# Chocolate Cherry Port



## fivebk (Jan 23, 2010)

On 1/20/10 I came up with a recipe for a Chocolate cherry Port. Started a 3 gallon batch the same day. This morning I added more sugar and racked to glass.

Here's a couple of pics
















BOB


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## Goodfella (Jan 23, 2010)

Looking pretty good there Bob.


would you mind posting the recipe?


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## Waldo (Jan 23, 2010)

Would be interested in that recipe myself


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## fivebk (Jan 23, 2010)

(3 gallon )Chocolate Cherry Port1/20 /10

2.5 galCherry juice(steam juiced)
( Montmorency Cherries)
1.0 galWater
1 BottleRed Grape Concentrate
1 CanHershey’s Cocoa Powder
5 ½ lbsSugar + 2 cups dark brown sugar to SG of 
1.130
4 tsp Yeast Energizer 
6 tsp Yeast Nutrient
3 tsp Pectic Enzyme
NoAcid Blend
1 pkg 71-B 1122 Yeast 


Add all ingredients except yeast. Wait 12 hrs, start a yeast starter and add to must. 

I racked to glass, and added more sugar today. I sampled this today and it tasted really good. I don't have an idea how it will turn out ( I made the recipe up myself) I am thinking later on about adding some medium toast oak, or maybe vanilla beans, or both. 

Any suggestions or something I should do different??

BOB


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## Goodfella (Jan 24, 2010)

Looks good. I can't see much that would do different. I think it's a good idea to try some vanilla bean. I added some to a Blueberry Port I did. I really like it in that. 












One thing I would consider trying would be a few coffee beans??? (call me crazy)


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## Waldo (Jan 25, 2010)

Thanks for posting the recipe.
Did you just dump the chocolate in or did you dissolve it first and what size can was it?


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## fivebk (Jan 25, 2010)

Waldo, I slowly mixed it into the gallon of water/sugar mix with a wire whisk. It was an 8oz can of unsweetened cocoa powder . 

What do you think of the recipe? Do you think the addition of oak or vanilla bean would be worth a try? Even as goodfella stated coffee beans ? Coffee would accent the chocolate , but I don't want to take away from the original taste just enhance it.

BOB


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## Bert (Jan 25, 2010)

About how many lbs. of cherries to get the 2.5 gals. of juice??? And this does look very interesting...


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## fivebk (Jan 25, 2010)

With my cherries it took about 10 lbs of cherries to equal 1 gallon juice. So 25 lbs = 2.5 gallons juice.

BOB


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## Cracked Cork (Jan 25, 2010)

Looks like you going to have fun Bob. I have to ask though that you seem to be putting in 10 tsp of energizer and nutrient in only 3 gallons of wine. Are there some guidelines on your energizer and nutrient or did you just go with the more the better since its such a high starting SG? I havent steamed cherries yet, but everything else we steamed came out great. I always vote yes to oaking fruit wines, even strawberry is good oaked and cherry is very good oaked. Crackedcork


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## admiral (Jan 25, 2010)

Are you going to make an F-Pack for this wine?


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## fivebk (Jan 25, 2010)

Cracked cork, I have found that I have to use alot more nutrient in my wines because I use my own well water and it has to run through a iron tank, a softener, and RO unit. If I don't about half way through fermentation I get funky smells coming from my primary buckets. Adding more nutrient controls the odors. I have not noticed any off flavor by adding the extra.

admiral, Right now the port has a good mix of flavors I will probably wait for awhile and decide later if it needs more. I do have more cherry juice in reserve just waiting to be made into an F-Pack.


BOB


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## Cracked Cork (Jan 26, 2010)

We have our own well and have been thinking of putting in a softener, but now maybe not, I like the taste of our water and we dont have those problems you have run into. I think some of the beer guys at Muntons salts? (that might not be right) to add back some of the stuff they loose in city water? Crackedcork


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## fivebk (Feb 1, 2010)

I racked the port off sediment today and added K-Meta, 2 vanilla beans, and 1 1/2 oz medium toast hungarian oak cubes. I sampled a small amount and the chocolate is definitly the front runner with the cherry in the background. I think as it ages that the cherry will come out more. So as for now I will let this set a couple months and age. It ended up with 18.33% abv

here's a pic












BOB


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## Waldo (Feb 1, 2010)

Im going to have to give those vanilla beans a try one of these days


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## Goodfella (Feb 2, 2010)

I got some from Ebay Waldo. I used them in my Blueberry Port. I am still waiting to see how it turns out.


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## fivebk (Feb 2, 2010)

This is the first time I have tried using them so time will tell ????? It sounded good to me so why not!! This whole recipe is one of those " EXPERIMENTS " So far so good


BOB


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## Goodfella (Feb 2, 2010)

vcasey has used vanilla in her wines, and says it turns out very nice.


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## fivebk (Sep 15, 2010)

I haven't posted here in quite awhile. My Chocolate Cherry Port has aged quite nicely and I decided to go ahead and bottle it today.









BOB


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## Goodfella (Sep 15, 2010)

How does it taste Bob?


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## fivebk (Sep 15, 2010)

Goodfella, This has turned out to be probably the best wine I have made to date. Nice chocolate taste up front followed by cherry. It has a velvety texture Very nice. It's plenty drinkable right now but I am opting to wait till jan that will be 1 year.

BOB


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## Goodfella (Sep 15, 2010)

Oh wow.... Thats great Bob!!! 


I think I might barrow your recipeif you don't mind. You can PM me if you have any tricks up your sleeve!!! Haha


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## fivebk (Sep 16, 2010)

Goodfella, the only thing I did was to slowly keep adding sugar untill the yeast stopped and added an F-pack of cherry juice 3qts reduced to 1qt. added 2 vanilla beans and 1 1/2 oz medium toast hungarian oak. I added a little too much sugar the last round and it ended up at 1.030 I know that sounds a little sweet but it does not come off tasting that sweet. Just about what you would expect from a port.

BOB


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## Goodfella (Sep 17, 2010)

1.030ish is where I usually put my Ports. I balances well with the high ABV


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## Wade E (Sep 17, 2010)

That sounds awesome and like Goodfella and you said 1.030 is right about perfect for a Port!


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## Goodfella (Sep 18, 2010)

Funny question.....


Do you guys have any suggestions for gadgets used in getting the pits out of cherries?


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## kkentert (Nov 2, 2015)

OXO makes a good cherry pitter. Crate and barrel has it, probably williams sonoma, maybe even target.


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## kkentert (Nov 2, 2015)

fivebk said:


> (3 gallon )Chocolate Cherry Port1/20 /10
> 
> 2.5 galCherry juice(steam juiced)
> ( Montmorency Cherries)



May be an elementary question, but did you purchase this juice? Do you remember who the manufacturer was or know where you can get it? This wine sounds great and I'd love to give it a shot!


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## Arne (Nov 3, 2015)

kkentert said:


> May be an elementary question, but did you purchase this juice? Do you remember who the manufacturer was or know where you can get it? This wine sounds great and I'd love to give it a shot!



Bob used a steam juicer. Quite a few folks use them on here. Think he also used the cherries off his own tree. I do not own a steam juicer, but a lot of the people here really like them. Arne.


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## kkentert (Nov 4, 2015)

Arne said:


> Bob used a steam juicer. Quite a few folks use them on here. Think he also used the cherries off his own tree. I do not own a steam juicer, but a lot of the people here really like them. Arne.



Thanks Arne - 
So what do you guys think...If I ordered cherry concentrate from here do you think I'd get a decent product, or do you think it's too concentrated? 32oz makes 2 gallons.


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## Jericurl (Nov 11, 2015)

You could also try ordering from here . I've ordered a few of their concentrates and I've been very happy with them.


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## kkentert (Nov 13, 2015)

Another newbie question. I think this may be a typo. But it says "NoAcid Blend" I'm guessing that means "do not add any acid blends", not "Add some "NoAcid" blend" Making "NoAcid" a wine making ingredient. Is that correct?


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## Deezil (Nov 14, 2015)

You're right, it means 'dont add any acid blend'


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