Blueberry Wine

The farmer down the road gave us access to his fields after the pickers went through. I was able to pick 5 gallons of blueberries and thought I'd try making some blueberry wine.

Ingredients

Ingredients
5 Gallons	whole blueberries
10 lbs	cane sugar
3.3 Gallons	water
2 Tbls	Lemon Concentrate
3 tsp	Yeast Nutrient (follow packet instructions)
1 packet	Lalvin RC-212 (follow packet instructions)
1	Camden tablet (crushed)

Preparation

1. I ran the blueberries through a kitchen-aid food processor
2. Prepare to boil the blueberries (I had to use two stainless steel pots)
   • Put the blueberries in a stainless steel pot.
   • Add two gallons of water
   • Add 16 cups of sugar
   • Boil for 2 to 5 minutes
3. Cool batch with copper coil by bringing the temp down to 80 to 90 degrees
4. Pour the blueberry batch into a 5 gallon bucket
5. Prepare to add the yeast
   • Add yeast nutrient
   • Add 1 packet of Lalvin RC-212 yeast
   • Add 1 Camden tablet (smashed)
   • Add lemon concentrate juice
6. Test Gravity - should read between 1.075 and 1.100.
7. Put a lid and air lock on the bucket
8. Shake or stir daily
9. Ferment for 14 days
10. Test Gravity - should read about 1.010 or 1.020
11. Transfer to secondary fermenter
12. Ferment for 7 days
13. If clear, rack and siphon into bottles
14. If not clear then wait to do this after another 10 to 15 days
15. Wait 6 months to 1 year to drink

Notes:

• I will leave in the second 5 gal bucket for another 7 or 14 days... The air lock started bubbling right away after the transfer. After the bubbling slows down (like beer), I'll transfer to a glass carboy for a few weeks for it to settle more and then finally transfer to a glass carboy.
  
  
• I moved it to a carboy after 14 days. Hydrometer reading was 1.000. I tasted it and was pleasantly surprised that it still tasted pretty good.
  
  
• If you want clearer (less heavy) wine, then you have to remove the pectin. I've read that you need to add Pectic Enzime to the crushed blueberries and let set 24 hours before boiling or adding the yeast. I'll have to try this next time.

1st Hydrometer Reading goal ---->		1.075 to 1.100
Blueberries weigh about 6.5 lbs / gallon -->		6.5
10 lb bag of sugar has 22.5 cups ---->		22.5
1 cup of sugar weighs --->		0.44
Whole Berries (Gallons)	Whole Berries (lbs)	Cane Sugar - recipe (cups)	Cane Sugar - recipe (lbs)	Water (Gallons)	Yield (Bottles)
6.25	40.63	33.33	14.81	4.17
5.00	32.50	26.67	11.85	3.33
2.50	16.25	13.33	5.93	1.67
1.50	9.75	8.00	3.56	1.00
1.25	8.13	6.67	2.96	0.83