschew obfuscation"
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