Blackberry Wine — Home Brew Recipe
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Style: Blackberry Fruit Wine | ABV: ~11% | Volume: 4.5 litres (6 bottles) | Difficulty: Beginner
About This Recipe
Blackberries are one of the best fruits for home wine making — plentiful in British hedgerows in late summer and autumn, rich in tannins and flavour. This recipe produces a deep, ruby-red wine with intense berry flavour and a satisfying dry finish. Foraged or frozen blackberries both work brilliantly.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1.1kg brewing/winemaking sugar
- 4 litres water
- 1 tsp citric acid
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 packet Young's Dried Active Yeast
Equipment Needed
- Fermentation vessel and airlock
- Muslin bags for straining
- Hydrometer
- Syphon
Method
- Crush blackberries in a sterilised vessel. Dissolve sugar in 1L boiling water, cool and pour over fruit.
- Add citric acid and yeast nutrient. Top up to 4.5L with cold water. Take OG reading with hydrometer (target ~1.080).
- Pitch yeast. Cover loosely and leave 3–5 days, stirring daily.
- Strain through muslin bag into clean vessel. Fit airlock.
- Ferment 4–6 weeks until fully still and gravity stable.
- Rack off sediment using syphon. Clear further if needed.
- Bottle when clear and stable. Age minimum 3 months — 6 months is better.
Brewer's Notes
Frozen blackberries are actually preferable to fresh as freezing breaks down cell walls and releases more juice and colour. You can forage and freeze in batches throughout the season, then brew whenever you're ready.