Nanking Cherry Wine Recipe
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| The frozen cherries patiently waiting in the main fermenter |
Brewing date: August 24th, 2015, 12:41 pm
Makes 2-gallons
RECIPE
7.5 lbs ripe Nanking cherries ( both white and red cherries)
4 lbs granulated sugar
2 11-oz cans Old Orchard frozen grape (Concord) concentrate
Enough water for two gallons must
1 crushed Campden tablet
1/4 tsp grape tannin
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
LALVIN EC-118 wine yeast
Add half the water and sugar to a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Simmer the water and sugar for ten minutes. To a large fermentation bucket, add the frozen cherries. Pour the boiling water over the cherries and mash with a potato masher to release the color. Add the cans of frozen grape concentrate and top up with cool water to make 2-gallons of must. When completely cool, add the tannin, yeast nutrient, acid blend and 2-crushed campden tablets and mix well. Wait 24 hours and add the pectic enzyme. Add the yeast 12 hours after the pectic enzyme.
NOTES:
I added the pectic enzyme at approximately 10 am on Tuesday morning. Will need to add yeast wednesday morning a the same time.
August 26th, 9a.m. Pitched yeast
Starting Gravity: 1.098, Approx. 13% Alcohol
September 1, 8 p.m. First racking
September 13, 2nd racking. Topped with spare must from fridge.
November 18, 2015: wine is clarifying.
December 16, 2015: Racked wine and added American Oak chips. The flavor is very tart, with a rich amber color. This should sit about a month at least on the oak chips.
March 20, 2016: My 3-gallon carboy has been sitting in the basement for three solid months with the oak chips added. I usually rack off the oak chips earlier, but sometimes it's good to see how the flavor changes over time. Today I finally stabilized the wine and bottled it. I added Potassium Sorbate, 1 ounce glycerine and 1 ounce of sugar syrup to the racked wine, mixed well and bottled.
