Gooseberry wine help please.

[Liz]

I have lots of gooseberries available. I want to use the juice only after put them through the juice extractor for the wine. Can someone please help me with a recipe, i.e. if I get 1 litre of gooseberry juice can I add supermarket juice to it and follow then instructions in wine No 1? Will I need to add pectolase etc? I should add that I have only so far made wine from kits with great success but I am now ready to make that giant leap to the next stage.
thanks
liz

[lockwood1956]

Hi Liz

Welcome aboard

have a look at Colins video tutorial for guidance

if going for wine No 1 I would use about 1/2 litre gooseberry juice as it is powerfully flavoured (unless of course you really like gooseberries)

regards
bob

[Liz]

Thanks Bob I will look at the video again, that's where I got the idea of juicing first but don't remember seeing more of recipe, which is what I want as a nervous newbie.

[lockwood1956]

Try this, a variant of one of Gerry Fowles recipes

Dry white table wine (Sancerre style)

1 litres Apple juice
2 litres white grape juice
200ml pineapple juice
250ml gooseberry juice
500g Granulated sugar
1-2 g oak
1 tsp pectolase
1 tsp good quality nutrient
Gervin No5 or varietal D yeast
Water to 1 gallon

[lockwood1956]

This might also work well and produce a Hock style wine

1 litres Apple juice
1litre white grape juice
250ml gooseberry juice
600g Granulated sugar
1 tsp good quality nutrient
Gervin No5 or varietal D yeast
Water to 1 gallon

[Liz]

Thanks Bob, I've been away re-watching Colin's video (and making notes) I will try the hock style.

[fatbloke]

Read the ressips that Bob posted last night......

But as we've got enough guzb's, probably gonna do a gallon of gooseberry mead, but likely something like 1/3rd of the fruit in primary, then the rest in secondary.

I don't do white wines other than meads, so the hock style is out.

Plus, after last years grapefest learning curve (very steep), I've become a proponent of fermenting on the fruit/pulp if possible.

Sure, juice is good and handy to reduce freezer space requirements, but it seems that you do lose something (not sure what though) by not having the flesh or skins in the brew.......

Probably some of the fruit sugars and tannins etc.......

[Rich]

Hi Liz, where in Aberdeenshire are you? I have a small 'Boots' press you can use if you need it.


And, Welcome to the forum

[Liz]

Hi Rich, sorry been busy picking gooseberries so have only just seen your post. We are near Mintlaw. Thanks for your offer but the gooseberries have now been put through the centifrugal juicer. What else can be pressed through your press? Maybe possible to borrow it in the the future. Thanks for the offer.

[Liz]

I am in the middle of doing the Gerry Fowles recipe and it has cleared except for a slight haze. I did not add betonite at the beginning because, a) I forgot and b) I didn't have any. Can I add the betonite now? and would it help to clear the haze? I did put the pectolase in at the start.

[lockwood1956]

The Fowles recipe didn't call for bentonite Liz!

Adding bentonite might clear the haze, and adding it now doesn't harm anything

failing that a dose of Kwik clear should also do the trick

how long since it finished fermenting, gravity might do the job for you, is it clearer at the top than the bottom?

if yes, then wait a few more days and see if it clears on its own, if the haze is the same top and bottom then treatment may be required.

hope that helps

regards
Bob

[Liz]

It is clearer at the top so I will try waiting a few more days and will try Kwik clear if needed. Thanks for all you help Bob. Must learn to be patient!

[lockwood1956]

Must learn to be patient!

That's always the last thing we learn, so fear not!

regards
Bob