# Cherry recipe that doesn't taste like cough syrup?



## Donatelo (Feb 13, 2018)

Does anyone have a cherry wine recipe that turns out nice without the cough syrup effect. I made a batch that turned out so sweet, I could hardly drink it. I thought that I fermented to dry, after three months it is SWEET!


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## salcoco (Feb 13, 2018)

It sound like you did not finish fermentation or started with to high a sugar content that the yeast died before finishing dry. suggest visiting winemaking.jackkeller.net for a number of fruit wine recipes. also suggest hydrometer usage. set sugar level of fruit wine to sg=1.090 for starters hydrate yeast using instructions on the packet.add yeast nutrient once fermentation has started. monitor progress keep must at room temp of at lest 65degf.


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## sour_grapes (Feb 13, 2018)

Donatelo said:


> Does anyone have a cherry wine recipe that turns out nice without the cough syrup effect. I made a batch that turned out so sweet, I could hardly drink it. I thought that I fermented to dry, after three months it is SWEET!



Do you know what your starting and finishing specific gravities were?


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## Scooter68 (Feb 27, 2018)

Did you use only sweet cherry juices? Tart Cherries along with a lower ending sugar contents should help. 

I just bottled a tart cherry wine that definitely does not taste like cough syrup although it has an SG of 1.018 and yet still doesn't taste sweet. About to start anther batch of it using same ration 3 x 16 oz bottles of concentrate Tart Cherry to 1 x 16 oz bottle Black Cherry (Sweet) juice for a 3 gallon batch. Each bottle is supposed to make 1 gallon of cherry juice but I like to bump the flavor up, so I'm using enough concentrate for a 4 gallon batch. In reality the batch will have an initial volume of about 3 1/3 gallons. Lees should be low since it's pure juice sourced 

You could try a batch with some tart cherry to whatever proportion of mix to take away that inherent sweetness.


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## Julie (Feb 27, 2018)

As others have stated, you need to use a hydrometer and ferment to dry. Also, check your acid and if you need to add some acid blend.


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