Chocolate Cherry wine help

[Hunt]

I have been looking for a good cherry wine to make into a chocolate cherry wine. I found a 1 gal recipe that I wanted to run past you all and see what you think before I have a go at the wine.

The recipe calls for
6 lbs mixed cherries
1/2 pts grape conc.
7 pts water
2 3/4 lbs sugar
3/4 tsp pectic enzyme
1 campden crushed
1 pkg sherry or port yeast

going for a sg of 1.100 to 1.110

Does that sound like an ok recipe or too much cherries.

 

[vernsgal]

I think it looks okay. For fruit I found its always good for 6-10 lbs/gal.
I suggest using some yeast nutrient with that.And especially since you're going with a high SG make sure to step feed. When are you adding the chocolate? What type? Some use cocoa others dark chocolate.
I made a cherry chocolate back in Nov. but being my 1st and still real young, I can't say how good it'll be.

 

[Hunt]

Gonna use cocoa powder. Sounds like a tone of fruit setting as I'm gonna make 6 gal

 

[Julie]

I wouldn't recommend coca powder, you will have a clearing issue.

 

[peaches9324]

cocoa nibs or chocolate covered cherries

 

[vernsgal]

Like Julie mentioned, cocoa can cause clearing issues.If you do go with the cocoa use bentonite in the primary. 1/2-1 tsp/gal. I found I like to use the Lindt chocolate ( I believe it was Julie that recommended this ) 1 bar/gal.
6-10lb/gal sounds like a lot but to end with a good fruit flavor it's needed.

 

[Julie]

LOL, yes Kim that is what I use. I think their is a difference in flavor between the dark chocolate and the powder, the powder seems to inhibit the wine while the dark chocolate stays distinctive, like you first get a taste of the wine, then it finishes with a chocolate taste.

 

[Hunt]

Sounds good. Would fresh or frozen cherries be best for this. Also if using the chocolate bar when do you add it. My understanding of the cocoa powder was to blend a cup of must with the cocoa powder. Is it still the same idea or should I just break the bars up and drop into primary

 

[Julie]

break the bars up and put them in, I normally put mine in after fermentation.

 

[Hunt]

Sounds good. I'm getting really excited about this. I have had a chocolate cherry wine that blew my socks off. I'm looking forward to seeing if I can make something even close

 

[Hunt]

The cherry wine is ready to go into secondary today. I wanted to confirm how much chocolate to add to the secondary. I read 1 bar per gallon. Each of the Lindt chocolate bars has 10 individual squares is each square considered a bar or is it all 10 squares equal one bar?

 

[Hunt]

Also should i stabilize the wine before adding the chocolate