Frozen Mixed Berry Wine (Target Brand)

[smAllGrain]

Anyone made wine with this product?

http://www.target.com/p/market-pantry-mixed-berries-12-oz/-/A-13335550#prodSlot=_1_2

Strawberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Blueberries

Thinking I am going to give this a try as a 1 Gal Batch...

Good Idea? Bad Idea?

 

[fstfrd00]

I haven't but try it out and see.

 

[bernardsmith]

Good idea but don't dilute with water. Either use enough fruit to produce 1 gallon of juice or use something like apple juice to make up for the volume. If you go the apple juice route I would use about 4 or 5 lbs of the mixed berries. I have a batch that I started a couple or three months ago and am planning on bottling in another month or so.
You want to add pectic enzyme to help promote the juice and perhaps some tannin and maybe even some oak... Mixed berry wines can be quite delicious though you may need to back sweeten them to balance their acidity...

 

[pumpkinman2012]

I've used the exact frozen berries to make a quad berry melomel, they work very well. Make sure to use Pectic enzyme, and have some yeast nutrients on hand. I fermented to dry then back sweetened.
You'll really enjoy the wine.

 

[smAllGrain]

Good idea but don't dilute with water. Either use enough fruit to produce 1 gallon of juice or use something like apple juice to make up for the volume. If you go the apple juice route I would use about 4 or 5 lbs of the mixed berries. I have a batch that I started a couple or three months ago and am planning on bottling in another month or so.
You want to add pectic enzyme to help promote the juice and perhaps some tannin and maybe even some oak... Mixed berry wines can be quite delicious though you may need to back sweeten them to balance their acidity...

Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it. Couple of questions if you don't mind....

Why no water?
I have 4#'s of fruit I am going to use
I have Pectic Enzyme, tannin, oak, and yeast nutrient
How much oak for 1 Gal? And when would you add it?

I've used the exact frozen berries to make a quad berry melomel, they work very well. Make sure to use Pectic enzyme, and have some yeast nutrients on hand. I fermented to dry then back sweetened.
You'll really enjoy the wine.

What do you backsweeten with and how?

 

[bernardsmith]

Water dilutes juice. If you would enjoy the flavor of a gallon of the juice as must then no problem... but if you would view that flavor as too watery then the wine won't be any more flavorful... In my opinion you treat all fruits like grapes - and no one - no one dilutes pressed grapes with water to make a wine. There are exceptions - orange wine, cranberry wine - they need some dilution with water to cut their acidity - but fruit wine do not benefit from added water. Wine ain't beer.
To back sweeten, you allow the wine to ferment dry (gravity falls below 1.000) you then allow the wine to age and so rack two or three times over 6 months or more. Then when clear you add K-meta and K-sorbate (in tandem). After the addition of those two chemicals any yeast cells still in the wine will no longer be able to bud (reproduce) and so you can add fermentable sugars to sweeten. The surviving yeast will not be able to ferment that added sugar and all the sugar you add will increase the sweetness and highlight the fruit flavors. You should bench test to determine how much sugar you want to add but you might aim for a gravity of 1.005 or even 1.010.

 

[smAllGrain]

Then when clear you add K-meta and K-sorbate (in tandem)

Does Campden tablets do the same thing?

Also, while I have you attention, how much oak would you suggest for 1 Gal? Also, when and how long is it added?

 

[bernardsmith]

Campden tabs are just prepared quantities of K-meta with added filler.

As for oak, I am not the person to give advice. I really don't oak, but EC Kraus suggests about 1-2 oz of oak per 5 gallons (25 -50 gms /5 gallons (or 5-10 gms /gallon). Soak the chips in water to which you have added 1 Campden tab.
I would add the oak close to bottling, and I would add the chips and taste the wine after three or four days. If the flavor was insufficient taste again the next day or the day after that... In other words, for small volumes of wine oaking takes place in a few days to a week but as I say - I am no expert when it comes to oaking

 

[fuelish]

.... I am no expert when it comes to oaking

No expert here, either, but yeah 1 - 2 oz of chips sounds about right... I've used 1 1/2 oz per 5 gals on occasion, it's noticable, not overbearing. I have 3 gallons of habanero/ginger sitting on a couple oz oak for a couple of months (been bulk aging for almost a year), oak is there, but, heat/spice/sweetness predominate....it's gonna be awesome this coming winter.....so, i guess depends on the recipe/intensity of flavors and one's preference for oak , I'd go light on a lightly flavored mead, for sure....you can always add more

 

[jensmith]

Personally I water down my fruit wines. 100% fruit with no water is not something I like. Using apple juice in place of water would be ok. Apple juice is more like flavored water then juice anyway
With your berry blend I would use 4# per gal. 5-6 if you want it very heavy in flavor. As little as 3# if you like a light wine. Also, less fruit per gal the less it needs to age to be drinkable
This is why making your own wine is so fun. You can make it anyway you like to drink it!! There are sooo many different 'right' ways to make wine.


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