Candy Cane wine Recipe

[twistedvine]

Does anyone have at this point a complete candy cane wine recipe that they have had good success with and are willing to share???

 

[Flem]

Julie does! I'm sure she'll chime in with it.

 

[twistedvine]

Julie does! I'm sure she'll chime in with it.

I will wait patiently................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 

[Julie]

Well Twisted, I hope you had a nice nap, now wake up and get this going. I am sipping on a glass of this as I type, I really like it.

For a 3gallon batch:
54 candy canes
1/8 peptic enzyme
6 cans Welch's white grape concentrate
1 tsp nutrient
1 tsp energizer
1 banana

I started with an sg of 1.084, acid .60%, after it ferments to dry, stabilize and taste,there really wasn't much in the way of taste so I use about a tablespoon of McCormicks peppermint but I have found Watkins peppermint at Walmart, this is a natural extract so use this if you can find it. Start with a tsp of peppermint, taste and add more to your liking, then backsweeten, I used 24 candy canes (this will also bring out a nice pick color) and one bottle of corn syrup (corn syrup gives it a real nice mouth feel), final gravity was 1.032 BUT I added Ghirardelli 80% chococate, 2 pkgs, should be 7 oz. for 2 months., rack, let it clear and bottle.

Peppermint Patty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[steviepointer]

is "Ghirardelli 80% chococate" a powder? a bar that needs to be dissolved?

 

[Julie]

is "Ghirardelli 80% chococate" a powder? a bar that needs to be dissolved?

No, it is not a powder, it is a bar but you do not need to dissolve it, just break it into pieces

 

[dsoares1831]

Made a 5 gallon batch of candy cane wine today. I took all the information from here and it looks and smells great! My SG read 1.085 but my ph was high 5.8, is that normal for candy cane wine? I have not added any campden tablets, does anyone recommend that I do? Thanks! Tomorrow I will add the yeast.

 

[Julie]

Made a 5 gallon batch of candy cane wine today. I took all the information from here and it looks and smells great! My SG read 1.085 but my ph was high 5.8, is that normal for candy cane wine? I have not added any campden tablets, does anyone recommend that I do? Thanks! Tomorrow I will add the yeast.

I didn't because the white grape is already sulfited. You are looking pretty good, go ahead and add the yeas tomorrow and keep us informed of how it goes!

 

[dsoares1831]

OK Julie thanks!

 

[saramc]

pH 5.8 at start & Campden-yes or no?

Made a 5 gallon batch of candy cane wine today. My SG read 1.085 but my ph was high 5.8, is that normal for candy cane wine? I have not added any campden tablets, does anyone recommend that I do? QUOTE]

Are you sure that pH is correct, your meter has been calibrated? If it is correct, and it really is 5.8 you will have issues (pH 3.55 is considered the magic dividing line between relative safety and more vulnerability to problems of oxidation and/or undesirable bacterial infection).

On the topic of Campden tablets....while there is not a concern with wild yeasts when using hard candy and commercially prepared frozen juice concentrate, there is a reason to use Campden--> It will also help prevent oxidation and preserve fruity flavour and freshness in wine.

 

[Julie]

The yeast hasn't been added yet, this would be more of a concern after fermentation not prior.

 

[dsoares1831]

Julie, how long were u in secondary fermentation for your candy wine? I am still fermenting. I am at week 3, I was at SG 1.010 when I transferred from primary to secondary. I was at SG 1.010 for a few days so I assumed it would not go down. The temp was and is at 65 degrees. Airlock is still bubbling well. What do you suggest (being a novice candy wine maker). Thanks again. (I still have not added any campden tablets).

 

[barryjo]

candy cane suggestions

A few suggestions and thoughts. First, candy canes are usually flavored with OIL of peppermint. This will leave an oily film on anything it touches.
Live and learn.
Second, when giving a recipe for the above, use the weight of the canes, not the number. I found that there are several different ways to package them and it gets confusing. (Note: sometimes I am easily confused!)
I used Sparkalloid to clear my wine. Seems to be coming along nicely.
I was a bit surprised to think I may have to backsweeten this wine. Will decide when I get around to bottling.

 

[Hokapsig]

Julie, how long were u in secondary fermentation for your candy wine? I am still fermenting. I am at week 3, I was at SG 1.010 when I transferred from primary to secondary. I was at SG 1.010 for a few days so I assumed it would not go down. The temp was and is at 65 degrees. Airlock is still bubbling well. What do you suggest (being a novice candy wine maker). Thanks again. (I still have not added any campden tablets).

Dennis, I followed Julie's recipe and the wine came out great. Let it go until you hit under 1.000 (mine went to .997). Stabilize, preserve and back sweeten to 1.020. I added a half a bottle of Peppermint extract and got some good responses, but note that this is a SEASONAL wine. I got a complaint that this wine wouldn't pair with dinner food. I had to explain that it's an AFTER dinner wine....

 

[saramc]

CandyCane and Campden/k-meta

The yeast hasn't been added yet, this would be more of a concern after fermentation not prior.

When working with frozen concentrates or grocery store items that indicate preservatives (sulfites, sorbates) on the ingredient list I do not use k-meta/Campden with the start of the wine but will add it when I transfer from primary to secondary/airlock.

 

[saramc]

SG at 1.010 for a few days duringweek 3--what to do?

Julie, how long were u in secondary fermentation for your candy wine? I am still fermenting. I am at week 3, I was at SG 1.010 when I transferred from primary to secondary. I was at SG 1.010 for a few days so I assumed it would not go down. The temp was and is at 65 degrees. Airlock is still bubbling well. What do you suggest (being a novice candy wine maker). Thanks again. (I still have not added any campden tablets).

You say you were at 1.010 when you racked to secondary and you are now at week 3. What was your starting SG? How long ago did you transition to secondary? What is your current SG?
Usually when you have concerns for a stall you can rack the wine, increase the temperature to 70-75F (you are at 65F) and then check SG for 3 consecutive days once the wine has reached the new temperature range.

 

[amclippe]

Chocolate Flavor Pack

How should I make a chocolate flavor pack to add to my candy cane wine? Has anyone done this?

 

[jojabri]

Currently have a blueberry candy cane and a skittles going. Here are the recipes I used. Both require F Packs

Candy Cane #1
3 gallon recipe

96 candy canes
6 cans niagara grape concentrate (Welch's frozen white grape concentrate).

1/8 tsp k-meta
5 tsp yeast nutrient (high because this is hard to get yeast started)
3 tsp acid blend (should check acid level and modify accordingly)
Starting SG 1.090 (You may need to add additional sugar)

3/4 tsp Wine Tannin
1 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme

Boil candy canes in 1 gallon water until dissolved
put grape concentrate in primary (after thawing)
Pour candy cane solution into primary
Add water to make total 3 1/2 gallons (1/2 gallon for top up later)

After 24 hours:
Yeast lalvin EC-1118 (chosen for it's ability to ferment just about anything)
Make yeast starter - rehydrate yeast, add some must and let it start. Add more and let it start. Add this to primary.


After a few rackings and clearing, add potassium sorbate to stabilize. Then at next racking add candy cane flavor pack.

Candy Cane Flavor pac (f-pac) for sweetening:

24 candy canes
1 1/4 cup water

Boil water, add candy canes and dissolve. Allow to boil down to approximately 1 cup. Cool and use to sweeten wine.
My personal preference is that if it has to be sweet then it's semi-sweet. Adjust the amount of sugar to your preference. 2 cups may be more to your liking, and you may have to use more candy canes or add sugar.


Candy Cane #2
For a 3gallon batch:
54 candy canes
1/8 peptic enzyme
6 cans Welch's white grape concentrate
1 tsp nutrient
1 tsp energizer
1 banana

I started with an sg of 1.084, acid .60%, after it ferments to dry, stabilize and taste,there really wasn't much in the way of taste so I use about a tablespoon of McCormicks peppermint but I have found Watkins peppermint at Walmart, this is a natural extract so use this if you can find it. Start with a tsp of peppermint, taste and add more to your liking, then backsweeten, I used 24 candy canes (this will also bring out a nice pick color) and one bottle of corn syrup (corn syrup gives it a real nice mouth feel), final gravity was 1.032 BUT I added Ghirardelli 80% chococate, 2 pkgs, should be 7 oz. for 2 months., rack, let it clear and bottle.

Skittles

Ingredients:
3/4 lb Skittles
8.4 oz Welch's 100% white grape juice concentrate (not diluted)
1 gallon drinking water
1 tsp pectic enzyme (powder)
1/4 tsp wine tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 tsp acid blend
1 packet yeast, EC-1118 (though, I suggest a slower yeast strain, such as Cote Des Blancs or Montrachet)
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar (add incrementally until your own readings hit your desired brix levels)
1/4 tsp amylase enzyme
1/4 tsp potassium sorbate
1 package Super-Kleer
2 Campden Tablets

Boil 32oz of the drinking water in a large enough pot to incorporate all skittles and grape juice concentrate, and still be able to stir without concern of spilling. Once water comes to a boil, remove from heat, add skittles and stir constantly till fully dissolved. Let cool slightly, then add grape juice concentrate without diluting with water as its directions dictate.

Let mixture cool to room temperature, then store in refrigerator overnight (at least six hours) to harden top wax layer.

Skim wax layer off top of liquid. Pour mixture into primary fermentor. Add pectic enzyme, wine tannin, yeast nutrient, and acid blend. Mix well.

Take hydrometer reading. Based on your desired alcohol content, determine whether or not you will need to utilize chaptalization (adding sugar to must). You almost undoubtedly will need to add sugar. Add sugar incrementally, by small portions, stirring until dissolved, then take hydrometer readings after additions until you've reached your desired brix level.
My recipe ended up using 2.66 cups of granulated sugar resulting in a specific gravity of 1.090 (11.7% Alc/Vol), whereas the original recipe called for 4.33 cups of sugar. That's nearly doubling the amount, which quite accounts for the several stuck fermentations written of in this thread.

At this point, it is prudent to note that I have mixed the preparation of red and white wines together. Rather than immediately going into a carboy for fermentation, as one usually does with a white, I left it covered in the primary fermentor for the first four days. This was a personal decision, and needn't necessarily be followed. I did, however, have access to remove some of the thickening buildup on the top of the must once fermentation began by doing this.

Next, I added the yeast directly to the must. Though I suggest priming the yeast in 2oz of warm water for fifteen minutes prior to pitching. You may simply add to the top of the must, no need to stir.

After full fermentation begins, rack to a sanitized carboy, leaving enough room for fermentation to continue. (Do not add SO2/Campden Tablets at this point) Subject to cold bath by placing carboy in larger vessel filled with enough water to come up less than the shoulders of the carboy. Add ice to the bath; the best method is to use several plastic water bottles that can be placed in the water bath, then switched out with other bottles, and refreezed in a constant rotation.

Check hydrometer readings every few days, as well as slight taste tests of must as it's fermenting to get an idea of where it's going. At any time, you may decide the sweetness is at a point you'd rather stop and preserve rather than continuing to ferment. If so, simply add 1/4 tsp of potassium sorbate, stir to mix.

Once hydrometer readings get close to 1.000 SG, stir in amylase enzyme. (I hit 1.011 SG on my eighteenth day)

Once 1.000 SG is reached (my twentieth day), add potassium sorbate and stir to mix. You may allow must to continue fermentation until it stops. I was pleased with my tastings when I hit 1.000, so I added the potassium sorbate.

The following day, add Super-Kleer as per its directions.
If you intend to backsweeten your wine, wait to add Super-Kleer until after you've added your sweetening liquid to your taste, making sure your fermentation has been halted by the potassium sorbate. Mix 8 parts drinking water to 3 parts skittles to 2 parts grape juice concentrate, using the same method of boiling as your initial must required. Begin taste tests to see how much backsweetening liquid you need to add to your wine. I found 5oz of backsweetening liquid for each 750ml bottle was perfect.

Once wine has cleared and lees have settled, rack into sanitized carboy adding one crushed campden tablet. (two days for me)

Let sit for five weeks, submitting to cold stabilization if you have room in your refrigerator for the third and fourth weeks. Remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature (70*F or less, but no more than 75*F) for one week.

Siphon wine into bottles, then cork.
Let the bottles stand upright for three days before placing on their side or upside down to age.

Bottle age for three to six months.


That brings us about as far as I am. So, unfortunately, I have yet to give results on whether I'd prefer and/or suggest it dry or sweet. But hopefully this has been helpful and will guide some people along the right path to how they want their wine to turn out.
Again, remember that there is no replacement for your own judgement, experience, and taste.







Hoping to try a Werther's and a Starburst soon. I made a boo-boo and didn't make enough "quick drinkers" on my last run so I need to restock on those before I can continue with any that need significant time. So no experimenting for me.

 

[amclippe]

When you add the chocolate do you just drop the chocolate in or do you have to prepare it first?

 

[Julie]

you can just drop the chocolate in.