If I wanted to add chocolate to my wine

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Sammyk

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I have 2 batches going and would like to add chocolate to 1 gallons of each.

Can it still be added after fermentation? My cherry preserve and canned cherry wine will soon reach .99 in the next day or two when I will rack to 1 gallon carboys. Can I add chocolate to one gallon carboy? If so, what kind of chocolate and how much?

I posted a minute ago about my stuck red raspberry wine. I would also like to add chocolate too one gallon of the red raspberry wine too once I find out how to get it unstuck. If so, same question. How much chocolate and what kind?
 
Yes you can add it after fermentation, that is what I do, I use Lindt's 85% cocoa dark chocolate. There are some on here who will use cocoa powder but you are taking a chance of your wine not clearing. I have never had a problem with using the dark chocolate.
 
Hate to sound stupid, Julie, but is that a solid chocolate - not a powder? If so, do you melt it first?
 
It's a solid - chunks of a chocolate bar - and just sits in the bottom basically... It'll slowly impress its flavor upon the wine - i think it might be the alcohol that draws it out, or maybe just being in a liquid?
 
It might be jst being in a liquid, not sure but that is what I initially thought. Anyway, it leeches into your wine slowly and you can test it here and there to decide when you have enought. I would probably ue one bar for a gallon batch and check it after about 4 weeks, then every two weeks after that, I won't leave it in any longer than 12 weeks.
 
Do you think any dark chocolate bar will work? I don't think I have seen the Lindt's in bars......
 
yes any dark chocolate, try to keep it at least 65% cocoa
 
Here is a picture of some cherry wine I did. One with chocolate and one with chocolate and almonds.

DSCN2273.jpg
 
Wow Dan, How much chocolate did you use? It looks like allot!
 
Jack Keller has a whole page talking about adding chocolate to wine. We added some milk chocolate, the cassein in it helped really clear the wine. Cracked
 
hmmm I am thinking semi sweet chocolate chips? How many or each to a gallon, Dan?
 
If I remember right I added about 1/2 pound per three gallons. It is very chocolate forward. Next time i would cut the chocolate in half. I keep it in the wine during the secondary for about 30 days. My thoughts are you should be tasting the fruit first and then the chocolate second.
 
Some friends shared a bottle of chocolate wine recently they had bought from a local bar here in Wisconsin, was almost like Baileys, did not read the label but will pick up a bottle this week as we are heading back to Florida soon. Will get what info I can and share if anyone is interested.
Loren
 
I bought some pure chocolate extract after messing around with the chocolate bars. I added the extract at the last racking, before aging.... I felt I lost too much in all the racking to get the chocolate bars out of the wine.


And for the almond after many times of the pieces of almonds jamming up the racking cane, I went with pure almond extract.

The wine is just as good in comparison tastings as the "real chocolate" and toasted almonds.

The wine has kind of a cherry chocolate taste which we like and no hassle. And the extracts were a little cheaper then the chocolate bars and almonds I had to toast.

I added the above to red raspberry, cherry wine and strawberry wines I made from all fresh fruits. I decided that the combination would not taste good in my fresh peach and fresh blueberry wines.

Just my thoughts........!
 
I wanted to add, Dan's recipe was also great, I just found it much easier and less work to use the extracts. I don't regret trying it either! I did not mean to discourage anyone from making his version.
 
Hi guys, what about vanilla? i am making my christmass batch and wanted to add a bit, any tips?
 
vanilla beans or pure vanilla extract would work the best, I would stay away from anything that said imitation on it
 

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