Christmas wine recipe

[Ikeya]

Looking for a good Christmas wine recipe. I just don't know how cloves, cinnamon, cranberries, nutmeg, etc... would work for fermenting.... can you use it from the beginning or add after. Use extracts? I just made a great strawberry pomegranate that could be turned into a good Christmas wine. I just need some help???

 

[Raptor99]

I plan to try this: Cranberry Clementine Christmas Wine - Celebration Generation It sounds really good. I washed and sorted some cranberries and stuck them in the freezer. I am currently working my way through a bag of clementines and saving the peels.

 

[VinesnBines]

I made a nice wine with dried cranberries (Craisins) and dried Zante or Corinth grapes (packaged as black currants). It was almost a rose but very nice and dry. Some people argue that dried fruit is oxidized but I disagree.

 

[balatonwine]

Mulled wine is a staple here in December. But I don't know anyone who "ferments" spices with the wine to make it. They simply add the spices to a finished normal wine and heat both together. They even sell the spices in packages for easy home made mulled wine.

 

[Darrell Hawley]

I wish everyone a nice White Christmas.
And if you run out of the Whites, you can start on you're Reds.

 

[Darrell Hawley]

I plan to try this: Cranberry Clementine Christmas Wine - Celebration Generation It sounds really good. I washed and sorted some cranberries and stuck them in the freezer. I am currently working my way through a bag of clementines and saving the peels.

I plan to try this: Cranberry Clementine Christmas Wine - Celebration Generation It sounds really good. I washed and sorted some cranberries and stuck them in the freezer. I am currently working my way through a bag of clementines and saving the peels.

Just a question on the recipe, they add 2 lb sugar to back sweeten but do not add sorbate for another 5-6 months. sounds like it would ferment all the sugar and still be dry with a higher abv.

 

[Raptor99]

I started a batch of cranberry clementine wine on Monday. When I find a recipe online, I usually compare several similar recipes and create my own version. I increased the amount of cranberries and decreased the amount of sugar. Here is what I used for a 1-gallon batch:
• 3 lbs. fresh cranberries (frozen, thawed and rough chopped)
• Peels from 10 clementine oranges
• 1.5 lbs. sugar
• 1/2 lb. golden raisins
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• water to make 9 pints
• 1 Campden tablet
After 12 hours:
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
After 12 more hours:
• 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1/2 tsp. yeast energizer
• Lalvin K1-V1116

Initial Brix: 21 (potential ABV around 12%)
Initial pH: 2.78

Notes:
1. My pH meter is probably out of calibration, so it might be a little higher than that. It does not taste overly acidic. It is fermenting fine 24 hours after adding the yeast. I will check pH and taste it at the first racking. Normally I try to get pH around 3.4 or 3.5. But this wine might be more acidic.
2. I plan to add another 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient on day 3. Normally I add that all at the beginning, but because this is more acidic I wanted to give the yeast every advantage.
3. For sweetening, I usually brew my wine completely dry and then sweeten with Swerve. But you can add sorbate and sugar if you prefer.

I agree with your question about the recipe on the link. You need to add sorbate before you add sugar for sweetening.

 

[Bossbaby]

how long would you age this wine b4 bottling?

 

[Raptor99]

I usually bulk age for 4-5 months once fermentation has stopped. Then another few months in the bottles, depending on the type of fruit. My goal for the Christmas cranberry wine that I started this week is to drink it next year for Christmas. This is a good time of year to get cheap fresh cranberries, so if I like it I might brew this every year in Dec.

 

[Bossbaby]

I've been buying fresh cranberries at the local market as they were on sale after Thanksgiving, and freezing them but they just raised the price back up out of no where! $2.00 per 12oz,

 

[Raptor99]

I got mine at Costco before Thanksgiving. $2.99 for a 2 lb. bag. But I don't know if they have them any more.

 

[Vinobeau]

I've been buying fresh cranberries at the local market as they were on sale after Thanksgiving, and freezing them but they just raised the price back up out of no where! $2.00 per 12oz,

The local Aldi & Pig had them for 99 cents per 12 oz bag. The local stale food store has the canned berries for 25 cents!! Just made 5 gallons with those and added a few cloves to it.

 

[Ikeya]

Yeah I bought 12oz bags for 50 cent each.... my freezer is full! Making wine and jam with it!!!

 

[Bossbaby]

I live in the cranberry Capitol of wisconsin I shouldn't be paying a premium!

 

[Paulietivo]

I live in Massachusetts and a friend has some cranberry boggs. 2 years ago we made some cranberry wine and this year we did another batch. Salute!

 

[DizzyIzzy]

I started a batch of cranberry clementine wine on Monday. When I find a recipe online, I usually compare several similar recipes and create my own version. I increased the amount of cranberries and decreased the amount of sugar. Here is what I used for a 1-gallon batch:
• 3 lbs. fresh cranberries (frozen, thawed and rough chopped)
• Peels from 10 clementine oranges
• 1.5 lbs. sugar
• 1/2 lb. golden raisins
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• water to make 9 pints
• 1 Campden tablet
After 12 hours:
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
After 12 more hours:
• 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1/2 tsp. yeast energizer
• Lalvin K1-V1116

Initial Brix: 21 (potential ABV around 12%)
Initial pH: 2.78

Notes:
1. My pH meter is probably out of calibration, so it might be a little higher than that. It does not taste overly acidic. It is fermenting fine 24 hours after adding the yeast. I will check pH and taste it at the first racking. Normally I try to get pH around 3.4 or 3.5. But this wine might be more acidic.
2. I plan to add another 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient on day 3. Normally I add that all at the beginning, but because this is more acidic I wanted to give the yeast every advantage.
3. For sweetening, I usually brew my wine completely dry and then sweeten with Swerve. But you can add sorbate and sugar if you prefer.

I agree with your question about the recipe on the link. You need to add sorbate before you add sugar for sweetening.

I have copied your receipe, but what the heck is "Swerve"?....................................DizzyIzzy

 

[sour_grapes]

I have copied your receipe, but what the heck is "Swerve"?....................................DizzyIzzy

Sugar Replacements & Baking Mixes | Swerve

 

[Raptor99]

Swerve is mostly Erythritol: FAQs | Swerve

 

[Raptor99]

Yesterday I racked my Cranberry Clementine wine into secondary. I did not measure the pH, but the taste is a little too acidic. I think that earlier the sugar masked the acidic flavor. Now I am trying to decide what to use to top it off. If I use more cranberry juice the pH will probably still be too low. One option would be to use the cranberry juice and add a small amount of potassium bicarbonate to raise the pH. Normally I try not to use chemical means to raise the pH, but this might be an exception. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions.

 

[Vinobeau]

Yesterday I racked my Cranberry Clementine wine into secondary. I did not measure the pH, but the taste is a little too acidic. I think that earlier the sugar masked the acidic flavor. Now I am trying to decide what to use to top it off. If I use more cranberry juice the pH will probably still be too low. One option would be to use the cranberry juice and add a small amount of potassium bicarbonate to raise the pH. Normally I try not to use chemical means to raise the pH, but this might be an exception. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions.

IMO, it depends on how you want your final product. Dry Cranberry wine is not my favorite, so after aging a bit and after adding Sorbitol, I would sweeten to taste and that should cut much of the over acidic taste.