[thedadtony]

3lbs 7ozs so far, seems to be loads this year so should reach the 25lb target for 5 gallons of my favourite wine

[Madame Cholet]

gosh purple sore fingers all round

[thedadtony]

It's worth it, just having a glass now, along with the Graff part of my five a day regime,what next a glass of rhubarb perhaps?

[Auntiemogs]

Mmm...I have a carrier bag full in the freezer from last year (and I've just started picking a few here and there from this year).  Does it really take a year to mature Tony?

[thedadtony]

No Auntie, I usually rack every 3 months then sample a month after bottling, so I'd say 7-8 months after the ferment, must admit though it tastes better the older it gets.

[Capt Zero]

We've got around 4lbs in the freezer at the moment....what's your recipe Tony???

[Oakdalebirds1]

yep , im also keen to try this as have numerous berry bushes in our fields

and planted 4 danson trees this year so give me a couple of years and my damson gin will be in the gallons....

[Growster...]

Good news, Tony - keep going!

We've picked about 7 lbs so far, and they're all from a 30 ft  hedge at the back if the plot!

There's at least the same amount to come, and we're fermenting them as they're picked every two days!

I reckon to make about three gals, but maybe more if they keep getting any bigger!

[Capt Zero]

yep , im also keen to try this as have numerous berry bushes in our fields

and planted 4 danson trees this year so give me a couple of years and my damson gin will be in the gallons....

4 Damsons trees...well done, we have 2 old ones in the hedge at the top of our plot, but as yet no fruit. I love damson wine, but not made it for years...will have to try the PYO over Evesham way.

[thedadtony]

Just pulled out my recipe file to check the ingredients for 5 galls.
            30 lbs. brambles.(store in the freezer)
            12 lbs. of sugar (to bring it up to 1.100!
             5 tsb. pectolase
            5 campden tabs.
             sachet of yeast
     Bring out of the freezer and place in a F.B. cover with cold water and add the campden and pectolase then leave it for 4 or 5 days stirring twice a day, after that sieve the liquid onto the sugar in a clean F.B., stir add more water stir again then check the gravity, then add the yeast, after fermentation rack twice then bottle.
       I always try to stop the fermentation between 1.005 and 1.010 so it's not so dry.
   Hope that helps 
         

[thedadtony]

Just picked another 2 lb. this morning, I took Max our adopted dog with me, a word of caution, always pick your brambles above D.P.H.

[thedadtony]

17lb 14ozs. getting nearer the target every day, the damsons are still as hard as bullets though!

[Kleftiwallah]

Just to say "sachet of yeast" is a little flipant to my mind.  You can make or break a good wine by the variety of yeast you use.

http://www.honeycreek.us/yeast.php, although American, this site gives an idea to the many many types of yeast available.  For Bramble may I suggest a "Vintner's Harvest CR51" also a good one is "Young's Bordeaux Red".

Happy winemaking.   Cheers,   Tony.

[thedadtony]

27lb 4ozs, picked 7lb 8ozs yesterday so easily pick the remainder today, might carry on picking though I found 5lb of damsons in the freezer we'd forgotten about so I'll do a damble wine think they'll be enough for a couple of gallons
    Just waiting for the marrow wine to start fermenting, sieved it into d.j's, this morning.

[Capt Zero]

We are not worthy..drop to knees and salute  over 27 lbs....ye gods, we have a thorn less bramble on our plot. It's loaded but we'll be lucky to get around 7 maybe 8 lbs. Well done that man..