Blueberry Maple Wine

Hey guys, wanted to get an opinion on something here. I've calculated a Blueberry wine recipe based off of the following blueberry wine recipe:

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: RC-212
Batch Size (Gallons): 2
Original Gravity: ?
Final Gravity: ?
Boiling Time (Minutes): 5
Color: BLUE
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 Days at room temp
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 Days at room temp

Here is a Recipe for good repeatable blueberry wine,

Per 2 Gallon Batch:

6 qts BlueBerrys (home grown is what I use)
8 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp of yeast nutrient
1 pack of lalvin RC-212 yeast
1 camden tablet
splash of lemon concentrate

Mash blue berrys in wine press or pan. Boil berries in 1 gallon of water for 2-6 minutes. Mix sugar into blueberry liquid. Take small sample off pot and let cool. Add yeast nutrient and yeast. Let the yeast slowly work into the solution. when main batch is down to around 90-80 degrees F add yeast mixture. Crush camden tablet and add to mixture. Put wine in Primary fermenter and stir (or shake) twice daily. Ferment for 14 days in primary then transfer to the secondary. Ferment another 7 days then siphon the wine into bottles and rack. If wine is not clear re-rack wine in 10-15 days.

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Here is my remixed recipe:
Yeast: standard wine yeast should do
Batch Size:2gal
Original Gravity: 1.176
Final Gravity: 1.034
Other Variables currently unkown

6 qts BlueBerries
64oz maple syrup
2 3/4 cup sugar
1-2 tsp nutrient


Pasturize blueberries, if using wild consider placing on campden for 24 hours before use. I use frozen so I will most likely just pastuerize the blueberries.

So what does everyone think? From what I can tell Maple syrup is almost entirely neutral, and I have made the original wine recipe before without ph issues at all so I doubt that will be much of a factor. Just curious really. Thanks for the input. If everyone thinks its worth pursuing I will definately do so and keep you all up to date.

hmm.... I may try this with my blueberry batch I make in August.

My suggestion is use grade B syrup. It has much more flavor.

Does anyone know where you can get raw syrup? Like before they reduce it down?

That is what they call sap. The only way I know to get it is tap it yourself or know someone who does.

phished880 said:

My suggestion is use grade B syrup. It has much more flavor.

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I hear that, but I have no idea where to get it.... Any suggestions?

Do a google search for maple syrup. In Vermont especially there are hundreds of people making syrup commercially. NH and Maine also make a lot of it. It would be very easy to find someone willing to ship it.
Ever need to know ANYTHING about maple syrup... Ask a Vemonter. Its part of the genetic code for Vermonters. Of course I'm an Illinoisian married to a Vemonter.

sashurlow said:

Do a google search for maple syrup. In Vermont especially there are hundreds of people making syrup commercially. NH and Maine also make a lot of it. It would be very easy to find someone willing to ship it.
Ever need to know ANYTHING about maple syrup... Ask a Vemonter. Its part of the genetic code for Vermonters. Of course I'm an Illinoisian married to a Vemonter.

Click to expand...

Lol, got it. Thanks

I'm going to go ahead and try this with Grade A for now, I made an acerglyn with Costco GradeA and it came out very nicely. I'll try and get either a video tutorial or at least a picture rundown of the process.

Grade A isn't going to give you much maple flavor, unless you use it to backsweeten. Me and the old man used to use the stuff that was too dark for us to sell to brew with, and still only got a hint of that maple taste.

See if you can find a place online that will ship you some grade C. I wouldn't be surprised if it came out cheaper than what you pay for fancy at Costco.

edit: HOLY CRAP that's expensive! I just did a quick google. The only commercial i could find is off ebay, and it's $150 for 5 gallons.

PM me and I will see if my old man has a half gallon or so he could send your way for a discount.

Some info on grade c found on some site.

"Grade C Maple Syrup is no longer used by USDA. Grade C Maple Syrup is now designated USDA Grade B Maple Syrup.

Grade B maple syrup is made towards the end of the sugaring season as the weather warms toward spring and the maple trees end their winter dormancy. Grade B maple syrup is much darker in color and has a strong robust flavor which makes it more suitable for flavoring and cooking. It is thought that this late season syrup contains more minerals than the other grades of maple syrup. The Maple Syrup Lemon Cayenne Diet requires Grade B maple syrup because of its mineral content.

There is one grade of maple syrup not commonly known to, or sold to, the retail buying public. Maple syrup Grade C (commercial) is sold only in bulk (40 gallon barrels) to industrial producers of maple flavored products. Any food product claiming to be flavored with real maple syrup, ie: maple flavored bacon, hot and cold maple flavored cereal, imitation “maple” syrup etc., will use commercial grade syrup as an additional additive for flavoring.

Grade C (commercial) is the last syrup made during the sugaring season. It is very dark and may have an off taste, a burnt taste or even be fermented. Although some grade C maple syrup may have a good flavor, it is not to be repackaged in retail containers."

Thanks Phished, good to know. I am starting this brew tonight, blueberries are thawing as I type this. I will be using regular Grade A maple syrup as the primary sugar source. I'm hoping since its the main sugar source for a single gallon I may get a good maple tone. I'll try and take pictures and get the process documented on here. Should it turn out well I'll post it as an official recipe.

Well, I made it but I ran into a snag while making a dandelion wine as well and forgot to photographically document this. I will write up my exact process and gravity for you all though.

Well mothersday is about over now so I will get my steps up here sometime tomorrow. Here is a pic of it in primary. The turd looking thing is a nylon sock with the blueberries in it. The other two images are of the blueberries pasteurizing and the maple syrup in the fermentation bucket.

Jacks Blueberry Maple Wine
Yeast:Red Star Premier Cuvee
Batch: 1gal
OG:1.112

3qts blueberries
32oz Maple syrup
1 3/8 cups sugar
1tsp nutrient

Heat berries in 1/2 gal water to 150F and hold for 10 min, dissolve sugar and syrup in water. Strain berries into nylon sack, place blueberry water in fermentation vessel and add nutrient. Water to 1gal. Place blueberry sack in fermenter, and let cool to 90-95F then pitch yeast. Agitate twice daily for 7 days, let ferment for 14 days then rack off fruit. Continue to rack until clear and bottle.

Aging notes will come later but I assume 6 mo. min. I'll taste and let you know.

*update*

5/13/2011
I smelled a rotten egg (hydrogen sulfide) odor coming out of the air lock. Sanitized new fermentation vessel, moved blueberry sack to new vessel and splash racked wine into clean vessel. Added 1 tsp nutrient and aerated with whisk for 1 min. Smell appears to have diminished.

Will keep you update from here. Planned to rack off blueberries on 5/21/2011