Raspberry Wine (2023)

This will be my fifth version of a Raspberry Wine (read about 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th).  This project has been great way to use up my embarrassment of riches produced by my large Raspberry patch each year.  I have been experimenting with different amounts of fruit and sugar (to achieve different ABV) as well as flavoring with spirit soaked oak to get a variety of flavors.  This year, I've decided to try some spices.

I've opted for a Coca Cola like set of spices here with vanilla, citrus, and a combination of coriander and nutmeg.  I aimed for a fairly subtle spicing level here (based on using the same spices in a Flanders Red before).  I'm hoping this melds well with the tart raspberry.

I'm using the most raspberries so far in this batch - 65 lbs.  I'm adding 12 lbs of sugar which should get me something on the order of 12% ABV.  I'm avoiding adding any water to this one to try to get as intense a raspberry flavor as possible.

I will let this ferment for a few weeks and then age in a glass carboy for about a year to mellow.  I'll backsweeten this (and sterilize with campden tablets) to end up with a sweet and still product in the bottle.

Recipe Details:

• 65 lbs Raspberries
• 12 lbs table sugar
• 6 tsp Pectic Enzyme
• 12 Campden Tablets
• 1 pack of Red Star Premier Cuvee
• 1 pack of Safeale S04 (British Ale Yeast)
• Extras:
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 bourbon vanilla bean
• 1 cup of Everclear

Results:

• OG:
• 1.092
• Post Fermentation FG:
• TBD
• Back sweetened FG:
• TBD
• ABV:
• TBD

Brewing Notes:

• 6/10/23 
• Filled two buckets with frozen raspberry which weighed out to be 65 lbs

• Added crushed campden tablets, pectic enzyme, and sugar to the raspberries.  The sugar will act to protect the fruit over night

• 6/11/23 - Rehydrated and pitched the yeast.  The raspberries had liquified and sugar had dissolved but it was still a bit cold
• 6/12/23 - Fermentation was underway by today
• 6/22/23 - Fermentation is still underway and the fruit solids have formed a surface for the wine.   I haven't done anything to mess with the fermentation this time

• 7/2/23 - It looks like active fermentation is complete.  Removed the solids and transferred the wine into a glass carboy.  Added 3 campden tablets during the transfer.

• 7/9/23 - Collected my spices in a mason jar and added Everclear to create a tincture.  Let this sit for a few weeks shaking the mix every few days
• 7/23/23 - Pitched the tincture into the secondary fermenter