Cherry jack vs cherry wine?

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
I found this recipe for apple jack in the book wild wines and meads

This will yield about 1.9 gals
3 lbs honey.
1 gal apple cider, use fresh cider.
1 tsp acid blen.
1 tsp pectic enzyme.
1 package champagne yeast.
1 tsp yeast nutrient.
1 1/2 cups orange jucie, at room temp.

Directions;
1 In a large enamel or stainless steel pot, boil honey in water( 1 part honey to 2 parts water) for 10 to 20 min. ( They fail to mention the water in the ingredents, I used 2 gals of water. This is the smallest batch I have made to date. ) . Let the nixture cool and then transfer to a 2 gal container. Add the cider, acid and pectic enzyme. Add the campden tablet, if desired, and let the mixture sit, for 24 hours.
2. In a jar make the yeast starter. This is by far the best starter I have every used. It will provide cirtic acid the mixture as will, giving, if I remember right a small bite. Mix togetherethe orange juice, yeast, and yeast nutrient. Cover with a lid and shake madly, every 15 min for about 2 hours, open lid before shaking to let CO2 escape. After 2 hours or great bubbling add to the must.
3. All the mixture to ferment. rack after 2 weeks or so into a 1 gal carboy. I had more. Rack after 3 months, then after 6 and then 1 year after start. Bottle and age 6 months in bottles. Currently I have roughly 6 months to go befor bottleing. This is very clear in the carboys. I used two diffent 1 gallon batchs. I missed collecting 10 gal of cider this fall so will try this next year.

I will post this in the recipe section after I have tasted it.
 
I was wondering because I have a (relatively) cheap source for cherry juice, but didn't know whether what I was making was cherry wine or cherry jack. Apparently it's cherry wine.

I'm also making a gallon of cherry melomel, which after 3 weeks tastes quite nice.
 
Hi Charlene!

I use cherry juice from near my old homeplace in MI when I manage to get it on my trips home to see the relatives. I'm a big supporter of juice in meads. Peach cider (juice) makes great peach cyser, and the last time I made a cherry mead, I used juice and it worked great.

Juice is a Good Thing.....LOL

Vicky - heading out to eat chili and cheer for the Steelers......
 
Eeww, the Steelers. :P I've found, but this is not always the case, that juice seems to make the mead take off quicker than fruit alone. I had a cherry mel that was limping along, added tart cherry juice, and after a few weeks it has just started to calm down.