Newest Threads

sam-brewb · 09-20-2012, 09:22 PM

I'm a brewer that will try about anything. So when I saw my girlfriends family throwing away homemade blackberry jam (that there was nothing wrong with it, wasteful people) I saw opportunity. So I strained the seeds and skins as best I could, but I found out it was thickened with tapioca. It's dissolved in the juice and has gave it a very full body mouth feel. Any way that I could get the tapioca out, or should I just try to ferment it and see what happens?

***Yooper*** · 09-21-2012, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam-brewb

I'm a brewer that will try about anything. So when I saw my girlfriends family throwing away homemade blackberry jam (that there was nothing wrong with it, wasteful people) I saw opportunity. So I strained the seeds and skins as best I could, but I found out it was thickened with tapioca. It's dissolved in the juice and has gave it a very full body mouth feel. Any way that I could get the tapioca out, or should I just try to ferment it and see what happens?

I have no idea!

But I fermented cranberry sauce (you know, the Thanksgiving "whole cranberry sauce with whole cranberries" from Ocean Spray) because it was a HUGE tub at the Dollar Store. That 3 pound tub made 3 gallons of cranberry wine.

We drank a bottle of it last week, after about 3 years in the bottle, and it was really excellent!

So, I'd definitely try it, even though I haven't before. I saw a recipe (I think on Jack Keller's website) for jam wines. I'd definitely give it ago. I'll look for the recipe.

Either the tapioca will settle out or it won't- but either way I think it's worth a shot.

***Yooper*** · 09-21-2012, 01:35 AM

Recipes I found:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request232.asp

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request231.asp

oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer · 09-22-2012, 02:42 AM

I think it must be heavy enough to settle out and may work as a clearing agent. If not it won't taste bad with the berry flavor anyhow. The price seems right for an in expensive test. Keep us posted. Mike

sam-brewb · 09-22-2012, 01:40 PM

My girlfriend's boss who owns a small restaurant, said to boil it and add some sugar. He said that should break down the tapioca. I don't know if I agree with that, but I guess I'm gonna give it a try.

saramc · 09-22-2012, 05:16 PM

Well, if boiling the jam + sugar does not break down the tapioca pearls, assuming talking about tapioca pearls, you may be able to strain the solids out of the liquified jam. Just be sure to go heavy on the pectic enzyme when making your wine because the pectin will definitely be set with the heat treatment. I once forgot I had tapioca pearls on the stove, for Bubble Tea, and when I remembered there were no pearls to be found, just glop of starch. Please let us know if the tapioca did in fact dissolve and how they impacted the wine. Think I will go make some chocolate tapioca now.