Terribly confused on pressing fruit

I recently picked up a small, used wine press. I was so eager to use it that I bought 30 lbs of frozen blackberries to press this week. I have been reading over many recipes which seem to glance over pressing the fruit, or contradict each other.

When do I press the fruit?!

From my understanding, grape wines are crushed, then fermented for a variation of days, then pressed.

Are fruit wines pressed before fermentation, or several days after fermentation begins....or both? One source stated it varied on the fruit, just like with white and red grapes. This process I can understand.

So far my plan is to crush the blackberries and seep in water for a day while my Campden tablets take effect, then allow the berries to ferment for about 5 days, then press the berries and allow the fermentation to continue and add sugar to reach the alcohol level I am desiring, and then age. Would this be the correct method?


If this is correct, how do I correctly calculate the alcohol? I think I have figured it out, but want to triple check. Clearly the gravity will be changed with the pressing. Would I add sugar (if needed) after the pressing and add the difference since the beginning of fermentation? At the pressing time would it be
potential sugar + present alcohol = desired alcohol (If I wanted a 15% abv wine- 10 + 5 = 15)

I know that the wine making process itself is not difficult, and I am over thinking things and second guessing myself. I just can't find a fruit wine making resource I can trust (not even Jack Keller!).

Any help is appreciated!

Once a fruit is crushed it releases a natural enzyme the breaks the fruit down. If you look at a bruise on a fruit you can see it in action. If softens the fruit so it can be pressed. The blackberries are soft enough, I don't think you have to worry about it too much. Tannins are added to grape wine by soaking the skins if you like more tannin.

Not sure about the rest of that.

Usually only red-skinned varieties of grapes are crushed and left for a couple of days (up to 7 days). This way you get more tannins and darker colour. You can press them right away, but you'll end up with rosé like wine. White varieties are usually pressed right after crushing.
I would press blackberries without crushing, but your method looks fine. There shouldn't be any trouble.

Sugar is usually added right after the first gravity reading. This way you don't have to calculate to much. Even when crushing you'll have a bit of juice to take the measurement.