Willd Choke Cherry Wine

[rubijudi]

When do you add the 5 dark grape concentrates for the Wild Choke Cherry recipe that makes calls for 45 pounds of choke cherries?

Also, when you pull the bags out of the fermenter and squeeze, what do you mean "let them drain back into the fermenter, and throw out fruit when draining stops"? I would think that once the bag is squeezed, the bag gets thrown away?

Is a mess bag a good idea to include in the fermenation process, wouldn't it be better to exclude the mesh bag?

Please advise..

 

[Yooper]

I add the grape concentrate right into the must at the beginning.

I drain the mesh bag over the fermenter, and then squeeze it to get out all of the juice I can.

You don't have to use a mesh bag, but it makes it a lot easier to remove the fruit.

 

[rubijudi]

I have a lid for my bucket of must. You say to use a towel to cover it. Can I use my lid with air lock during the entire process start to finish of fermentation and of course after racking without it blowing up on me? I just tie the mesh bag with a tie or knot..

Thanks for your replies.

 

[Yooper]

I have a lid for my bucket of must. You say to use a towel to cover it. Can I use my lid with air lock during the entire process start to finish of fermentation and of course after racking without it blowing up on me? I just tie the mesh bag with a tie or knot..

Thanks for your replies.

As long as you're stirring frequently, the lid and airlock would be fine. It's easiest to stir it if you don't have to fight with the lid to stir the must, then resanitize the lid and put it back on, but it won't harm it.

 

[rubijudi]

I have one last remaining question for this portion of the wine making process. Where do you pour the yeast? In the mesh or into the fluid outside the mesh bag? The question goes the same for all the other ingredients i.e., yeast nutient, pectic enzyme, acid blend.. Hopefully it does not matter.

I put all the ingredients directly into the mesh bag, yeast and all. What do you say??