cherry wine

[touchtoomuch]

i'm getting ready to start some cherry wine. Check out this recipe and tell me what you think...


30 lbs of Montmorency cherries


7 Old Orchard apple/cherry concentrate


4.5 gallons of water


acid blend to .6 TA


1 tsp tannin


8 tsp nutrient. 4 added at first and the other 4 added at 1/3 sugar depletion
Sugar to SG 1.085


4 tsp Pectic Enzyme





Tell me if any of ya would do anything slightly different?

Thanks Edited by: touchtoomuch

 

[grapeman]

I think it sounds pretty good myself. I would certainly test the pH and TA before beginning to modify the acid at all. Using 30 pound of Mont Cherries may be acid enough to bein with without extra.


What yeast are you planning on using?

 

[touchtoomuch]

I plan on testing the TA after it sits for 24 hours and adjust accordingly. If the Ta is at .6 or needs adjusted to .6 then I will use Cotes De Blanc yeast. If my Ta is over .6 then I figured I might use Lalvin 71b to lower it some..... Just my thoughts so far.

 

[Wade E]

I like to add yeast energizer to all my fruit wines and have never failed to ferment all the way.

 

[Bert]

Looks like it will make a pretty nice wine, but I don't see any Pectic enzyme in it....I like to use it on all fruit wine...just my 2 cents....

.....Good luck

 

[touchtoomuch]

OOPPs my bad. I forgot to write it down in the post. I plan on adding 4 tsp of Pectic Enzyment. I will see if i can edit the post...

 

[Bert]

Sounds like you have it covered.....it does look like it will be a nice wine...again good luck

 

[touchtoomuch]

Well, I mixed it all up and tested. My PH is 3.5 and my TA is .75 ...... I dont know if I should add more acid to get the PH down to 3.3 or not. I really hate to raise that TA anymore... Any thoughts or ideas???? Should i leave it at 3.5 and .75 TA???

 

[Waldo]

Did you use any suphites to protect the must?

 

[touchtoomuch]

Yes, I put in campden tabs right during mixing yesterday. I pitched cote des blancs yeast in this morning. We'll see is she takes off. I might have pitched it a little too soon...

 

[touchtoomuch]

Well, I transferred it into a secondary and all is well. it only took 3 1/2 days. That was quick. After 2 1/2 days i had 2 inches of foam and next day it was almost bone dry with no foam. I ended up with 8 gallons so far. There is very little bubble action going on. Hope I transfered it soon enough that I wont have problems later... I will post a picture after my next racking in a couple of weeks after the lees have settled. Edited by: touchtoomuch

 

[Wade E]

Look forward to seeing the pics of this batch.

 

[touchtoomuch]

Racked the wine today. Added 8 campden tabs, 4 tsp sorbate and stirred it very well. It smelled a little stinky. Not sure if it is H2S or Co2??? Splash racked it twice to try to get rid of the smell. Tastes a little funky but thats to be expected this early. Looks good anyhow. I was dieing to add superkleer to it to speed up the clearing process, but kept telling myself to let nature do its job and it will probably taste better. I am posting a pic. I am now down to 7.5 gallons after the racking. Will let it set for a couple of months and rack again

 

[First250]

Did you ever adjust the pH ? And if so, how did you do it? If not, could it be cause of the odor you describe? I ask as a newbie just trying to learn... Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Unusual tastes or aromas are usually due to the addition (either knowingly or unknowingly) of bizare ingredients.


I started to make strawberry wine once.
Went to a commercialstrawberry field, got numerous pounds of the "ripest", not freshest, berries I could get and brought them home.


I started one Saturday morning and it just so happened that Marcy was home that day.
As I was happily adding my ripe berries a hand full at a time, Marcy helped out by adding, unbenounced to me, the left over strawberries basking in balsom vinigar.


Uh huh.


It started out great and after about five days it smelled and tastedlike burning rubber. [chuckles]
It wound up on the front lawn (another mistake since it stunk there for another couple days till it rained. [laughing]


I laugh when I think about it but it stands to point.


Take care in what you add and the condition of it when you add it.


Handyman

 

[Wade E]

Did you use nutrient and energizer with this batch as not enough of either can sometimes stress a yeast when the fruit itself is nutrient deficient.

 

[touchtoomuch]

Wade,


I used 8 tsp of LD Carlson nutrient. The recipe that I was useing and other cherry recipies never asked for energizer. I keep reading in forums where people are using Fermaid K and Goferm.. I dont really know much about these and if they replace the Nutrient that I am using???? Cant really find the answer?

 

[touchtoomuch]

I left the PH alone and added no other acid. I figure that the acid is high enough and if i need to throw in a little extra sulphites to get the level right, I will just have to.... 3.5 isn't way high. Just would like to have been able to get it to 3.3 without sending acid levels sky high... OH well... It shouldn't take much extra suphites at 3.5 to protect it..

 

[Wade E]

Yes they are different brands and may be better but I am also not schooled that much to know the answer. All i know is that I use both nutrient and energizer and have never had any off flavors or H2S smells this way.

 

[Wade E]

Yes they are different brands and may be better but I am also not schooled that much to know the answer. All i know is that I use both nutrient and energizer and have never had any off flavors or H2S smells this way. Love the avatar!!!!