Cherry wine

[fivebk]

I started a batch of cherry wine yesterday. I used juice that I steam juiced from montmorency cherries. I had to use some calcium carbonate to get the acid levels under control, first time I have used it.

24 hrs into fermentation

BOB

 

[robie]

Looking good! I've never had a cherry wine, but it sounds really good to me.

I've never done a non-grape wine, so what's in the bag?

 

[fivebk]

Richard,

This is my first attempt at making a cherry wine. I had this recipe floating around in my head. It sounded good, so I decided why not!! The contents of the bag is a 1.5 L Cab Sav grape pack that I purchased from George.

So far ( it's way too early to tell ) the must tastes fantastic. I'm hoping it will add flavor & body as well as some color to the wine.

I'll let everyone know how this comes along

BOB

 

[robie]

Yes, please keep us informed on this one.
I also have purchased some extra grape packs from George.

 

[Scott]

Bob you will really like this wine. I just bottled minemade lastFebruary, tasted exactly like cherry pie, had a little left over of course. Late last year picked all I could before the birds got'em and didn't even pit them, worked out well, too up more roomI think.







Let us know!

 

[Runningwolf]

Bob, your presentation looks a lot better than mine. I have two three gallon carboys of cherry going. One with chocolate disks in it and the other with chocolate and almonds in it. They are free floating or setting and look different.

 

[fivebk]

Racked this to glass this morning. SG1.010

I have a question------ I used the 1.5L grape packs that george sells. It has an enzyme pack that comes with it. When do you add the enzyme packet or do you even need to everytime?????

BOB

 

[grapeman]

Wow that is a big jug of Pepto!

 

[robie]

Racked this to glass this morning. SG1.010



I have a question------ I used the 1.5L grape packs that george sells. It has an enzyme pack that comes with it. When do you add the enzyme packet or do you even need to everytime?????



BOB

I have lots of experience with the enzyme in grape wine, but I can't say if it needs added in your cherry wine

However, if you do add it:
The idea is to add it AFTER racking to secondary, after any bentonite, which might be added during fermentation, has been racked off. Bentonite will completely disable the enzyme (drag it out of the wine and to the bottom).

If you need the enzyme but you don't use it, when you rack from secondary to stabilize and clear, you will get a thick milky substance, which runs down the insides of the carboy. If you don't get this milky substance, you won't need the enzyme.

If you don't use enzyme in secondary and you do get the milk substance, stir enzyme in well just before clearing, leave it for two days, then stir (well) in about 1/4 teaspoon of bentonite, leave for 24 hours, then clear as usual. The milky substance will be dragged to the bottom by the bentonite.

 

[fivebk]

Thanks for the info Richard
Rich, It sure looks like pepto but tastes alot better !!!

BOB

 

[sipourit]

Wow, it seems that you have a great out come. I haven't tasted a cherry wine before. So it would be great if you can describe the taste of your cherry wine.

 

[fivebk]

When I finished stirring everything together the must tasted like sweet pie cherries right off the tree. After I added the grape pack the must somehow seemed richer or more lucious. The wine is almost done fermenting and I will probably rack it off the gross lees in a few days.

BOB

 

[ithink2020]

How's the wine coming and looking?

 

[fivebk]

The wine is starting to clear nicely all on it's own. It has a nice dark red color . I think the grape pack helped with the color. I have racked it and added one spiral of med toast american oak to it, put a blanket on it and put it to bed for awhile.

BOB