not using sugar in wine making

[john luc]

Has anyone got experience of making wines from fruits like blackberrys without adding table sugar. The sugar will fully ferment out so drying out the wine too much and I don't personally like that taste it leaves aswell. Its coming up to that time of year when hedgerow fruits will be available and I fancy making some.

[MashBag]

Sure is that time. Soon be Graffoe season.
You add sugar to get the alcohol level up to about 10%. That's as a preservative and a favour balance we know as 'wine'.

Once it is dry, if you want a sweet finish, back sweeten with unfermentable sugar (sweeteners typically).

Glycerine will also help with mouthfeel and sweetening. Do not exceed 1tsp per 5 liters

[Jim]

You can only get away without adding sugar if the sugar content in the pressed fruit juice is high enough to give an OG of at least 70 on its own.

[MarkA]

Has anyone got experience of making wines from fruits like blackberrys without adding table sugar. The sugar will fully ferment out so drying out the wine too much and I don't personally like that taste it leaves aswell. Its coming up to that time of year when hedgerow fruits will be available and I fancy making some.

Have you tried this yet?

I personally think that you'd need so many blackberries to make up the sugar that it would negatively affect the taste. I am willing to be proved wrong though.

The method obviously works for grape wine, so would it be worth adding 3 or 4lb of blackberries and making the rest of the sugar addition up with white or red grape concentrate? Not only would it make up the gravity, but add body and vinosity (though would also add to the cost too)

[MashBag]

Indeed. You do need a balanced recipe.

What is the issue with adding sugar?

[MarkA]

Has anyone got experience of making wines from fruits like blackberrys without adding table sugar. The sugar will fully ferment out so drying out the wine too much and I don't personally like that taste it leaves aswell. Its coming up to that time of year when hedgerow fruits will be available and I fancy making some.

[MashBag]

Thanks Mark.

Fully fermenting out, or dryness is adjusted by the addition of no-fermentable sugars.

Taste, could very well be caused by using sugar derived from beet rather than cane.

[oldbloke]

NB In my experience, with all berry wines, a few ounces per gallon of blackcurrants in addition to your base fruit improves the result massivley.

[MarkA]

Was a no sugar fruit wine recipe ever tried?

[MashBag]

Not unless you use grapes.

Most UK fruit does not contain enough natural sugar or juice so country wine have water and sugar added.

[MarkA]

Not unless you use grapes.

Most UK fruit does not contain enough natural sugar or juice so country wine have water and sugar added.

As I said above, so much fruit would be needed to get the sugar level up, it would affect (ruin?) the flavour. I'm still wondering if an experiment was carried out by the OP though!

[MashBag]

The wine would be out of balance