A couple of weeks back, I was given a quart of
chokecherry juice. It was heat-canned (Mason jar) and extemey flavorful. I decided to make 5 gallons of Niagara wine with this juice added for flavor and a nice pink tinge. Below is the recipe I formulated.
INGREDIENTS:
1 qt Chokecherry juice
8 cans of frozen (thawed) Welch's Niagara concentrate.
6 lbs table sugar
1 15 oz. box of Sun Maid Golden Raisins
5 1/2 gallons of water.
3 teaspoons pectin enzyme
3/4 cup Acid Blend
2 teaspoons yeast nutrient (that's all I had)
1 teaspoon tannin powder
2 teaspoons sodium bisulfite
1 pkg Red Star Cotes des Blanc dry yeast
DIRECTIONS
Bring 1 gallon of water to boil. Remove from heat. Add chokecherry juice and let sit for 1/2 hour. This should kill off any wild yeasts.
Boil another 3 gallons of water, add sugar, cover and allow to cool down so that it is not dangerous to handle.
To primary fermenting vessel, add Niagara concentrate, followed by one can of water to rinse each can.
Chop and add raisins.
Pour in sugar water and chokecherry juice solution.
Stir in chemicals - but not the yeast.
Top off to 5 1/2 gallons with water. Cover and allow to sit for 24 - 48 hours. The raisins will soak up at least 1/2 gallon of must.
Pitch yeast. Punch down the cap at least once a day for 1 1/2 weeks.
Move to 5 gal glass carboy.
