Cherry Wine

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summersolstice

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Cherry Wine

I had a request for a cherry wine recipe. This is one I've used for a couple of years. I thank my friend Steve for this recipe, tweaked just a little. The recipe makes five gallons.

This really needs to be back sweetened just a little to offset the tartness.


16-18 lbs tart cherries
8 cups sugar, or enough to bring SG up to 1.080-1.085 (11.5% ABV)


1 tbsp bentonite, dissolved in 1/2 c. hot water
1 tbsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp tannin
1 tbsp yeast nutrient
24 oz. dried cranberries (optional)
12 oz. raisins (optional)
2 oz. french oak powder (optional)
1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite, or 5 crushed campden tablets
1 packet Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast

Do not add these ingredients until called for:

1 package of Super-Kleer KC (do not add until step 2)
2-1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate (step 3)
Additional sulfite or campden tablets (step 3)
2-3 oz. LD Carlson Cherry Flavor Extract (optional - step 3)

My numbers before pitching (yours may vary):

Starting SG: 1.082
Temperature: 71° F

Instructions

In a 6+ gallon primary bucket, mix the water, bentonite slurry, pectic enzyme, tannin, yeast nutrient, and metabisulfite (or campden) and mix everything real well. Rinse and drain fruit, including the raisins and cranberries (if you use them) put it in a straining bag, if desired, tie the bag shut, and add to primary. Take your initial SG reading and add enough sugar to bring the SG up to 1.080-1.085. I ended up using 8 cups of sugar, but you may have different results.

Optionally, you can also add oak powder at this point. For those who don't care for the taste of oak, it doesn't add a noticeable oakiness, but rather more of a vanilla flavor. I used a good quality french oak powder with medium toast.

Put the lid on the bucket and allow to set overnight. The following morning, move the bucket to a warm room (68-75 degrees) and sprinkle the yeast on top of the juice mixture. Do not stir. Place the lid loosely on the primary.

In a few hours you should see the yeast begin to foam. When the foam covers the entire surface of the juice, stir it in gently.

The bag will float on the surface. Just flip it over a couple of times a day to keep it moist. Check the SG daily. When it reaches 1.000, proceed to Step 2.


Step 2 - Transfer to Secondary. Proceed to this step when SG reaches 1.000 or less

At this point, the wine should no longer be foaming but will still be producing small bubbles. If the wine is still producing considerable foam, leave it for another day or so until the foaming subsides.

With clean hands, gently squeeze out the bag of fruit (if used) and discard. Transfer the contents of the primary to a 5-gallon carboy. Try to avoid transferring the oak powder (if used), but some lees are fine and even desirable at this point. The level of the wine should come at least halfway into the shoulder of the carboy, but not into the neck. If the level is too low, add water to bring it to this level.

Fit an airlock on the top of the carboy. Continue monitoring the SG until it no longer drops further and remains stable for 2-3 days.

To begin clearing process, add packet # 1 (kieselsol) of the Super-Kleer. Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes. The stirring will cause some foaming and help release trapped carbon dioxide, which will aid in clearing. Add packet # 2 (chitosan) and continue stirring for another minute or two. Top up the wine (with another wine or some water) to within 2 inches of the opening and replace the airlock.

Allow the wine to sit until clear (normally a week to 10 days) before proceeding to Step 3.


Step 3 - Stabilize and Bottle

After a week to 10 days, the wine should be completely clear. You can check this by shining a flashlight through the carboy. You should not see the beam. If it isn't clear, allow it to sit for another week and check again.

Rack the wine into a clean carboy, leaving all of the lees behind. Add 2-1/2 tsp potassium sorbate and 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite (or 5 crushed campden tablets) to 1/3 cup of cool water and mix well. Add sorbate/sulfite mixture to the wine and stir.

If you plan on sweetening the wine (recommended), you can make up sugar syrup as follows. For each 1% residual sugar of sweetness desired, add 1 cup of sugar to 1/2 cup of wine in a small saucepan. Heat on low, stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool and stir into finished wine.

If you prefer a stronger cherry flavor, you can also add 2-3 ounces of LD Carlson cherry extract.

The wine may be filtered (optional) and bottled at this point. However, if you are not bottling immediately, top up the carboy and replace the airlock.
 
That Looks very good. Revvy and I were just discussing last night the potential complexity that Raisins and Dried Cranberries could lend to a pear wine we're working on.
Have you had variations both with and without? I'm looking for confirmation that they do in fact add a lot without adding "Cranberry Flavor"
 
I've had variations of several wines with and without raisins and I've found that raisins do indeed add considerably to a finished wine. It adds mouthfeel and contributes to the fullness of the wine, even in a lower end wine kit. Bananas affect wine in a similar fashion (frozen,thawed - peel and all). White grape (Niagara) concentrate is also a very good addition to lighter fruit wines and meads.

Although I've tried the dried cranberries, I haven't tried the same wine with and without so I can't say one way or another if there's an advantage. However, I do know that the addition of other fruits (dried, fresh, and juice) adds a level of complexity.
 
I guess it isn't too clear, is it? This isn't a juice recipe - I used three and a half pounds of fresh frozen cherries for each gallon of water to make a 5 gallon batch. I'll edit the post to make it clearer.
 
The recipe looks really good. I have just finished pitting 100 lbs of tart cherries. Sheesh. Its not clear to me how the cherries should be prepared for this recipe. Should they be mashed, or blended in a blender? Should I include the cherries in the straining bag you refer to above? Thanks much for the recipe and help.
 
The recipe looks really good. I have just finished pitting 100 lbs of tart cherries. Sheesh. Its not clear to me how the cherries should be prepared for this recipe. Should they be mashed, or blended in a blender? Should I include the cherries in the straining bag you refer to above? Thanks much for the recipe and help.

I hate to tell you this now that the work's finished but there's really no need to pit the cherries. As for the fruit preparation, freeze them and then thaw. Squeeze them with your hands either before or after placing them in the straining bag.
 
Am I supposed to add water besides the 1/2 cup? I don't think there is 5 gallons worth of juice in there.
Thanks for the help.
 
I guess what I don't really "get" is why the bentonite is being added at the beginning? What purpose does adding a clearing agent serve the wine at that stage?
 
I guess what I don't really "get" is why the bentonite is being added at the beginning? What purpose does adding a clearing agent serve the wine at that stage?

Bentonite is a negatively charged substance and when hydrated and added to wine, it will attract the positively charged particulate in the wine. As bentonite hydrates and swells, it becomes like a sponge which accounts for it's very large surface area. When it is mixed thoroughly into the wine and is dispersed throughout, the positively charged matter in the wine attaches to the bentonite. The weight of the molecules then cause the matter to drop to the bottom of the container.

There are two different schools of thought on when to add bentonite. One school says to add it to the must before you add yeast. The other suggests that bentonite should be added after fermentation has been completed. There is no right or wrong answer, and with your own experimentation, you may end up with your own preference. Regardless of when you add it, the actions of bentonite are the same. However, some believe that there is an additional benefit when adding to the must before fermentation begins.
 
Ya, I wonder what the benefit could possibly be. It's basically a special purpose kitty litter. I just used it for the first time to remove a haze that wouldn't settle out of a fruit juice wine (worked great!) but I don't think I would ever use it at the beginning, seems like just a waste. Once the yeasties get moving they'll be kicking everything back up in the must anyways.
 
Well, one away. I put a batch to rest tonight. 16 lbs. cherries, 2.5 lbs raisins and 10 cups of cane sugar. The batch size was 4 gallons and the SG. was 1.080. This is the first time I have ever done something like this. I am looking forward to the finished product.
 
Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but I used this as my first brewing experiment, modified slightly (I added 12 oz ground chocolate), and after the first transfer, it already tastes amazing. Thank you, sir.
 
I have made this wine before and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am getting ready to make it again. I happen to have in the pantry a liter of red grape concentrate I was going to use in a blackberry wine. Do you think this will add well to this wine? If I use it should I delete the raisins and cranberry? Finally, if I add it will it sweetn the wine substantially? I like my wines dry (cabernets, chiantis, etc...). Or will the sweetness come from the back end of the process. I do not have a ton of wine experience so any advise would be appreciated.
 
First time wine maker here, just ordered all my finings from NB. Cant wait to make this batch of wine. Sounds fantastic!
 
Cherries are super cheap and AWESOME at the moment in lovely BC! just bought about 30 lbs of the beauties (Bing Cherries I think--they're real sweet) and I'm thinking of making this recipe, anybody have any pointers or tasting notes? I'm thinking of bumping the OG up to 1.1 or so. Sound like a good idea?

I'm game for a dry or a semi-dry, but I'd like to maintain a strong hint of this wonderful cherry flavor.

EDIT: or, if not for this particular recipe, what might I expect from a Cherry Wine in general? SWMBO is eyeing my cherries for canning purposes, so I need to convince her the wine would be worthwhile (if, indeed, it would be). Anything helps!
 
I stumbled on this post (as many do). And I am about to ferment about 64# of cherries I just yielded from my Cherry tree in my front yard. This post and the comments gave me a lot information I was looking for! I'm even more confident than I was this afternoon. Prost!
 
Anyone make this recently or have any other comments or suggestions about the process?
 
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