Bramble Wine SG ?

[Ian McDonald]

Hi all,
I've got 14lbs brambles, mashed,to make 5 gallons.
My plan is to leave them for a week before I do anything else.
They are at the moment roughly spread into 3 x 2 gal buckets (the red ones with lids)
Only addition at the moment is 1kilo sugar in each bucket.
I have a 5 gal fermenter, but it only holds 5 gals !
Given that the musts contain a lot of solids, how do I get a specific gravity at the start...Still got to add 2/3 kilos of sugar, plus additives...pectolase, yeast etc.

Ian McDonald

[flash337]

Hi Ian,

I am a newbie on here too, I have made 2 gallons of blackberry wine and they are nearly ready, I used 3-4 lbs of fruit per gallon, I left the mashed blackberries in a 5 gallon bin overnight with boiling water poured over them.
the next day I took off most of the fruit and added it to my big 5 gallon pan, I added water and took the S.G and added sugar slowely until I got the desired SG for 15%

[Ian McDonald]

Flash...and what yeast did you use ?

Ian

[lockwood1956]

Hi all,
I've got 14lbs brambles, mashed,to make 5 gallons.
My plan is to leave them for a week before I do anything else.

Are they sulphited? if not, at present they are open to spoilage organisms

Given that the musts contain a lot of solids, how do I get a specific gravity at the start

It is difficult to get a really accurate reading as there is still sugar contained within the fruit, but if you are measuring must with suspended solids, take away 0.007 from your hydrometer,that will put you in the ball park

I wouldnt make a bramble wine with too high a starting gravity, it will not benefit tyhe finished wine, bramble makes light (ish ) wine that would be better at around 11% alcohol

Regards
Bob

[lockwood1956]

I added water and took the S.G and added sugar slowely until I got the desired SG for 15%

A very warm welcome to both of you

I tend to find that bramble wine is better at or around 11-12% alcohol otherwise the alcohol overpowers the fruit. But each to their own

if you want a heavier wine then might i suggest 2lb brambles and 2lb elderberries per gallon, makes a really full bodied dry red..

regards
Bob

[Ian McDonald]

Thanks, Bob.
I will keep the must for 6/7 days and then filter thru a nylon bag.
Could you give me a target specific gravity at start ? 11/12% seems good.

Ian

[lockwood1956]

Approx 1.080

regards
Bob