Strawberry Wine Questions

[bigcountrybrew]

I just picked 47 lbs of strawberries and I am going to do a 5 gallon batch of wine. I need opinions, as I am trying to decide what to do.
First Question: I am deciding between two recipes. One is from Jack Keller's website and the other one from E.C. Kraus's website. They are as follows:


Jack Keller's Strawberry (2) for one gallon
3 lbs. fresh strawberries
1/2 lb. chopped golden raisins
2-1/2 lbs. light brown sugar
2 tsp. citric acid
1/4 tsp. grape tannin
water to make 1 gallon
wine yeast & nutrient


E.C. Kraus
DESSERT WINE
COUNTRY STRAWBERRY WINE 5 Gallons
25 lbs. Strawberries
¼ Tsp. Sodium Bisulfite
Pectic Enzymes (as directed on package)
5 Tsps. Yeast Nutrient
12 lbs. Sugar (1.100)
1 Pkg. Champaign Yeast

(No Acid Blend or Wine Tannin required)


I am new to making wine so I am not sure how the two recipes would differ. For example, Jack's Recipe calls for raisins, which I know adds body and mouth feel, but E.C. Kraus calls for 10lbs more strawberries, which I assume will add more body as well. Can somebody give me some insight as to the difference between the two? I.e., taste, color, mouth feel, aging.

Also,
I was thinking if I went with the E.C. Kraus recipe, I might do a "second runnings" wine with the pulp from the 25lbs of strawberries to make a lighter table wine. Has anyone had any success doing this? And if you have, what would a recipe look like? I have frozen the strawberries so I could take my time in planning this one out.

Thanks for the responses in advance,
Big Country

 

[Brewkowski]

Well, at first glance i would think that dessert wine is going to be really full flavored, maybe higher ABV, darker color, and maybe less crisp (no added acids or tannins), so it may come off tasting sweeter. No added water in this recipe?

Keller's probably adds both body and acid to make a nice balanced dry wine without a perceived sweetness like the dessert wine.

Not sure about the second runnings, without adding any water you might need all the juice from the fruit to get your 5 gal.

Either way you're at least set with some good fruit to play with, by the way don't take my opinions to heart I'm only on my third batch of wine.

 

[jesse]

looks like the second wine is going to be dryer and thinner. It's a very basic recipe. I think jack's is gonna be a more full bodied and structured wine with raisins and brown sugar and will have a higher final gravity... Maybe balancing out the tartness of the strawberry. I would switch out dried strawberries (If you can find them in a store) for the raisins.

 

[bigcountrybrew]

Thanks you both for your replies. This is the kind of information I was looking for. I am leaning more toward Jack's Recipe. I have enough strawberries I might make both of them.

jesse,
Would dried strawberries help contribute to body, like the raisins do?

Thanks again,
Big Country