Hi there, I have around 10KG's of blackcurrants that I want to brew up with, but I have a questions I hope someone can help me with. I've brewed with success in the past with the wine kit cans, but never with pure fruit. My questions are as follows:
many thanks
- I'm going to put the currants into a bucket with some boiling water and pectonase to break it down, once it cools. In order to get the maximum juice out of the berries, i was going to run a hand blender through them, but I am concerned that it will be difficult to clear the the wine at the end. Am I better to mash the berries with a potato masher then put them through a muslin strainer, or is using a blender ok? Or should I add the water, fruit, pectonase, leave for a while and gently squeeze the currants so there is not too much sediment or fruit matter in the must?
- Blackcurrants in Scotland are quite bitter, and acidic. Some recipes call for adding extra lemon juice. Will this have an effect on the fermentation? I intend to use just over a kilo of sugar per imperial gallon. I have a hydrometer and have seen posts on here with instructions for use, which i will look at later on.
- Various recipes call for varying amounts of fruit by weight. Does it matter if I put extra fruit in - will this improve the taste or will it have a detrimental effect on the fermentation process?
- Any hints or tips for making wine with this kind of fresh fruit? i will be using a nutrient and a general purpose yeast from my local brewstore.
many thanks