Wild chokecherry wine - Page 6

**Yooper** · 08-18-2011, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wing Nut

That is the exact same one we have in town....I thought you ment five of those. Perhaps my us-metric conversions arent good enough. How would you use this in your version?

I used 5 pint bottles in 15 gallons, back when they had pint bottles for sale. These boxes are quite a big bigger, and I haven't used that size to know for sure.

I thought you said you were planning on using a luna rosa kit or a pinot. Sorry for the confusion!

rubijudi · 09-03-2011, 11:48 AM

When do you add the dark grape concentrates? And do you leave the mesh bags in while fermenting?

rubijudi · 09-03-2011, 11:54 AM

What are you doing in the picture? Have those choke cherries alread fermented? I can't figure out what you are doing?

**Yooper** · 09-03-2011, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubijudi

When do you add the dark grape concentrates? And do you leave the mesh bags in while fermenting?

I add the grape concentrate in the beginning, as per the recipe. I leave the mesh bag in for primary fermentation about 5-7 days.

**Yooper** · 09-03-2011, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubijudi

What are you doing in the picture? Have those choke cherries alread fermented? I can't figure out what you are doing?

He's using a strainer to really smash up the berries better before putting them in a mesh bag in the fermenter.

Karey · 10-02-2011, 02:51 PM

Yooper, I had 30lbs chokecherries last year and followed your recipe for 10 gallons. It tastes great! tho very dry. I've only bottled one 5 gallon carboy and am wondering if I should try sweetening the other a bit before bottling. And if so, would I need to stabilize it first, and with what? I've got those liquid chitosan and kieselsol (I've not used yet) and sparkalloid (I have used for SkeeterPee).

Due to a winter drought last winter I didn't get as much chokecherries. But they're in the freezer and will make what I can. This will be a regular wine I make, along with the kits I do.

**Powers** · 10-03-2011, 01:18 PM

You'll want to use potassium sorbate to stabilize. You can pick it up at your local wine or brew shop. Follow the amount-per-gallon instructions for the addition.

**Yooper** · 10-03-2011, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powers

You'll want to use potassium sorbate to stabilize. You can pick it up at your local wine or brew shop. Follow the amount-per-gallon instructions for the addition.

Yep! I'd use 1/2 teaspoon of sorbate per gallon, along with one crushed campden tablet per gallon, dissolved in hot water and then rack the wine into that. Wait a few days, sweeten to taste, and then wait a few days to ensure that fermentation hasn't restarted. Then you can bottle.

I don't normally use finings, as this wine clears quite well and some of my friends are vegetarians. But those clarifiers would work.

**Yooper** · 05-07-2012, 04:12 PM

We just bottled 16 gallons of this yesterday! It was a rainy day, and I had already washed all of the bottles so I got to it.

I had added some oak chips about a month ago, and they were a different kind this time because the oak was very very faint. I was happy with it, though, as it provided a bit of depth but no overt "oak".

We're done with chokecherries until they ripen again in August!