Sour Cherry / Sweet Cherry Wine

Ingredients:

Sour Cherry

3 lb Sour Cherries or 4 lb Dk. Sw. Cherries

7 pts Water

2 1/4 lb Sugar

1 tsp Acid Blend

1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme

1 tsp Nutrient

1 Campden Crush

1 pkg Wine Yeast

Starting S.G. 1.090

Sweet Cherry

6 lb Mixed Cherries

1/2 pt. Grape Concentrate

7 pts. Water

2 3/4 lb Sugar

3/4 tsp Pectic Enzyme

1 tsp Nutrient

1 Campden Crush

1 pkg Sherry or Port Wine Yeast

Starting S.G. 1.100-1.110

Method:

Wash, remove stems and leaves, and preferably remove pits - be careful not to break the bitter pits

Using nylon straining bag, mash and squeeze out juice into primary fermenter

Keeping all pulp in straining bag, tie top and place in primary

Stir in all other ingredients EXCEPT wine yeast

Cover primary

After 24 hours add yeast and cover primary

Stir daily, check S.G. and press pulp lightly to aid extraction

When ferment reaches S.G. (about 5 days) strain juice from bag

Siphon wine off sediment into glass jug secondary, attach airlock

When ferment is complete (S.G. has dropped to 1.000--about 3 weeks) siphon off sediment into clean secondary

Reattach lock

To aid clearing siphon again in 2 months and again if necessary before bottling