Adding Other Flavor to Fermenting/Fermented Apple Cider

[Mike72677]

I have 5 gallons of fresh pressed cider fermenting. I would like to add cherry to the wine to make an apple/cherry mix. Could I add a frozen concentrate something like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Old-Orchard-100-Juice-Apple-Cherry-Concentrate-Frozen-12-oz/10805178 and when would I add it? I have some room in my carboy that I should probably top off next time I rack (it will be my 2nd racking). Thanks!

 

[Arne]

I would put it in now. Be forwarned tho, if your wine is clear the concentrates can cloud it back up and you will have to go thru clearing again. If it is dry, you should stabalize it before you add the concentrate or it will probably referment on the sugars in the concentrate. Arne.

 

[Mike72677]

Here's the history so far:

10-13-2013 - SG 1.05 of cider
- SG 1.082 prior to fermentation

10-20-2013 - SG .996 after primary fermentation in bucket
- Transfer to carboy

I'm no where near anything clear at this point so I wouldn't even notice if it got cloudy! Ha!!

My ultimate goal is a apple/cherry wine. I was thinking of going with the apple/cherry frozen concentrate so add some cherry flavor and top off the carboy. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Turock]

I would not add it now. The reason is that there are sugars in the concentrate and you need to use sorbate. You can't use sorbate right now because the wine is cloudy. Sorbate only works when the bulk of the yeast cells have been racked off.

We do, what you're doing, all the time. We make a number of blended flavors using concentrate and we do it right at bottling time when it's proper to use sorbate.

 

[Mike72677]

Could you please advise me on when I should do all of this then? This is my very 1st batch of homemade. I wasn't ready to go all homemade yet, but was given cider and told to make wine! Ha!

 

[Turock]

Let the wine sit in the carboy--rack when you have a lot of debris (lees) on the bottom. At the first rack, you should add some sulfite. You probably don't know what the PH is so add 1/4 tsp of meta. Let it sit--and sit and sit. You probably want to bulk age about 1 year---then all the CO2 will be out of it, the flavor will have firmed up, and it will be clear. When clear, rack it into a clean carboy, add the concentrate, 1/2 tsp of sorbate per gallon, and 1/4 tsp of meta. Sweeten to taste if needed.

 

[Arne]

I can only add, taste before you add the concentrate. It mite not need it. Also when you taste, draw a glass and add a bit of sugar to it. Taste and add a little more if you need it. Now you can probably tell if you need to add the concentrate. Arne.