Wild Cherries - Help & advice needed please!

[Her Lushness]

I think I've found some wild cherries, but want to be 100% sure before I go back and pick loads

I've just tasted one, and it tastes like plum, and the flesh inside looks like plum, could it be a dwarf wild plum and not a wild cherry?!

IMG_0107.jpg

Also, does anyone have any recipes for WILD cherry wine? or if not, any ideas on quantities and what to add?

[Duffbeer]

Yep sure look like cherries to me.
Any cherry recipe will do ,aim for about 3lb to the gallon and treat like plums remove the stones, extra pectolase & avoid boiling water etc.

[Her Lushness]

Do they taste like plums then? and not cherries as I'd recognise taste wise?

[Duffbeer]

the distinct cherry flavour that we tend to relate to is more prominent in black cherries, though I wouldn't say they tasted like plums, but that dominent cherry flavour won't be as strong, or that's my experience with them.

[Her Lushness]

oooooookay then, I'll treat them as cherries and see how we go!

What do you think about steam juicing them?

[Duffbeer]

I wouldn't, cherries, like all stoned fruit, tend to have high levels of pectin which when heated doubles it's release and makes the wine hard to clear.
I would squish them by hand trying to remove as many stones as possible then cold soak for 24 hrs add 5ml of sulphite solution and 2 tsp of pectolase and leave to rest.
24 hrs later pitch the yeast and ferment on pulp until sg 1.010 then strain/transfer as usual.

BTW did you want a ponte schedule ?

[Her Lushness]

I wouldn't, cherries, like all stoned fruit, tend to have high levels of pectin which when heated doubles it's release and makes the wine hard to clear.
I would squish them by hand trying to remove as many stones as possible then cold soak for 24 hrs add 5ml of sulphite solution and 2 tsp of pectolase and leave to rest.
24 hrs later pitch the yeast and ferment on pulp until sg 1.010 then strain/transfer as usual.

BTW did you want a ponte schedule ?

Okay Massa, I'll do as you say, altho I gotta pick the little blighters now!

And yes please to a Ponte Schedule. XX

[Ruby]

These are cherry plums. CJJ Berry has a recipe in 130 Recipes.
4lb cherry plums
1lb raisins
2lb11oz sugar(according to taste)
1/4 cup strong tea
yeast
nutrient
pectolase
I am new to wine making so no idea about the recipe, but I do know that these are cherry plums - picked some myself this morning - any comments about recipe would be useful. Thanks

[lockwood1956]

These are cherry plums. CJJ Berry has a recipe in 130 Recipes.
4lb cherry plums
1lb raisins
2lb11oz sugar(according to taste)
1/4 cup strong tea
yeast
nutrient
pectolase
I am new to wine making so no idea about the recipe, but I do know that these are cherry plums - picked some myself this morning - any comments about recipe would be useful. Thanks

use same recipe but add sugar to an SG of 1.080

2lb 11oz of sugar is at least 1/2 lb if not 1lb too much sugar.

these recipes were formulated in the days when sweeter wines were more the norm in home winemaking. With this level of sugar (from the plums and raisinfs too remember) you could end up with a stuck ferment.

I would also advise using sultanas instead of raisins too, they impart less harshness I find

hope this helps
regards
bob

[lockwood1956]

Having rethought it I would go



3-4 lb wild cherries
I litre white grape concentrate (or 2 litres pressed grape juice)
Sugar to 1.070 (aiming for ligter style at around 10 to 11% alc)
2tsp pectolase
1 tsp good quality yeast nutrient
Lalvin 71B-1122 (metabolises malic acid present in the cherries, making the wine softer)

ferment to dry, stabilise and sweeten to around 1.008, racking and bottling as normal

should produce a nice easy drinker at around 6 to 12 months

[Ruby]

3-4 lb wild cherries
I litre white grape concentrate (or 2 litres pressed grape juice)
Sugar to 1.070 (aiming for ligter style at around 10 to 11% alc)
2tsp pectolase
1 tsp good quality yeast nutrient
Lalvin 71B-1122 (metabolises malic acid present in the cherries, making the wine softer)

ferment to dry, stabilise and sweeten to around 1.008, racking and bottling as normal


Thanks, Cherry Plums are a variety of plum, quite sweet and not very acidic, quite bland really is the above okay with these?

[lockwood1956]

Yes they should be fine, if you are unsure about the acid levels then test (or taste) the must and adjust as necessary.


But you need to be thinking about making an off dry or medium wine from fruits such as these, as if fermented dry, (and left dry) fruit wines can be quite harsh.

regards
Bob

[Ruby]

Thanks for advice and speedy reply.

[lockwood1956]

My pleasure,
thats what we are here for


regards
Bob