Late Fruit Addition Cherry Wine

[Petrovitch]

So one of the stall holders at the local market is selling off cheap red cherries... They're not the tastiest in the world but are perfectly fine, I'd say medium sweet and not particularly tart. I also recently bought Bill Smith's book Award Winning Wines (buy it, it really is as good as everyone says) and wanted to have my first proper go at a late addition fruit wine. So what does everyone think of my plan for a medium cherry wine:

For 2 gallons

Make a base wine of 8L, to include the following:

• Large yeast starter (Gervin GV2 is appropriate according to Gervin, and I have some)
• 2L blueberry juice drink
• 2tsp Tronozymol yeast nutrient
• Tartaric acid? Maybe 1 or 2tsp, not sure how much as I don't know a rough acidity for red cherries, anyone know?
• Sugar to take O.G. to 1.090 or 1.100 - not sure, cherries will add sugar but also dilute the alcohol, I'm aiming for a final % of around 12%, what do you guys think?

Ferment until 1.010
Add pectolase
Add stoned and sulphited cherries, does 2.5kg or maybe 6lbs sound enough?
Ferment for 3-4 days then rack off the pulp into a demijohn
Ferment to dryness, stabilise and sweeten to taste

So what do you guys think? Please note I can't use any grape based anything (juice, concentrate) as my misses is severely allergic to fermented grape. That's why I chucked in the blueberry juice drink for some body. Any thoughts would be much appreciated :-)

[lockwood1956]

2tsp of Tronozymol is tooo much

I'm pretty sure its 1/2 tsp gallon?

Apple juice will work better than blueberry for body


the acid additions? I would taste the must and see, dont worry too much if you havent added the right amount of acid, you can add afterwards if needed

honest opinion? 12% alc is a little high for a fruit wine, 10% might be better

hope that helps
regards
bob

[Petrovitch]

Cheers for the reply Bob.

My pack definitely says 1-2tsp/gallon for dry wines, 2-3 for sweet and up to 5(!) for high alcohol.

I was under the impression that blueberry was good for body in red/blush wines, is this not true then? I might as well use apple then even if there's no difference as it's cheaper...

I'll also knock the alcohol down to 10% as you say.

Thanks for the info

[lockwood1956]

Sorry ...yes

blueberry is fine, just apple will likely give you more body, seing as there will be no grape juice...maybe 1L blueberry and 1 litre apple?

regards
bob

[kirk]

Thanks for the post, I had forgotten the title of the book and having the author also is useful. Must order a copy.

Until I do, one quick question, are all the recipes along a similar line? As in make up a base wine using a suitable juice then adding the selected fruit?

[Petrovitch]

I decided to make 1 gallon of this in the end (market guy ran out of cheap cherries, doh!) so only used 2lbs of cherries, but included 1L blueberry and 1L apple in the gallon - I'l keep you guys updated on how it turns out.

Kirk - the recipes are all more or less along the same line yes, but I think the real value of the book lies in the preceding chapters about what you should be doing at every step and why. He sets out a very convincing and well researched and thought out approach to all aspects of winemaking and how to construct a balanced wine, rather than just throwing some ingredients together, following 'accepted' practice and hoping for the best. Hope that makes sense.

[kirk]

Thanks, I was curious as I will get a copy but I tend to order a few books at a time from Amazon, save on the postage. Unfortunately I can only think of that one which I want at this time so it will be a while before I put an order in.

I am not sure but don't think the homebrew shop localish, about 18 miles, to me stocks it, they have very few books, so Amazon it will be but when I have a few to order.

[Petrovitch]

Postage should be free from Amazon... as long as it is sold by them and not by someone else via Amazon Marketplace or whatever its called (other companies can sell their products) then postage is free IF you select Free Super Saver Delivery or whatever it's called. Postage was free for me and should be for you... either way it's well worth it, best winemaking book I own.

[Petrovitch]

Also where's your local HBS? I'm from North East Herts, only one I found within reasonable distance was in Great Dunmow.

[kirk]

Free if you spend something like £15-18.
So I usually get 3 or 4 books at a go.

The Home Brew is down at Hoddesdon, actually south of Hoddesdon by about 2 miles. It is a chemist with the upstairs floor dedicated to home brew. Forget their name.

Directions would be A10 to Hoddesdon, take the exit to Hoddesdon and then basically drive around it on the main road, head south away from Hoddesdon and about 1-2 miles south there is a small collection of shops on the left. They are one of the row of shops.

They aren't a large shop there but they stock a reasonable number of bits.

[Northern Lass]

Free if you spend something like £15-18.
So I usually get 3 or 4 books at a go.
T

Yes, Amazon used to work like that but now, anything sold by Amazon (not Amazon Marketplace) is free delivery.
Check this out http://www.amazon.co.uk/Award-Winnin...2568448&sr=8-1

[Petrovitch]

What Northern Lass said There is no minimum order for free delivery, which is great, but also bad as I have to force myself to stop buying books from them all the time...

Back to the cherry wine, S.G. dropped to 1.005 (I wasn't paying attention) in 4 days so the stoned-frozen-defrosted cherries are in there now. Smelling lovely and cherry like, although I think I needed more fruit. But if it goes well I'll start another batch with more fruit soon.

Also had a go at making bread for the first time today, here's to the good life

[Cellar_Rat]

Thanks, I was curious as I will get a copy ....

What book are you referring too please?

[Northern Lass]

What book are you referring too please?

The one in my link in the above post I think.

[kirk]

Oh RATS.
Could end up with a steady supply of books now.

Pleased to hear that the cherry is coming out good.

Hitchin market sells cherries at a nice price, especially later in the afternoons.