Chokecherry recipe- add raisins or grape concentrate?

Either works fine....you will get a definite different flavor...I find that raisins give a nice vinous character and body without too much extra in the way of flavor....as opposed to concentrate that is.

Concentrate I find gives more grape flavor, a bit less body and IMO more (harsher) tannins.

Many times the grape concentrate asked for is welches concord (or niagra) grape juice. In the quantities specified it does not make a HUGE difference...but it definatly is perceptable if the main fruit has a subtle flavor. That gives you a different option at least..using the welches stuff that is.

Funny that you asked that question, I was about to ask the same! My sister-in-law picked up a little more than 13 pounds of ripe chokecherries in Notre-Dame du Laus (Québec) and I wanted to make about 6 gallons of the stuff...

I was thinking of using the recipe on Jack Keller's website:

I wonder if this is the kind or recipe you can easily double up the amount of fruit... What if I used Jack's recipe but triple all ingredients but instead of using 6 pounds of chokecherries I would

Would anyone have any suggestions on how to tweak Jack's recipe to get a port-style wine at the end ?

Thanks everyone :)

If you double the berries it might end up pretty acidic/tannic. A small increase goes a looooong way.

Jack's chokecherry recipes call for 2 to 2.5 lbs added to a gallon. If you use 12-13 lbs to make 6 gallons you will be just about right, not double. If you want a port style wine, then you probably would want more fruit, use a high tolerance yeast and feed it sugar slowly so you can reach 18-19%. You might look at some typical port recipes and see how much fruit they use compared to regular wine recipes. If they use 50% more, then use 50% more chokecherries.

Ray

I was thinking of using the recipe on Jack Keller's website:

I wonder if this is the kind or recipe you can easily double up the amount of fruit... What if I used Jack's recipe but triple all ingredients but instead of using 6 pounds of chokecherries I would

Would anyone have any suggestions on how to tweak Jack's recipe to get a port-style wine at the end ?

Thanks everyone :)

I ended up using 12 lbs chokecherries, 4 lbs raisins, 7.5 lbs of sugar and 3 gallons of water... I haven't yet taken the SG but will do that tonight, hopefully I will be around 18-19% PA... I'm planning on using the Lalvin EC-1118 since the website says it should yield about 18% so I think I should be ok. If SG is too high, I should just add water so I hit around 18% PA ? I guess I would probably have to add some acid blend as well as some yeast nutriment...

Thanks, EB

If you want to hit that high an alcohol contnet youreally should "feed" the fermentation.

Start out making a wine with a PA of only about 10-12%, when the fermentation is going strong add sugar in 1/2 lb increments every day or two (track with hydrometer).

But with 7.5 lbs of sugar I doubt you will hit 18% PA. It seems low for 3 gallons. IIRC, 15% PA reads about 1.115 SG. That equates to your 2.5 lbs of sugar per gallon. I do not know what gravity contribution the chokecherries will get you...but I do not know if it will be that much....

I haven't had a chance to take the SG yesterday (...went fishing :P) You are probably right, I may need to add sugar to hit the desired abv... The raisins and chokecherries may add a little but if it does, I will do what you recommended, wait for the fermentation to go strong and add it in .5 lb increment... Thanks for the info.

Hopefully this will end up as drinkable wine hehehehe... and if you wondered, no... no fish for us yesterday.... :-(

Feeding would have been better. Also, taking the SG may be misleading. The sugar in the raisins will not be dissolved - at least not much - and will not show up in the SG. As the yeast work they will find their way into the raisins and utilize the sugar, but most of it will never be measured with your hydrometer. You will have to just guess it.

Ray