Sour Cherry Wine Question

jcarey · 06-14-2010, 06:22 AM

i currently have 8 gallons of sour cherry wine fermenting. i started it about 3 days ago and tonight check the sg and it was at 1.004 from a starting sg of 1.080. i tasted the wine i used to check the sg and it was really sour. much more sour than i expected. i was wondering what i could do to control the acid bite in the wine without making it a sweet wine. i know the cherries are high in malic acid and found out after the fact that i could have used a yeast strain that helps in reducing the malic acid during fermentation. i know the wine isn't finished fermenting yet and i know that by aging the wine will help in some of that bite. but i am afraid that it is going to be too sour even after allowing it to age properly. and my cherries were very ripe when i harvested them, i also froze prior to crushing. Thanks

**Yooper** · 06-14-2010, 02:29 PM

Sour cherry wine is harsh and astringent for about 9 months after making it, but it gradually smooths into a wonderful wine.

A meadmaker named Ken Schramm told me at a conference to use some honey to "smooth" out sour cherry wine, and I tried it. He was right- it turned out great! I only used about 1/2 cup of honey, and the honey fermented out.

I think the combination of time, and the little bit of honey, gave the wine it's smooth rich flavor.

Winemaking, especially with fruits like sour cherries, is not for the inpatient.

Since you're below 1.010, it's time to rack to secondary, top up, and walk away for at least a couple of months. Rack whenever you have lees 1/4" thick after 60 days, top up and then let it be.

jcarey · 06-15-2010, 10:14 AM

hey thanks for your quick reply. i will definitely give the honey a go. i knew it was going to take some time to properly do this. i was just worried that after all the waiting was over it wasn't going to turn out quite the way i wanted. but i guess that's half the battle in a home-brew.