Tropical & Dragon Berry Wine 1st Filtering

In this episode of Life of Fred, we are continuing our winemaking journey by performing the first filtering for our Tropical and Dragon Berry wines. This footage was originally captured in September while I was recovering from jaw surgery, and I’m finally getting around to editing and sharing the progress!

The filtering process is crucial for removing sediment and stabilizing the wine. Watch as I transfer the wine between carboys using gravity and a siphon, and learn about the additives used—like Bentonite, Campden tablets, and Potassium Sorbate—to ensure the fermentation stops before back-sweetening with simple syrup. Although I missed a few steps, such as tasting and alcohol testing, during the initial process, we are getting closer to bottling!

Stay tuned as we prepare to bottle these batches and move into 2026 with some delicious homemade wine.

Video Timeline
[00:26] – Introduction and project overview.
[00:53] – Context on the delay in editing and recovery from surgery.
[02:56] – Observing the sediment at the bottom of the carboy.
[05:12] – Discussing missed steps (tasting and alcohol content tracking).
[06:29] – Clarifying the wine flavors: Dragon Berry and Tropical.
[07:11] – Adding preservatives: Bentonite, Campden tablets, and Potassium Sorbate.
[07:38] – Explanation of the role of Bentonite in stabilizing wine.
[09:14] – Switching carboys for the second batch of wine.
[12:02] – Explaining the gravity-fed siphon process.
[13:48] – Pumping the remaining wine while avoiding sediment.
[14:50] – Stabilizing the Dragon Berry wine and plan for simple syrup.
[19:19] – Future plans for the second filtering and final bottling.