Preparing your Equipment

• 1). Obtain your equipment. Specialized wine-making equipment such as hydrometers, air locks and siphons can be purchased from stores specializing in brewing and wine making. There are also online resources available. Costs for a complete wine-making kit generally run between $150 and $300. Other items can be obtained from a retail department store.
  
  
• 2). Obtain wine bottles from friends, local restaurants or save them yourself. It's less expensive that way.
  
  
• 3). Sanitize all equipment that will come in contact with the ingredients prior to making your wine.
  
  

Prepare the Fruit

• 1). Select your 6 pounds of blackberries, making sure they are fully ripened. Wash the blackberries thoroughly. Remove any stems, leaves and bruised berries.
  
  
• 2). Place the blackberries in zip-lock bags and freeze them for at least two days to break down the cell walls, releasing the juice. Process the blackberries after freezing by placing thawed portions of berries in a large bowl and crushing them with a potato masher or similar tool.
  
  
• 3). Pour each portion, once processed, into the strainer bag, allowing the juice to run into a sanitized 1-gallon bucket. The bucket will act as your primary fermenter. The processed juice and fruit is called the "must." Seal the strainer bag, after all the fruit has been processed, and place it in the bucket.
  
  

Adding Ingredients

• 1). Dissolve the sugar in 1 gallon of boiling water. Once it has reached room temperature, add it to the must. Check the specific gravity of the must. It should be around 1.084. If it is below this level, add more sugar and check the specific gravity again.
  
  
• 2). Add the pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, acid blend, yeast nutrient and crushed Campden tablets.
  
  
• 3). Stir the must and add water to bring it up to the 1-gallon level. Cover the top of the bucket with a cloth towel and let sit overnight.
  
  
• 4). Add the yeast to the must. There is no need to stir. Place the towel on the bucket again.
  
  

Fermentation

• 1). Watch your must for fermentation to begin within the first 24 hours. Foam will begin to accumulate on the surface of the must. Punch the strainer bag down into the must and stir it gently each day.
  
  
• 2). Check the specific gravity of the must around day 5. If the must has reached 1.040 or less, remove the fruit pulp in the strainer bag, then discard the fruit pulp.
  
  
• 3). Sanitize the siphon hose with cleanser and use it to transfer the must from the primary fermenter to the glass jug which will act as your secondary fermenter. Ensure that there is about 2 inches of air space between the level of the must and the top of the jug.
  
  
• 4). Sanitize the airlock and stopper, then fill the airlock properly with water and place them into the top of the jug. This will seal the jug, protecting the must from contamination.
  
  
• 5). Observe the fermentation process in your jug each day. You will notice bubbles rising in the jug and carbon dioxide gas escaping from the airlock. Allow the must to sit in the jug until the yeast settles. This may take around 1 month.
  
  
• 6). Siphon the liquid into the bucket, after 1 month, being careful to leave the sediment behind in the glass jug. Stir the wine vigorously in the bucket to drive off any excess carbon dioxide gas.
  
  
• 7). Clean the glass jug and siphon the contents of the bucket back into the jug and replace the airlock. Top off the wine with water to leave about 2 inches between the liquid and the top of the jug.
  
  
• 8). Repeat steps 6 through 7 each month until the wine clears, usually within 2 to 3 months. During this time, the must will turn into wine.
  
  

Bottling and Storage

• 1). Take the specific gravity of the wine occasionally. When it is at or below 1.00, the wine is ready to bottle.
  
  
• 2). Siphon the liquid into the bucket for the last time, leaving the sediment behind in the glass jug. Stir in 1 1/4 teaspoons of potassium sorbate to the wine to stabilize it and prevent yeast from further developing once the wine is bottled. Siphon the wine from the bucket into sanitized wine bottles.
  
  
• 3). Soak the wine corks in warm water for about 15 minutes. Cork each bottle using the corking tool.
  
  
• 4). Store your wine in a cool dry place. To keep your wine from spoiling, store the bottles on their sides to keep the corks moist.