blackberry with wild yeast

[GeneDaniels1963]

Last year I experimented with fermenting muscadines with wild yeast, just a very small test batch. It worked great and had a very pleasant taste. So, since then I have been reading up on wild yeast ferments, and I finally decided I had to try it.

Btw, Jeremy Zimmerman has great info on wild fermentation at the following blog: http://www.jereme-zimmerman.com/news/2016/11/8/wild-yeast-is-your-friend

Anway, I really want to do a muscadine mead, but since that harvest is still 3-4 weeks away I decided to start real simple with a blackberry wine, esp. since I have had a huge berry crop this year.

7 lb of blackberries
28oz sugar
8 cups water
1 tsb yeast energizer

SG 1.090 = potential abv 12-13%

I started it yesterday with about half frozen, half fresh berries. This afternoon I started seeing some signs of fermentation, and it has just a very slight smell of yeast. Can't wait to see how this turns out. I will keep everyone informed.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

It has now been 3 /12 days since I started the blackberry wild ferment. It started at 1.090, now it is at 1.055. The smell is wonderful, and the taste is like a mild fruity beer (I guess?).

All I know is this is off to a great start! I plan to do a raspberry like this and two muscadines, black and bronze.

I am thinking about making a muscadine starter to use in cider as well. Should be easy.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

After a few days in the secondary it is down to 0.994 = 11.8% abv. and looking pretty close to done fermenting. I decided I wanted to take it up a bit, so I just added 4oz granulated sugar, that should give it a potential abv of 14% now.

The wild yeast seem to be doing great!

BtW, during racking a bit just happened to slop over a glass. It was very nice. It was drinkable now. It should be wonderful about CHRISTmas time!

 

[jgmillr1]

That is fortunate the yeast was able to get it to 11.8%. Often the wild yeast strains struggle with higher alcohol levels. Will be interesting to know if it can make it to 14% and if it doesn't make it then a little residual sugar would be good for balance anyway.

The wild yeast strains can offer some nice though more unusual flavors to the wine. On the other hand, they can produce some undesirable aromas as well. It is a bit of Russian roulette. There is a reason why some strains have been selected as preferred wine yeast.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

I really enjoyed the little test I did last year with muscadines and wild yeast. It was very fruity and not the least be sour. So I figured the blackberries would have similar yeast since they are 50ft apart. It seems I was right.

In a few more weeks I will be able to do a wild yeast batch off the muscadines. I plan to make that with honey just like the small test I did last year. It was only a qt jar, but it was yummy!

I might even do something with raspberries while I am waiting. I have a good crop just going in the freezer everyday, and I've always wanted to try a raspberry mead.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

That is fortunate the yeast was able to get it to 11.8%. Often the wild yeast strains struggle with higher alcohol levels. Will be interesting to know if it can make it to 14% and if it doesn't make it then a little residual sugar would be good for balance anyway.

Right now they are churning away at the 4oz of added sugar! I mean really going at it. As for how high their alc tolerance is, I am going to try a different experiment.

I have already started a 1 gal jug of apple cider with the wild yeast from the BB wine. when it finishes to dry, I will remove 1 pint and keep stepping in sugar until it will not take an more. This should tell me the tolerance level of my wild yeast, or at least pretty close.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

I just check my blackberry wine and it has been sitting at 0.989 for 3 days now, between 14-15% abv. I think it is done.

Now I want to stabilize and backsweeten. How long should I want before I do that?

 

[Yooper]

I just check my blackberry wine and it has been sitting at 0.989 for 3 days now, between 14-15% abv. I think it is done.

Now I want to stabilize and backsweeten. How long should I want before I do that?

To stabilize, campden and sorbate are used. The thing is, neither kills yeast and sorbate only inhibits yeast reproduction. So they are used once the wine has been finished for a while, is totally clear, and no longer dropping any lees at all after at least 60 days. So it'll be a while if you want to ensure that fermentation won't restart in the bottle.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

To stabilize, campden and sorbate are used. The thing is, neither kills yeast and sorbate only inhibits yeast reproduction. So they are used once the wine has been finished for a while, is totally clear, and no longer dropping any lees at all after at least 60 days. So it'll be a while if you want to ensure that fermentation won't restart in the bottle.

Should I rack it while I wait, or just leave it in the secondary for the next couple of months?

And thank you, in advance, for taking the time to offer your good advice

 

[Yooper]

Should I rack it while I wait, or just leave it in the secondary for the next couple of months?

And thank you, in advance, for taking the time to offer your good advice

The "standard" is to rack whenever you have lees 1/4" thick or more, or any lees at all after 60 days. So if you have quite a bit of sediment, even if it's not 1/4" thick, but it's slowing down and not dropping much anymore, I'd go ahead and rack it and top up and let it sit.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

Thanks!

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

I stabalized the blackberry wine and back sweetened with some of my blackberry liqueur. I am going to let it sit another few weeks then rack again. I test tasted today before back sweetening, and it was very nice if you like dry wines which I do not, esp. berry wines.