Making, Blackberry wine.

[derbex]

Picked a few lbs of blackberries yesterday, with a a press-ganged crew of wife & small daughter. Does anyone have a trusty recipe?

I also found a good supply of elderberries -really for next year now though.

Jeremy.

[Bannerdown]

Blackberry Wine.  (At all stages keep this wine out of the light).   
4lbs (no more)!   Sugar 3lbs. 1 lemon.  1 Camden Tablet. Pectin Destroying Enzyme. 1 Gallon Water.  Burgundy or Port Yeast and Yeast Nutrient.

Wash the Blackberries and crush well in a fermenting vessel.  Cover with 6 pints of boiling water.  Leave to cool then add Crushed Camden tablet and  level teaspoon of pectin destroying enzyme.  Leave to steep for 24 hours then bring the remaining 2 pints of water to the boil and dilute the sugar in it.  When cool add to the blackberry pulp and add the yeast, nutrient and juice of the lemon.  Cover the vessel and leave to ferment, stirring twice a day.  Strain off the liquid and transfer to a demijon and close
with a ‘bubbler’.  Rack off when required and  store in a dark place for 6 months.
Easy Peasy.  Cheers, Tony.

[derbex]

Interesting the different recipes that you can find. Why no more than 4lbs? One I have seen has 5-6lbs for a US gallon which is less than ours. Also he steeps for two days and then strains rather than fermenting on the pulp -which I think I'll do.

Any way they're with some water in the cool box waiting for the yeast & suger -which they'll get tonight.

Jeremy

[Bannerdown]

The recipe I use says 'no more or the wine will be too astringent'.  Cheers, Tony.

[derbex]

Ahhh -one of mine says add no acid (that lemon).

The yeast's going strong now -I even used a burgundy one for the first time. I discovered a homebrew shop near Liverpool St.

Guess we'll see what happens come the virtual wine tasting  

[Doris_Pinks]

Virtual?? I thought we were all coming round to yours in about 6 months time!

[Bannerdown]

Virtual or Victual?  I believe I may have said this before, but the officianadoes? say that if the fermentation is too fast and furious (the brew is kept at too high a temp)' the final product will be less than satisfactory.  Cheers, Tony.

[derbex]

Doris -you're welcome -just bring that keg of yours

Banner -yes, I believe real cider/cyder/zoider (who the heck cares after 5pts) types like the fermentation to go on over the winter, with a secondary happening in the spring as the flowers blossom -aaahhhhh- who says romance is dead

When I said strong -I meant it's alive- which was a relief this am. We haven't got the heat on yet so it should proceed at a reasonable rate.

Jeremy

Who'll be playing with his scratter at the weekend!

[Doris_Pinks]

Don't play with it too much, I hear these things can make you blind!  OK i have to ask, what is a scratter??

I have a friend who is 90, and has been making cider for about 70 of those years! He has a barrel of the stuff in his shed for his wake, trouble is he made it when he was in his 70's!!

[derbex]

It's a thing for pulping apples so you can press them. I haven't acually got one (yet -I have plans!) so it'll probably be a bucket and a lump of wood for me. I'm quite likely to biff myself in the eye, and if I don't small daughter has been practising -she got me a good one the other day  

Jeremy.

[Doris_Pinks]

Errrrrr  couldn't you just wizz em in a food processor or Liquidiser?

[derbex]

I've heard they do too much -you don't want puree. Also you'd only get a couple of apples a time in the Magimix.

I had thought of bunging them in the washing machine on the spin cycle with a couple of bricks -but maybe the missus wouldn't be too happy with that one

Besides it's far more satisfying to bash something to a pulp with a big stick. I missed out on a job this week so I'll imagine it's the interviewer in there

Jeremy

[Doris_Pinks]

     How about those shoes you can get to aerate the lawn?!! My youngest wanted to tread my grapes! But knowing her socks take themselves to the laundry basket, I squished them with my hands instead!

[derbex]

Is that what they call an 'interesting nose' to a wine?  

Jeremy

[Doris_Pinks]

Could be!!! I can see Gilly Gould tasting it now! I can taste a hint of grape, some cinnamon, a touch of chocolate, honey, ohhh and a distinct taste of gorganzola!