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If you’re interested in making some Blueberry wine to sip on with your classic rock, here’s my recipe and the instructions. It will take about 6 weeks to make 5 gallons but it is well worth it. Most people already know blueberries are packed with antioxidants, and they’re a superfood. I’ll put a list of supplies you’ll need below and they can all be found on Amazon at a decent price, delivered delivered right to your door.
First, for the ingrediants. You can click the links to find them and add them to your cart:
Makes 5 Gallons. Yield is 25 750ML bottles.
13 lbs. Blueberries (lightly crushed) (I buy Walmart’s frozen blueberries and thaw them)
11 lbs. Cane Sugar (table sugar) Walmart
1 tbsp. Yeast Energizer
Pectic Enzyme (as directed on its package)
2 tbsp. Acid Blend
Red Star Montrachet Wine Yeast
10 Camden Tablets (5 before to fermentation, 5 before bottling)
Potassium Sorbate (For bottling)
Sanitizer For cleaning equipment
Now, you’ll need the equipment. I’ve searched for the lowest prices and the minimum of what you’ll need. Some of these items are optional. Don’t buy a kit. I did that and didn’t have everything. It’s cheaper this way.
2 six gallon food grand buckets
Wine siphon. This auto wine siphon will save yo a lot of grief.
Hydrometer Test Kit This kit includeds the test jar.
Airlocks
Brew Bags (Optional but recommended)
Wine Bottles (Optional. You can collect and clean used bottles if you like.)
Corker. You will need a decent one. If you collect bottlers with screw caps, you won’t need it.
Corks. If not using screw caps.
Bottle Washer. This is optional. I use it along with the sanitizer. If you’re going to make a lot of wine, you’ll want it.
OK, glad that’s out of the way. As you can see, there is an investment if you want to do this the right way. The ingrediants listed above will last you a long time. The only thing you will have to replenish for quite some time is the berries and sugar.
A quick word about sanitizing:
The equipment is a one time investment but the blueberries, sugar and other ingredients are not. Be sure and sanitize everything before you use it. You will be putting some money, and work, into making this, as well as time. Nothing worse than nearing the end and ending up with a mold problem. I use the sanitizer above and have had no problems.
Here’s the process.
Thaw and crush the blueberries. DO NOT put them in a blender. Use a potato smasher to break the skins. If you decide to blen them, you will not be able to siphon the wine. I will explain a step for this if you do blend it will create a larger mess. Once the berries are crushed, add them to your 6 gallon bucket.
Fill a large pot half way and dump in a few pounds of sugar. Warm it up stirring frequently until dissolved. Let cool till warm to the touch, add to your bucket repeat but do not pass the 5 gallon mark.
Add the yeast energizer, pectic enzyme, and acid blend. DO NOT add the yeast.
Crush 5 camdon tablets. Put them one in between 2 tablespoons to crush, and add to 1 cup of warm water. Stir to dissolve. Pour into your bucket and give it a good stir.
Cover your bucket. Put a little water in an airlock, and stick it in the cover. Wait 24 hours.
During the 24 hours, the camdon tablets will be killing off any natural yeasts on the fruit.
After 24 hours, place 1 TBS of sugar and one pack of yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Stir and wait about 30 – 45 minutes. The mixture should become creamy. Open your bucket and pour it in. Give a light stir. Replace the lid and airlock.
The next day, open it and give it a good stir, then seal it, put in the airlock. By now it should begin bubbling. Be patient. Give it a stir every couple of days.
After 5 days, test your wine with the hydrometer. You’ll want a reading just above the 1.00 reading near the top. I like mine just into the red band. About 1.02. Too far into the red and it will be sweet, below the 1.00 reading, it will get pretty dry, .990 will be very dry.
Once you get there, it’s time to rack your wine. Clean your extra bucket and siphon with the sanitizer (according to directions) to prepare. Place your wine up on a counter and insert your siphon. Attach the tubing and place it in the bucket below. Give your siphon a few pumps and it will begin to flow. Sediment on the bottom can clog it so be gentle when moving the bucket to the counter so not to stir it up. If it clogs, rinse and start over. If it won’t siphon, see below. The berries may have been crushed to much or put in a blender.
When it is done siphoning, there will be debri in the bottom. Discard this. You always lose a little but we’ll make it back soon.
Cover your bucket and put in the airlock. Clean your equipment and let the wine sit for 5 days.
If Your Siphon Clogs:
I have had this problem when I decide to put the berries in a blender. For this, you’ll need the brew bags in the list above. Place one in the bucket, drape over the site and tighten it up. Now pour the wine into the new bucket, being carful. Once done, put the bucket on the counter next to the sink and slowley lift out the bag, giving it time to drain. When it slows, start squeezing out all the wine and flavoring, then move the bag to the sink. Cover the wine, put the airlock in.
After a few days:
Move your wine to the counter, carefully. Put a clean bucket below. Siphon the wine into the clean bucket.
Crush 5 camden tablets and add to a cup of warm water. Then add 2.5 TSP of Potassium Sorbate to the water and blend it in a blender it up. Pour into the wine. Add water to the 5 gallon mark. Give it a good stir. This will stop the fermentation process, and begin clearing your wine.
Wait 1 week, Siphon the wine into a clean bucket. Cover and replace airlock.
Wait 2 weeks. Siphon into a clean bucket, replace the airlock.
Wait 2 weeks. At this point you should be able to bottle your wine. You can also wait and let it clear even more. Or rack it again into a clean bucket.
My suggestion is to bottle some, and siphon the rest into another clean bucket. Enjoy what you’ve bottled and give the wine more time to clear.
Note:
The brew bags. They are a pain in the neck to clean. You can pour your ingredients into them inside of a bucket to ferment. I don’t think I got as good results so I don’t ferment inside them.
I’ve used them inside a bucket for my first siphon, just to help filter out debris. I’ve also had to pour the wine into them when I put the berries in a blender. It’s all up to you. I do think the extra work results in better flavor.
Also:
If your wine got too dry you can back sweeten it. Mix 3/4 cup water with one cup of sugar. Warm till it turns into a syrup. Stir it well into your wine. Taste. If it’s close, leave it for a few days. Stir again and taste. Repeat till it’s where you want it. 1.02 on the hydrometer is pretty good.
Hope you enjoy the recipe. Pass it around if you like. It’s not a difficult process, and it is rewarding. Careful though, it will have a bit of a kick!
