Homemade Strawberry Wine
A recipe from Lee Etherington, Owner, Caza Berry Farm (Feb 3, 2001)

First a word about strawberries. They are probably one of the yuckiest things to make wine from. Very slimy to press off the pulp, and then throwing inches of lees making it necessary to have lots of frozen reserve for top-up at racking. Also time consuming to remove the green hulls for pulp fermentation, so enzyme extraction and fermentation of the juice might be easier. The solids content of the juice is high, which tends to throw the initial readings off, eg; this recipe had a starting ph. of 3.48 and yet after 3 rackings the ph. was down to 2.92. Most varieties are above 10 gr./litre in acid and yet have a ph. above 3.5, so adjustment is needed. The variety "Startyme" from ontario seems to have the most potential because it picks easily without the hull. Bitterness from the seeds has not been a problem for me, even after 5 to 7 days of pulp fermentation.(without hulls).

Strawberry Wine: 25 lbs. frozen "Startyme" strawberries thawed to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Initial ph.- 3.65; acid- 10.25; brix- 8.0. Added 4 litres water ph.- 3.9 acid- 7.75 brix- 6.0.

Added 8 tsp. acid blend ph.- 3.48 acid- 10.50 added pectic enz. and 50ppm. sulphur. 24 hrs. later- 6lbs. sugar = starting br.20 sg. 1.080 + yeast nutrient. Yeast = cote des blancs. ferm. active 24 hrs. later at 65 Fahrenheit.

After 6 days press thru filter bag (yuckie part) - very murky. Yielded 16 litres, put into 12 litre carboy, froze 4 litres for top-up and left lots of headspace (Strawberry tends to "roil" over). Racking - once a week - lots of sediment. after 2 wks. sg. already down to .996.

Used bentonite after 3 wks. to help clear. 4th wk. ph. = 2.92 so topped with 1 litre water sweetened to 19 br. Finished at ph.-3.10 acid- 1.05 0 - added 25 ppm sulph. and filtered thru #1 & #2. Sweetened to 4 br., sorbate and bottle in 375ml. Won silver at club.

Editors note (LFW) If Lee had sent this to the provincial championships it would have won there too!!! I thought it the single best wine that day. And a lesser wine (from Caza raspberries) in that same competition took first in the Country (non-grape) Class at the Provincial Championships in 2000.

NOTES:-T(his page should print on one sheet)
- for sulphur info, visit the British Columbia Amateur Winemakers Association Homepage
- for information about fresh fruit (in season)CALL CAZA BERRY FARM AT 705-657-8888.

Caza Berry Farm Page Return to Frozen Fruit www.littlefatwino.com