Production of blueberry wine

Fruit wine is a kind of low alcohol drink with 7% - 18% alcohol concentration. Fruit wines are fermented alcoholic beverages made of fruits other than grapes; they may also have additional flavors taken from other fruits, flowers, and herbs. Fruit wines can be still or sparkling.

Blueberry wine is a berry fruit wine that has dark red color, pleasant blueberry aroma, and may have a multitude of health benefits.

The later the blueberry is harvested, the higher the sugar concentration mainly in the form of fructose and glucose, which could reach up to about 13%.

The main steps of the blueberry fruit wine technology include the following: fresh or frozen fruit reception; fruit must extraction and preparation by crushing, pressing, clarifying, and amending; fruit must fermentation; conditioning and conservation; and aging.

During wine processing, the fruits are pressed to release the sweet juice used for fermentation along with their skins and seeds. Like red grapes, anthocyanins of blueberries are present mainly in the skins, while tannins and phenolic acids predominate in the seeds. During fermentation process, these compounds are transferred to wine and contribute to the color, mouthfeel, and antioxidant properties of the wine.

Alcoholic fermentation is the important step in providing best quality wine. Several researchers have reported that many factors, including fermentation temperature, pH, inoculums size, sugar concentration, type of fermentation can significantly influence the ethanol content of fruit wine.

Blueberry wines should be aged in a cellar at least six months and consumed within three or four years.

Blueberry wine is a unique product. Blueberries are sweet and tart at the same time, yielding a range of taste components that lend themselves to the production of a complex wine.
Production of blueberry wine

Strawberry wine

Remove the stems and leaves and cut the strawberries into pieces. Strawberries are very fruity and acidic, so water and sugar are added to the berry pulp prior to fermentation to reduce the acidity to about 0.8% and increase the sweetness.

Dissolve the yeast in 100°F water (use 1 gram of yeast for every 1 gallon of liquid), and add it to the fruit-sugar-water mixture. Add the yeast to the mixture within thirty minutes of dissolving so a food source is available to the yeast.

Fermentation should occur at 70°F for about three to four days. After three days, strain the mixture through cheesecloth and place it into a 5-gallon glass jug fitted with a fermentation bubbler. After another five to ten days, the wine will have reached an alcohol content of about 10%. When the wine reaches the desired alcohol and residual sugar content, stop the fermentation by placing the wine mixture in a cold room (30°F) or filtering it. When fermentation has nearly stopped, rack wine in clean fermentor; add one crushed Campden tablet, replace lock and let stand a month to clear.

Strawberry wine can be allowed to ferment until the alcohol content reaches about 17%. However, wine with such a high alcohol is rather harsh and will require a significant amount of sugar to balance the alcohol. Stopping the fermentation process at 9 to 10% is recommended.

Extra notes
*During the wine making process, it is very important to keep fermentation temperatures stable between 70-75 degrees F. Getting the fermentation too cool could result in the fermentation stopping before all the alcohol is made.

*When fermentation is complete, making sure it is done fermenting by checking it with a hydrometer; it should have finished down to 1.000 or lower.
Strawberry wine