Trader Joe Blackberry Crush wine...

[goodbyebluesky82]

a search turned this old thread up https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/blackberry-crush-into-wine-60992/ so I know I'm not the only one who had stood in the juice aisle of a Trader Joe's and eyed the blackberry crush juice (white grape, apple, blackberry concentrate and puree) and thought of fermenting it.

I was aiming for a light fruity wine that my Arbor Mist loving girlfriend would like but I would enjoy as well. Here's my recipe:


108 oz. Trader Joe's Blackberry Crush Juice (two 64 oz. jugs minus 20 oz. for space)
2 cups sugar (roughly 1 pound)
Lalvin D-47
Boil 2 cups water, add sugar and dissolve. Cool, then add to primary.
Hydrate yeast, pitch.
1.083 SG


This went to about 0.995 in 3 weeks, then I cold crashed and stablized with a campden tablet and 1/4 tsp sorbate, which only makes this wine about 11.5% ABV but it was not dry at all. It was quite pleasant and drinkable right out of the primary. I racked and backsweetened with 1/2 cup sugar (mostly for the mouthfeel) and will be bottling/corking it when I feel like it. I think I found a winner for a super quick easy wine that most swmbos would enjoy.

 

[jamesjensen1068]

Getting a Trader Joe's in Omaha soon. Will have to remember to try this.

Thanks and Cheers

 

[goodbyebluesky82]

Just an update-

This was quite tasty when I sampled it. It had been stabilized, sweetened a bit, and sitting in a gallon jug awaiting bottling for a few weeks. So in all it was ready to be consumed in under 6 weeks total, which seems quite fast.
It's fairly light, kind of like a sme sweet white wine with blackberry flavors and a bit of color. My arbor mist loving girlfriend loved it and said she could "drink a whole bottle of that", and at around 11.5% ABV this could be quite the swmbo slayer. I will be making another batch soon so I can have a good amount of this sitting around.

 

[chilehead]

Glad I found this thread. After enjoying a bottle of the unfermented blackberry crush, I thought I'd love to try fermenting it. Might start this going this weekend.

 

[saramc]

I love that blackberry juice. This is one that I use with my E-Z Caps kit and it gives me a sparkling sweet blackberry wine in less than one week. I think it would be a great country wine, especially if you do not want to mess with blackberries or perhaps cannot find them/afford them. TJ has a peach juice, I think it is called Harvest Peach or something like that, I think it would make a great wine, but it never makes it to fermentation stage since I cannot stop drinking it. Their spiced apple cider is fabulous too.

 

[loubear]

Another HB member (TheHoss77) and I have been brewing some of this and 3 other juices.

We have 6 gallons of the Blackberry Crush bottled

We have 6 gallons of the Kiwi Strawberry getting ready to get bottled

We have 1 gallon of the Cherry mellowing

We have 1 gallon of the Peach mellowing

Depending on the Cherry and Peach, we have 5 gallon carboys waiting on them if we like the taste

TJ discontinued the Kiwi Strawberry so that was a one time deal on that one, and will be coveted for special occasions!!!