Ulterior Motive Brewing

Beer and men go together.  This is an accepted, immutable fact which cannot be changed without dire threat to life in this universe as we know it.  Since the very balance of our existence hinges on this combination, then it stands to reason that most hobby brewers are men.  This isn’t to say that there aren’t female brewers out there (I’m one of them) but I think we can all agree that garage brewing is a man’s hobby.

Something I see over and over on the boards are chivalrous brewers who selflessly seek to brew up something which appeals to the women in their lives.  (I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here guys, and assuming its chivalry or a noble attempt to care for your woman, not because she’s been scowling over the cost of the new equipment or the smells coming out of the garage).  Don’t get me wrong; I know that there are lots of women out there who like beer and who have refined palates for the ultimate expression of grain, but there are also a lot of women who like things which are a little fruiter, a little sweeter and a little… well, girly-er.

So, whether it’s chivalry or an effort to get the brewing allowance increased, whether it’s to get her to stop glaring at you when you make a mess in the kitchen, or an attempt to include her in your hobby that makes you brew up “something for the ladies” I thought I’d share a recipe with you all.  It’s not too expensive (at this time of year), and I’ve gotten rave reviews on it (from men and women both).  Yeah, it’s kind of a pain in the rear and it takes a while, but isn’t she worth it? Trust me, she’ll like it.  And she may even agree to that stainless steel conical you’ve been drooling over.

The SG on this is going to vary wildly depending on the natural sugars in the berries, but the average ABV on this is going to be around 12%-14% (and I am going to let you in on a little secret here guys, we know why you like to give us alcohol and we’re okay with it).

Sweet Blackberry Wine (1gal)

4 lbs blackberries (slightly overripe is best)
1 Campden tablet (kills off bacteria and wild yeast found on fruits)
1 tsp pectic enzyme (optional) (helps keep down pectin haze)
1 pkg Champagne yeast
1 tsp yeast nutrient (blackberries don’t have sufficient nutrients for a good ferment)
2 lb clover honey
2-3 cups cane sugar (yep, regular table sugar)

Naturally, sanitize anything that’s going to be touching your must.

Wash berries well. Crush them in 2 gal fermenter (2 gal HDPE plastic bucket and cover @ Home Depot is approx $3.00, look in the paint section), add 1 campden tablet, cover and let stand 24 hours, giving fermenter a shake every once and a while.  (This is the sanitizing process for the berries; if you boil them you’re liable to get jelly.)

Pour 2 quarts of boiling water over mixture and let cool then add pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient.

Sprinkle the dry yeast evenly over the top of the must (or you can make a starter with orange juice and a little honey) Airlock it and ferment approx 1 week.

Strain through cheesecloth into secondary (use another air locked bucket unless you have a way to stir a 1 gal glass jug). Mix honey and sugar into juice and add water to top off to one gallon. Ferment till clear.

When clear (2-4 weeks generally) rack over to tertiary (necessary because blackberries are fuzzy). At this time, taste for sweetness only (it won’t be good wine at this point).  Add up to ¾ lb sugar more if necessary (stir gently).

When wine has cleared again (about 2 months), rack off into a glass container being careful not to disturb the sediment, and bottle it up (and yes, it’s okay to use beer bottles and caps.  They work fine and you can store them upright.) Condition a min of 4 months (although 6 is better).