Cherry Juice Wine

[Ribbit]

Morrison's now do their own label Cherry Juice. Presently 3 x 1ltrs for £2.50 (or £1 each).

As dad loves anything cherry (e.g. Wilko Black Cherry), I grabbed 6 to do a demijohn for him (with the view to putting the leftovers into something else).

Did a cup of tea for the tannin, a teaspoon of citric acid, a teaspoon of yeast nutrient, poured that in the demijohn, added a half kilo of Tate & Lyle sugar, and topped it up with cherry juice (stopping half way to give it a good shake to aerate it) to the shoulder to see how it reacted for a few days, then added a bit of wine yeast I had left from the Wilko 30 bottle Rose kit (including the kit, this sachet has done 5 brews), directly to it without rehydration.

It's taken off really well (so well, I have drawn a bit of the yeast off to start a amylased rice, blackcurrant, and apple off, and that's going good too), and the first couple of days I was really glad I didn't over fill the demijohn. The smell is very nice with it as well. Day 3 it looked ok to top up with more cherry juice, so its level is now a sensible gap below the bung.

I am that impressed with how this is fermenting (dad is too, and keeps asking when he can try it), I picked up another 3 cartons last time I was in town, and as soon as I have a demijohn available (all full at present - I 'bottle & bung' in demijohn's for convenience - must get a couple more) I'll start another.

I am tempted to add 1ltr of red grape juice to the next one, to see how it compares.

I'll update with how they turn out.

update 13/09 - still bubbling away strongly.

[Benson_JV]

Any update? This sounds rather tasty.

[Ribbit]

Any update? This sounds rather tasty.

It's still bubbling a bit too well to stop it at the moment. Me and dad had a bit of a taster Wednesday night to see what progress is like, and for me it's tasting a lot better than cherry brandy (I don't like cherry brandy, but I actually like this stuff) but good and warming like cherry brandy, which had dad extremely enthusiastic. Fingers crossed this might work out to be my biggest success yet.

As an aside, this cherry juice appears really useful. The strawberry jam wine I am doing, seemed to get completely taken over by yeast (2"+ thick island on top of the liquid), and with few bubbles getting out through the airlock, I think the yeast was getting in its own way or something. Luckily I'd left plenty of room in the demijohn in case it went totally bonkers, and managed to get 3/4 ltr of cherry juice in there to try and get things moving (as I was pouring it in through the funnel, it was as if a fog was clearing in the liquid). Couldn't believe the difference it made, and that's coming along great now too.

[Ribbit]

Well this has turned out a great success. It matured and mellowed fast (lost the 'Cherry Brandy' type edge in the process, but was none the worse for it). Everybody that's tasted it loved it (to the point the demijohn is empty and back in service).

Next version is slightly different. Adding two cups of tea made with four fruit berry teabags, and substituting 1 ltr red grape juice for one of the cherry juice to see what happens.

There will be a repeat of the original as soon as another demijohn becomes free.

As an aside, the strawberry jam wine (with 1ltr of cherry juice) has turned out rather well.

[Ribbit]

Edit: Just noticed I managed a double post somehow.

[fatbloke]

Good to read that it's turned out well. I like fresh cherry flavour too, but sometimes with wines and meads you can end up with stuff that tastes like cough medicine.......

[Ribbit]

Good to read that it's turned out well. I like fresh cherry flavour too, but sometimes with wines and meads you can end up with stuff that tastes like cough medicine.......

Oh heck yes, memories of 'cough medicine' indeed! /yuck!

[007Fluff]

Hi Ribbit

How did to the wine turn out ?

007Fluff