In August, the blackberries were harvested from the vine in vast quantities- over 10 lbs, and cooked into a tasty stew for a special fermentation fest. Hours of picking, cooking, and filling glass carboys has brought us 10 gallons of wine this year. The work was worth it- as I’m already taking some sample taste of the fruity punch and it’s delicious. A few months of lay down time after bottling will bring out this amazing festive beverage for winter holiday cheer when most needed. The steps to making your own house wine are relatively easy, and with a few store bought ingredients (mostly sugar), you’ll have a delicious drink to share with friends, family, and neighbors.
Getting the berries into the carboy is always a messy task, but the reward is worth every step. Buckets of berries go into this recipe, but you can make your own on a much smaller scale. You’ll need to find a good red wine yeast to put in with your pounds of sugar to make the fermentation happen. Sterilizing everything is also crucial to keep out unwanted molds and bacteria. The actual time fermenting is also short for berries. I’ve had mine in the carboys for just a couple of months. After the first six weeks, I racked the wine- taking out the fruit and adding another round of sugar to make sure the yeast has a good supply of food. It’s also important to keep your fermenting food out of sunlight. I wrap my carboys to keep out the light. You’ll need airlocks to let out the gas that forms as the yeast eats the sugar. Bubbling airlocks are a sure sign your fermentation is active and good.
Bottling also takes some glass and corks- and a corking mechanism. It takes some muscle to get those stoppers into the bottles, but uncorking later in the year will be worth all this effort. Make sure your bottles are also well sterilized before starting the process. After many hours of hard work, this home made wine will last us through the cold months ahead, and make a great holiday gift to all in need of a little cheer. Thanks to better living through chemistry!
EEC Forest Stewardship 