Sorbate in canned cherries...

[Sirthomas42]

I'm trying to make a chocolate-cherry mead (a recipe of Jack Kellers, but Ithe forums tell me I don't have enough posts to link it) but the only marachino cherries I can find in town have potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate in them. Obviously, that's not going to ferment. Is there anything I can do to the cherries/syrup to ferment, or should I just forget it?

 

[Tom]

Look into the cherries in the baking isle used for cooking. See whats in them

 

[Tom]

You can always use frozen ones

 

[Sirthomas42]

Yeah, I checked. All the cherries I could find had sorbate in them. I was thinking of racking over them after the primary was done, but I'm leery of the cherries/syrup oversweetening.

I could use fresh/frozen cherries, tho the recipe calls for maraschino cherries. I suppose it wouldn't matter, since I don't really know the difference!

 

[fatbloke]

Or you could just make a traditional mead and then once the ferment has finished, rack it onto the cherries you wanted to use.

The preservative is only a worry during the ferment, as it "doesn't"...... so if you wanted to add the cherry flavour with steeping the fruit after the ferment is done, or see if you can obtain cherry juice, you could back sweeten/flavour with that as well.......

Oh and maraschino cherries are the ones that are candied for use with cakes etc, while it seems (anecdotal), that sour cherries are better for brewing........

 

[Sirthomas42]

sour cherries are better for brewing........

For most recipes, certainly... this particular recipe called specifically for jars of maraschino cherries. I did a little math and some research, I'll be able to use them, sorbate and all. I didn't have a chance to start it this weekend (had to make lime Skeeter Pee for the wife) but I'm just going to rack over the cherries/syrup in secondary. I'll just make the chocolate mead at the start, it should be fine.

 

[Sirthomas42]

We racked over the cherries/syrup the other day. The chocoloate mead had fermented dry (1.000) when we racked it, and the cherries/syrup raised the gravity back up to 1.020. (We have an extra gallon sans cherries set aside for later top up). Well, I look at it today, and it would seem the sorbate/benzoate isn't enough to totally inhibit the yeast -- it's fermenting like crazy, bubbles, foam, and the airlock going nuts.

So we'll see what the hydrometer says in a couple months.

 

[fatbloke]

We racked over the cherries/syrup the other day. The chocoloate mead had fermented dry (1.000) when we racked it, and the cherries/syrup raised the gravity back up to 1.020. (We have an extra gallon sans cherries set aside for later top up). Well, I look at it today, and it would seem the sorbate/benzoate isn't enough to totally inhibit the yeast -- it's fermenting like crazy, bubbles, foam, and the airlock going nuts.

So we'll see what the hydrometer says in a couple months.

Well that just means that there's enough yeast cells in the batch to continue the ferment. What yeast was it that was used ?

I don't see any mention of what the starting gravity was either. If there's not enough preservative in the cherries to stop the ferment, then that would explain why it's gone mad once racked over the fruit. If you've got any syrup left, then you can always use it for back sweetening later, once the ferment has finished to your satisfaction and you've stabilised it etc.....

 

[Sirthomas42]

Yeast was 71B-1122. OG was 1.084 -- I wanted a high enough gravity that if the cherries/syrup didn't ferment, it would be 10%+ abv. But I didn't want a gravity too much higher than that, in case the yeast couldn't handle all the sugar in the syrup -- I didn't want it crapping out early and leaving it too sweet.

I used all the jars of cherries/syrup, it's still bubbling away nicely. Even if the cherries didn't ferment, it'd still add the flavor while it aged, and would have hit my target sweetness at the end. The extra ferment is just a bonus now, higher abv. It should hit about 13% if it ferments out.

 

[fatbloke]

Well, I don't know about how the 71B will go with the cherry flavour, but its a good yeast for both traditionals than won't be aged for too long and cyser for its ability to metabolise some of the malic acid.

Sounds like its progressing well though, good on yer.

regards

fatbloke