Candy Cane wine Recipe

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kat777

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Any GOOD candy cane recipes out their. I thought since xmas is over anyone who made this kind of wine had a chance to taste it and so I am looking for a good recipe so I can make some.
 
Kat,

There was a recipe on another wine making forum for Candy Cane Wine. I purchased 120 candy canes and as soon as I have an empty carboy and going to start a batch.
 
Any GOOD candy cane recipes out their. I thought since xmas is over anyone who made this kind of wine had a chance to taste it and so I am looking for a good recipe so I can make some.


The thread linked from winepress US was one that i had started, I never did make the canned pumpkin wine, it just didn't sound good.

The CC wine was 24 ish canes per gallon (melted in a pot of water)
Sugar to Sg1090
Yeast and nutrient

I have friends that really like the Peppermint CC wine, i myself aren't a big peppermint fan, BUT i made another from wild cherry flavored CC's and it turned out quite nice.

If you do make this wine, make a GOOD starter, and most of all be very very patient, its a VERY slow ferment and you wont see much visible fermenting going on, i made both of mine in a carboy and never used a primary, if you see action in the airlock, its fermenting, keep it warm while fermenting this wine likes that. Give it a week or 2 to finish but like i said be patient.

Good luck keep me posted.

This wine goes on my list of weird wines i've made lol
 
Hello all, :D:D

I just started a batch of Candy Cane wine April 4 2009, I used the recipe in the Wine Maker Magazine from Jan 2009, volume 11, no. 6.

Really simple. I used 144 candy canes (not 60), for about a 4 gallon batch.
Used the yeast Lelvin EC-1118. I was fermenting in about 6 hours.:rolleyes:

Everything I read said it was a slow fermentation process but I have a good
fermentation process going on right now its been 24 hours. (April 5th 10:20 PM)

Candy Cane smell is gone (or i'm used to it) smell like regular wine to me.
I'll keep posting as the wine progresses. :p
 
Candy Cane Wine

Ingredients
60 candy canes (or more) - regular size
7.5 lbs sugar
3 gallons water
Lalvin EC-1118 yeast


Bring about 1 gal water to boil
Add candy canes till dissolved
Boil another 45 - 60 minutes
Pour into remaining water
add sugar
rack after a week and again in two months
 
Candy Cane Wine

Ingredients
60 candy canes (or more) - regular size
7.5 lbs sugar
3 gallons water
Lalvin EC-1118 yeast


Bring about 1 gal water to boil
Add candy canes till dissolved
Boil another 45 - 60 minutes
Pour into remaining water
add sugar
rack after a week and again in two months

There is much talk on this one on Homebrewtalk.com, I myself have this one going.......first I only used 5lbs sugar.....second I used cambden tablets before pitching the yeast (I wouldn't do this again) and it changed the color from a nice pink to an orangish pink.....It has been fermenting quite fast. I noticed a white deposit that formed on the bottom of my carboy after adding the sugar. After two weeks of fermentation I noticed that this white deposit is gone but now there is a white film on the top. Oh well will keep an eye it and will try to get rid of the film when I rack it next.
 
This wine is about done fermenting for me. Well the nice pink color changed to a dull pale cream color. Taste so far? Like a weak Peppermint Schnopps.
 
I made this starting in January (from 80% off candy canes). I did add 6 cans of Welch's Niagra concentrate and made a 3 gallon batch. I noticed the same color transitions as you did, and the same white film. It will go away as you do rackings. Mine is so far decent, the concentrate gave it a bit of body, which I figured would be missing otherwise.

My plan is to create an f-pac out of more candy canes to sweeten it, and hopefully re-color it pink. I figure if you're making a candy cane wine, it should be some shade other than white! This will probably entail some more racking and waiting for it to clear again, as well as some more of that white film. hopefully the color doesn't settle out again!
 
Deboard, can you give us an update on this wine? As we are coming into season some more folks may be interested in your results, what to do and what not to do's.

Thanks
 
Great! Another wine to make. I'll scoff the candy canes up after the holidays.

This brings to mind a question....can/how do you color a wine like this? I think a red or pink might be nice.
 
Great! Another wine to make. I'll scoff the candy canes up after the holidays.

This brings to mind a question....can/how do you color a wine like this? I think a red or pink might be nice.

Steve some of the comments I have heard is no body, a weak Peppermint Schnapps and clear to pale pink color. This is why I would like a follow up from someone that has made it and see if they would do it again. Also what would they do different.
 
Maybe it would need an extract. I'm very excited about this especially since I don't have to keep candy canes in the freezer where the other fruit is waiting.
 
Dan
I have done it and am planning to be at the store tomorrow to get canes again! The color of mine started as a pretty rose but as it fermented changed to a pale yellow. I added two drops red food coloring per bottle to bring back the color. Scoff if you might but the red looks more festive! Tastes like peppermint schnapps but with a wine tone to it. Tastes great with chocolate or my newly famous gingerbread rice crispy treats! I did this as an experiment as canes cost about $2 on clearance and sugar and yeast is cheap! I'm happy with the results and am willing to try other favors too! Chocolate peppermint comes to mind? A sour apple for Halloween? If you have a Carnot to experememt try it! Be warned mine developed a white sludge that floated and coated the upper edges of the carnot that had me concerned but turned out harmless, must have been some additive to the canes. I used 75 canes for 3 gallons, I think I will bump it up just a bit more, maybe another box or two.
 
The comment of no body seems about right too, I have heard of people adding a banana soup to this to add body. We are no wine snobs but my wife and I like it!
 
Sounds like something worth trying! The wild cherry sounds good too. They also have starburst flavored candy canes at walmart I bet that would be good.
 
Sorry I must have missed the update request from a while back, but the candy canes will be on sale soon:

The wine turned out actually very good. The only problem I had was clearing it. It just refused to get clear, something in the candy canes was either charged or just stubborn. I tried gelatin finings, sparkalloid, and finally super kleer. The last two really cleaned it up, and after 9 months of racking, I finally felt like it was clear. But after bottling I still ended up with a very small amount of fine white sediment in the bottom. Did not seem to affect the wine, it tasted pretty good. But if I decided to do something like this again, I'd probably use either mint leaves or something else and just make a peppermint wine.

I gave all of mine away this season, and seemed like everyone was happy.

Here is the recipe I used:

3 gallon recipe

96 candy canes
6 cans niagara grape concentrate (Welch's frozen white grape concentrate).

1/8 tsp k-meta
5 tsp yeast nutrient (high because this is hard to get yeast started)
3 tsp acid blend (should check acid level and modify accordingly)
Starting SG 1.090 (You may need to add additional sugar)

3/4 tsp Wine Tannin
1 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme

Boil candy canes in 1 gallon water until dissolved
put grape concentrate in primary (after thawing)
Pour candy cane solution into primary
Add water to make total 3 1/2 gallons (1/2 gallon for top up later)

After 24 hours:
Yeast lalvin EC-1118 (chosen for it's ability to ferment just about anything)
Make yeast starter - rehydrate yeast, add some must and let it start. Add more and let it start. Add this to primary.


After a few rackings and clearing, add potassium sorbate to stabilize. Then at next racking add candy cane flavor pack.

Candy Cane Flavor pac (f-pac) for sweetening:

24 candy canes
1 1/4 cup water

Boil water, add candy canes and dissolve. Allow to boil down to approximately 1 cup. Cool and use to sweeten wine.
My personal preference is that if it has to be sweet then it's semi-sweet. Adjust the amount of sugar to your preference. 2 cups may be more to your liking, and you may have to use more candy canes or add sugar.
 
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