Rick,

I was reading your thread from a year ago on your experience with raspberry
wine. I have a batch going right now. I would like to know how things
turned out for you. Did you get the acid level right?

I did things a little differently than you. I ended up adding 1.5 gallons
of whelche's white grape juice to my black raspberry must. I started with a
TA of 5.5 but since raspberry does not have much TA, most of the acid is
Citric Acid, I don't know how relevant that reading is. I too, tried to use
PH strips but the readings were always inconclusive because the purple juice
on purple strips make it hard to take a reading. I may have to get a PH
meter.

My batch just finished fermentation and now sets at 0.992 SG. It has a nice
raspberry flavor and has a lot of potential. It has a bite that usually is
present with unaged wine. I would really like to know if I will need to
adjust the acid level or not.

My plan is to bulk age for 6 months to a year and then make a sweeter batch
by adding sugar to some and also making a dry batch.

What about oaking? Did you add oak chips? Would you advise oaking
raspberry wine?

Thanks for reading,

Michael

Michael E. Carey wrote:

> Rick,
>
> I was reading your thread from a year ago on your experience with raspberry
> wine. I have a batch going right now. I would like to know how things
> turned out for you. Did you get the acid level right?
>
> I did things a little differently than you. I ended up adding 1.5 gallons
> of whelche's white grape juice to my black raspberry must. I started with a
> TA of 5.5 but since raspberry does not have much TA, most of the acid is
> Citric Acid, I don't know how relevant that reading is. I too, tried to use
> PH strips but the readings were always inconclusive because the purple juice
> on purple strips make it hard to take a reading. I may have to get a PH
> meter.
>
> My batch just finished fermentation and now sets at 0.992 SG. It has a nice
> raspberry flavor and has a lot of potential. It has a bite that usually is
> present with unaged wine. I would really like to know if I will need to
> adjust the acid level or not.
>
> My plan is to bulk age for 6 months to a year and then make a sweeter batch
> by adding sugar to some and also making a dry batch.
>
> What about oaking? Did you add oak chips? Would you advise oaking
> raspberry wine?
>
> Thanks for reading,
>
> Michael
>
>
Be careful about adding sugar to a fermented out wine. Even if it is
clear, the additional sugar may give a few dormant yeast cells just
floating around a reason to live again, and they will definitely have
lots of babies. You will need to add some Potassium Sorbate to the wine,
or use another reliable method of stabilizing the wine, or you will risk
restarting fermentation.

hi, Mike...
to tell you the truth. I've toyed around with it, but so far, it's still in
the carboy, all topped up.
I've bottled a few batches, and that is the next one I plan on tackling.
I've just been lazy...
It didn't ahve a bad flavour, was just a bit flat.
I bought a used ph meter, but now it doesn't work...so I really don't have
much news to give you!
sorry.....
however, you've inspired me to get going on it again and see what I can do
with it!
Someone once told me..Rick, you have a lot of patience to just leave the
wine like that!
But also I have 3 kids, almost all teenagers, a busy life, and need to take
the time to get at it!

The one thing I did do before I sweetened it: added sorbate and sulfite so
the yeast wouldn't renew its fermentation.
Earlier I've added some sweetened reserve raspberry juice...and the
fermentation never restarted because it was stabilized.
also I just recently bought some rasberry syrup (ingredients: juice plus
sugar) that has a very nice flavour - meijers in muskegon michigan,
product of poland... which I will no doubt use in my finishing of it
all.....

I'll let you know what I did....try to do that this coming week!
Thanks.
Rick
> Michael
>
>

hi, Mike...
to tell you the truth. I've toyed around with it, but so far, it's still in
the carboy, all topped up.
I've bottled a few batches, and that is the next one I plan on tackling.
I've just been lazy...
It didn't ahve a bad flavour, was just a bit flat.
I bought a used ph meter, but now it doesn't work...so I really don't have
much news to give you!
sorry.....
however, you've inspired me to get going on it again and see what I can do
with it!
Someone once told me..Rick, you have a lot of patience to just leave the
wine like that!
But also I have 3 kids, almost all teenagers, a busy life, and need to take
the time to get at it!

The one thing I did do before I sweetened it: added sorbate and sulfite so
the yeast wouldn't renew its fermentation.
Earlier I've added some sweetened reserve raspberry juice...and the
fermentation never restarted because it was stabilized.
also I just recently bought some rasberry syrup (ingredients: juice plus
sugar) that has a very nice flavour - meijers in muskegon michigan,
product of poland... which I will no doubt use in my finishing of it
all.....

I'll let you know what I did....try to do that this coming week!
Thanks.
Rick
> Michael
>
>