How to Make Blackberry Wine

If you've got a good source on blackberries, try your hand at making some wine.

Things You'll Need

• Campden Tablets For Winemaking
• Fermentation Locks
• Grape Crushers
• Pectic Enzyme For Winemaking
• Hydrometer And Testing Jar
• Siphon Hoses
• Wine Yeast And Yeast Nutrients
• Glass Gallon Jugs Or Barrels
• Plastic Bucket

Instructions

1. Crush 4 lb. fruit into plastic buckets.

2. Add 1 crushed campden tablet, 1 tsp. pectic enzyme and 1 gal. water.

3. Mix thoroughly and let sit for 24 hours.

4. Add about 2 lbs. sugar to bring Brix up to 20 to 21 degrees F. (See "How to Monitor the Brix of Fermenting Wine Must," in the Related eHows section, for instructions.)

5. Add 1 tsp. yeast food. Mix thoroughly.

6. Rehydrate 1 packet of yeast in warm water, and let sit for 10 minutes before adding to juice.

7. Transfer juice to glass jugs. Fill two-thirds full.

8. Attach a fermentation lock.

9. When sediment settles, after about 5 to 6 days, rack, or siphon off the sediment from the clear wine, into glass jugs. Fill jugs completely. (See "How to Rack Wine" for details.)

10. Rack whenever sediment accumulates. You may need to rack three to four times.

11. Rack one more time after juice stops bubbling. Add 1 crushed campden tablet during last racking.

12. Let sit for three to four months until wine is clear.

13. Bottle. (See "How to Bottle Wine" for more.)

14. Bottle-age if needed.