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winemaker_3352 · 08-09-2010, 08:23 PM

Racked my choke cherry wine for the first time back sweetened to 1.018 (might need to be a little sweeter). Tasted it and it didn't taste half bad. Was real astringent - other than that - it has nice aroma, body, and sweetness!!

djrockinsteve · 08-09-2010, 08:29 PM

Alright and thanks to Doug (ffemt) I picked around 5 -6 pounds of choke cherries today. Then I bought 20 pounds of cherries from GFS (not cheap but still okay at $45.00 a case. With this I'll make a chocolate choke cherry wine (5 gal).

Jon you sweetened to 1.018 that's interesting as I didn't know how sweet to make it. I have a bottle of chocolate cherry wine here I'll take a gravity reading when it gets opened and see.

You said it was a bit astringent, anything in hindsite to offset that or will time remedy that?

winemaker_3352 · 08-09-2010, 08:48 PM

I up'ed the tannin level a bit - b/c i added the welchs red grape concentrate instead of the winExpert.

I also added a full vanilla bean - which is more than what i was suppose to.

Back sweetening did help the astringent a bit - being that this is just a month old - it will just take some more time.

winemaker_3352 · 08-10-2010, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djrockinsteve

Alright and thanks to Doug (ffemt) I picked around 5 -6 pounds of choke cherries today. Then I bought 20 pounds of cherries from GFS (not cheap but still okay at $45.00 a case. With this I'll make a chocolate choke cherry wine (5 gal).

Jon you sweetened to 1.018 that's interesting as I didn't know how sweet to make it. I have a bottle of chocolate cherry wine here I'll take a gravity reading when it gets opened and see.

You said it was a bit astringent, anything in hindsite to offset that or will time remedy that?

Let me know what your choc cherry wine SG is. I just sweetened to taste and that usually falls in the higher end of the medium sweet area. I might add a little more sugar later on - will wait and see.

djrockinsteve · 08-10-2010, 06:27 PM

I have been making 2 different gravity's for my wines. My wife prefers dry but LOVES WINE. nuff said. Kids and griends like sweeter. I'll take 5 gallons and sweeten to a medium dry, bottle 2 gallons, then sweeten the other 3 gallons between 1.010 and 1.020 depending upon what it is.

I look at if the fruit is normally a sweet taste I'll make the wine sweet as opposed to something that is a little more dry. I like a variety.

No one has ever complained. I will let you know. Hope to start soon.

winemaker_3352 · 08-10-2010, 06:30 PM

Yeah - i just started making fruit wines this year - and i have made those more on the sweet side.

**pwrose** · 09-13-2010, 05:17 PM

hey jon hows the chokecherry doing now? Is it still bulk aging or have you bottled it yet?
If it is still bulk aging when are you due to rack it again?

I am still bulk aging mine but because I added the extra wine tannins (which I have learned now not to do with chokecherries) it is very harsh on the backend taste. I sweetened mine I believe to 1.022 or there abouts.

Just checking in on yours to see how it was going.

winemaker_3352 · 09-13-2010, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwrose

hey jon hows the chokecherry doing now? Is it still bulk aging or have you bottled it yet?
If it is still bulk aging when are you due to rack it again?

I am still bulk aging mine but because I added the extra wine tannins (which I have learned now not to do with chokecherries) it is very harsh on the backend taste. I sweetened mine I believe to 1.022 or there abouts.

Just checking in on yours to see how it was going.

Yeah - mine is still in the carboy - it is still clearing - i won't bottle this for a while. Like you - i add tannins that i don't think it really needed. I found out later that chokecherries are high in tannins.

I will probably leave it in the carboy for a full year before bottling.

I still might sweeten some more - i did sweeten to 1.018 - but i might sweeten some more later depending on taste.

Is yours doing well?

**pwrose** · 09-13-2010, 05:27 PM

Mine has cleared up pretty good considering that you can barley see threw this black wine in the first place. But I dont know if I will be able to keep it in a carboy that long, I might have to bottle this right after the first of the year. I will have the strawberries comming into season around Mar or so and will need all the carboys free by then. LOL

winemaker_3352 · 09-13-2010, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwrose

Mine has cleared up pretty good considering that you can barley see threw this black wine in the first place. But I dont know if I will be able to keep it in a carboy that long, I might have to bottle this right after the first of the year. I will have the strawberries comming into season around Mar or so and will need all the carboys free by then. LOL

Mine is in a gallon carboy - so they are pretty cheap for another. What size are you doing?