The Witches Brew

This is the recipe that I decided to go with...

Summertime Blueberry Wine
Makes 5 gallons (19 L)

15 lbs. (6.8 kg) blueberries
9 lbs. (4 kg) sugar
2.5 tsp. acid blend
2.5 tsp. pectic enzyme
3 tsp. yeast nutrient
0.18 oz. (5 g) potassium metabisulfite
(approximately 150 ppm SO2)
2 tsp. potassium sorbate
1 tsp. tannin
Yeast (Lalvin EC1118 or
Lalvin 71B-1122)

1. Crush the blueberries.
2. Add the water-sugar mixture and enough water to make 5 gallons (19 L). Add potassium metabisulfite. Cover and let sit for two days.
3. Add sugar, if necessary, to reach specific gravity of 1.090.
4. Add the tannin, acid blend, pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient. Stir everything to blend.
5. Maintain a constant fermentation temperature range between 70–75 °F (21–24 °C).
6. Add yeast to the must.
7. Stir the floating cap of fruit pulp into the fermenting must twice a day during fermentation.
8. Fermentation will continue for approximately 14 to 21 days. Take notice if the bubbles in the airlock have gotten very slow — that is a good sign that the fermentation is coming to an end. Use your hydrometer to monitor and make sure that the fermentation has stopped.
9. Use a mesh bag to extract the juice from the blueberries in the must. Rack the remaining juice to a carboy, leaving the sediment (lees) behind. If possible, move the wine to a cooler place, like a basement, to clear. Rack the wine at least two more times before even thinking about bottling it. Add another Campden tablet to the wine after each racking. The wine should age at least three months.

I did up the blueberries to 15 pounds and the sugar to 10 pounds. also added about 1 pound of raisins to help with the viscosity of the wine.

I have never made wine before so I may be wrong, but I dont think you should be stirring it twice a day. Just let it sit and ferment.

paul stated earlier in this thread that I should "punch" down the berries a few times a day for the first week, to make sure the fruit does not dry out on top...stirring does this for me

tonight I will take photo once I open and after I stir and post so you can tell me what you think?

just took another reading with the hydrometer...still where i began...no change whatsoever...I think its timeto get more yeast and prime this time...

Paul would know better than I would bout the stirring. You have NO activity? again out on a limb here hoping someone will chime in, but is the PH to low as to inhibit the yeast? I have seen many a sluggish fermentations. Never nothing at all.

Well, went to walpole wine and spirits today since witches brew isint open tonight. gave me a packet of Lavin EC-1118 and told me to hydrate it in some warm water and pitch in. just finished that...hopefully will take now

well, screwed something up, still no ferment, sg is rising not falling...so I am gonna throw out and start again...oh well

STOP!!!!!! DON"T THROW OUT ANYTHING!!!!! PUT DOWN THE BUCKET AND WALK AWAY FROM THE TRASHCAN!!!!


OK, I hope you got that in time.

Man, I'm sorry, CCR. SWMBO and I were on vacation down to NC last week. I had no reception on my iPhone where we were staying out on the coast, so I was out of touch for the past week. I really hope you didn't toss your wine, I think we can still save it.

What I think happened is that you added too much KMeta and the yeast are having a hard time overcoming it. If you stir the crap out of your must several times a day you will drive off enough of the sulfur that it should kick start eventually. You only wanted to add 1/4 teaspoon at the start, to stun the wild yeasts already on the fruit and let your good yeast get a good head start. You added four times as much as you needed and suppressed everything. The good news is that you suppressed everything that can spoil the goods, so if you haven't thrown it out, DON'T. It won't go bad. Think about it. You've added enough antimicrobial solution that you can't even induce the yeast you want in there to start the party, never mind the stray wild yeast.


Just leave everything alone, keep adding a package of yeast every few days and it will eventually kick off. I know you probably don't want to throw good money after bad but think about what I've just said and decide if it makes sense to you. It sounds to me like th yeast were trying, you had foam. Foam means fermentation. Yes, it is very, very slow fermentation but it is working. The 1118 that the guy in Walpole gave you is great yeast. It has been described on another board as being "able to ferment a dead hooker." If anything will do the job the 1118 will. Yeast is cheap. Spend a few more bucks for a few more packs and see what happens.

Again, I'm wicked sorry I wasn't around to help you out, blame AT&T and their shitty coverage.

PTN

I will give that a shot...Still havent thrown out...should I add something other than yeast? like maybe yeast nutrient? I already strained out the wjole berries and squeezed the bejesus out of them until they had no more liquid in them.

Adding yeast energizer can't hurt. Since you are having a hard time getting it going I'd add it just to give the yeasties every oportunity to do their thing.

(Unless it has already started to work, if it has kicked off then don't do it now. Adding any sort of particulate matter will just form a gazillion nucleation points for the CO2 to coalese on and you will have a wine volcano.)

PTN

well, 2 more packets of yeast, more yeast nutrient, still nadda...time to call it a failure i think...oh well, see what happens in the fall

I am wondering if there is too much aeration with the stirring, ( punching down. ) i remember when we were making wine, the only time you *punched down,*
was during fermentation.. seems you have none yet.. how was your sanitation regimen??? just trying to cover all the bases..