Black Cherry Cider

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decostanza

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I was at the local store spending time in the juice aisles thinking about various things that could be turned into adult beverages and saw 100% black cherry juice...anyone ever try anything like this as a cider and if so, how did it turn out?
thx,
Don
 
I'd be willing to bet you could find a thread on here somewhere about someone trying it. ;)

My guess would be that it would be on the tart side when fermented dry. I bet treating it as a wine with some backsweetening would make a nice after dinner sipper. Let us know how it goes.
 
We just started a batch of cherry this week. It's fermenting well so far. I suspect PP is correct about the tartness. Be ready to add more sugar than normal to get to the gravity you want. Cherry juice usually has less sugar than apple juice. Try some and let's know how it turns out!
 
im currently doing a 1 gallon batch of cherry/apple cider. 32 oz black cherry and the rest apple. not sure how it would be just the cherry. maybe ill try that next time !
 
Thanks for the input...did a quick search and didnt find what I was looking for so I thought I'd see what success folks have had recently. Will probably spin up a 1 gal test batch and post results when finished.
 
I just drank my first batch of cherry/apple cider. Just a gallon. I used lavlin 1118, so- it's very dry. The stuff was blood red at purchase.... The 1118 ate all the sugar and it is super clean now, like cherry 7up clear. I used two tablespoons if honey to carb, but, it didn't work too well. Next time I'm using an ale yeast because I can't really taste the cherry;(
 
I ran a cider dry and back sweetened with red grape juice, its delicious! I bet the black cherry backsweeten would be incredible
 
I ran a cider dry and back sweetened with red grape juice, its delicious! I bet the black cherry backsweeten would be incredible

Just yesterday I started an Oat Graff that I will be backsweetening with black cherry juice/cherry-apple concentrate from Old Orchard (so I don't dilute the ABV too much). I have a feeling it is going to be pretty tasty. :cross:
 
thanks guys for the input...didnt consider just backsweetening with the black cherry...sometimes the obvious is hidden in plain sight
 
Tasted and bottled my black cherry apple blend. I will say it tasted really good. Almost Zinfandel like. I'm guessing tannins from the cherry. I love Zinfandel so its a win win for me lol
 
ssuchem said:
Tasted and bottled my black cherry apple blend. I will say it tasted really good. Almost Zinfandel like. I'm guessing tannins from the cherry. I love Zinfandel so its a win win for me lol

What amounts did you use? Yeast?
 
Did you check the FG?

It sounds to me like it went all the way to 1.000, because super dry cider tastes a lot like white wine to me, so I can imagine with the black cherry.

Next glass you pour, try adding a teaspoon of sugar and seeing if it makes it taste more like what you were hoping. You can add more if you need to. The sugar will knock the carbonation out but it will be a nice experiment for one bottle. If you prefer the sweetness, then next time you can backsweeten and pasteurize
 
Did you check the FG?

It sounds to me like it went all the way to 1.000, because super dry cider tastes a lot like white wine to me, so I can imagine with the black cherry.

Next glass you pour, try adding a teaspoon of sugar and seeing if it makes it taste more like what you were hoping. You can add more if you need to. The sugar will knock the carbonation out but it will be a nice experiment for one bottle. If you prefer the sweetness, then next time you can backsweeten and pasteurize

It was 1.010 and I did back sweeten and I'm pasturizing tonight
 
I used tart cherry juice recently on a mead (slightly off topic here) and stopped fermentation with a little sweetness left - it isn't bad (still bulk aging). My biggest concern was not to have so much sugar left that it tasted like cough syrup - and it doesn't.
I would work carefully with how much residual sweetness you have to avoid a chance of cough syrup flavors.
 
Sorry ssuchem, I obviously missed you saying that before.

Strange to me that stopping at 1.010 and back sweetening still resulted in a wine taste.
 
tasted my finished cider tonight and it is perfect!!!. lightly carbed, perfect sweetness, very blueberry/grape flavors, with a cherry finish. very wine like. but now the sweetness and carb make it not as sharp/dry. reminds me of a blendeded wine. it honestly tastes alot like wild blues blueberry lager. it packs quite a punch alcohol wise, i got a nice buzz off one, and im a big guy. it literally is probably the best cider ive ever tasted. its gonna be the next big batch i make for sure.
 
next time im gonna up back sweeten with black cherry juice and see how that compares. i also debated adding cherry blossom tea to it to see if it boosts the cherry aroma.
 
so day 2 and im drinking another one of my black cherry cider right now. the wine notes have become more fluid if that makes sense. hard to tell it is apple at all. some cherry notes have become more pronounced. also carbonation level is holding steady ( i dishwasher pasteurized it) very fine micro bubbles. almost like a wine spritzer. overall by far some the best alcohol ive ever tasted. and i just so happened to make it on a whim. great accident huh?
 
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