Will this work?

[SarahRides]

I bought a few quarts of 100% cherry juice from Trader Joe's (I found their juice aisle and I think I'm in love!) and want to ferment it. I have a one gallon recipe using fresh cherries, I figured I would base it off of that recipe, add enough simple syrup to the juice to bring the SG to about 1.090 (as well as the acid blend, pectic enzyme, etc. from the fresh cherry recipe). I've never had cherry wine, but love cherries and can only imagine the wine will be really good. Or if not, it would probably be good to blend with something else.

 

[Tom]

1.090 is to high shoot for 1.080-85 tops. Also add pectic enzyme. make sure there is no sorbate

 

[SarahRides]

Good to know! The original fresh fruit recipe says 1.090, as far as I know (according to the label) there are no preservative in the juice.

 

[Tom]

make a starter. get another bottle for later for a f-pac

 

[Tom]

Good to know! The original fresh fruit recipe says 1.090, as far as I know (according to the label) there are no preservative in the juice.

How's the candy cane taste? I bottled it and boy what a peppermint flavor.

Of course I doctored it a bit

 

[SarahRides]

The candy cane has been fermenting for about 2 weeks, slow going but it's getting there........light pink in color. I tasted it a week ago and it was a fruity mint! (I'm sure from the yeast, there isn't any fruit in it) but I wouldn't mind if that's how it tasted in the end!

 

[Julie]

Like Tom says sg around 1.080, don't add any water, just use the juice and get a couple more bottles for an f-pac. m I do make cherry and if you like Cherries, you will love this wine.

I made a blueberry/pomegrante from Ocean Spray 100% juice and it turned out very well. You shouldn't have any problems with your cherry.

 

[SarahRides]

Thanks! I picked up a few more quarts of the 100% cherry juice, I will probably mix everything tonight, then when my LHBS opens Thursday pick up a few more things and pitch the yeast. I might end up having to buy fresh cherries and making the f-pac out of those if I can't stop adding the extra cherry juice to my skeeter pee!

 

[Wade E]

As long as it doesnt have sorbate or benzoate you should be just fine!

 

[Luc]

If it is 100% pure juice you will not have to make an f-pack.

I made 120 liter (about 30 gallon) last year and the flavor was overwhelming.
Just from pure juice:

http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2010/08/kersensap-cherryjuice.html

Luc

 

[SarahRides]

Thank you Luc! It sounds like an amazing process to work with that much fresh juice! I definitely hope that at some point soon to be skilled enough to start making wines like this without recipes out of a book, but more just out of pure understanding of the process and seeing what needs to be done with Brix, pH, acidity, etc.

 

[SarahRides]

Candy Cane wine is now stuck, I'm making another starter for it tonight. :0( I'm not surprised, all my unusual wines like this tend to get stuck! It has been 1.044 for 5 days. now.