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Two Chokecherry Wine Recipes

Chokecherry Wine Recipe #1

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chokecherries
  • 10 ounces red grape concentrate
  • 1 gallon water
  • 2 1/2 pounds corn sugar OR 2 1/4 pounds white sugar
  • 1/2  teaspoon  Campden tablets
  • 1/2  teaspoon pectinase
  • 1 yeast pack for red wine

 

Instructions

  1. The starting standard gravity is 1.090 - 1.095. The starting acid is 4.5 grams per liter.
  2. Remove stems and leaves.
  3. Crush berries, add sugar and ½ teaspoon Campden tablets
  4. Add 1/2 gallon boiling water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
  5. Add 1/2 gallon cold water.
  6. Add pectinase and yeast.
  7. Adjust acid (Use an acid kit and a packaged acid mixture)
  8. Ferment for 3 days MAXIMUM. The specific gravity should be down to 1.030.
  9. Remove pulp and squeeze out juice.
  10. Add grape concentrate.
  11. Ferment several more days.
  12. Rack to secondary and finish fermentation The specific gravity should be 1.000.
  13. Rack again and age without oxygen contact.
  14. Rack before bottling or filter.

NOTE: The grape concentrate adds needed body and the pectinase is an enzyme that destroys pectin. Pectin is good for jelly but not for wine. Good luck!

 

 

Chokecherry Wine Recipe #2

Makes one gallon, but recipe can be multiplied. One pack of yeast is good for up to 5 gallons. This makes a nice deep red, dry wine. Not bitter, not sweet.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chokecherries
  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 pound raisins
  • 2 1/2 pounds sugar
  • 1 Campden tablet
  • 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
  • 1/2 teaspoon acid blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme
  • 1 package wine yeast (Montrachet preferred)

Instructions

  1. Pick fruit when ripe (black purple). Wash and remove stems, leaves, and bruised fruit.
  2. Mash cherries. Pits are too big to remove but be careful not to break them as they are bitter.
  3. Put the pulp in a nylon straining bag and squeeze out juice into primary fermenter.
  4. Put bag (tied closed) in primary fermenter with all ingredients EXCEPT YEAST.
  5. Wait 24 hours, then add yeast and cover. Specific gravity should be about 1.090-1.095.
  6. Check daily and push pulp bag down into the juice and squeeze it a little to help juice extraction.
  7. At specific gravity 1.030, take out pulp bag, squeeze out all juice and siphon into a glass fermenter.
  8. Leave in secondary fermenter for 3 weeks or until specific gravity is 1.000.
  9. Rack into clean carboy and age for at least 2 months before bottling.