Ingredients
- 2–2.25kg ripe sweet or dark cherries, stoned
- Up to 1.1kg brewing sugar, adjusted by hydrometer
- ½ teaspoon citric acid if using sweet dessert cherries; omit initially for sour/tart cherries
- 1 teaspoon pectolase
- 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
- 1 Campden tablet
- 1 sachet Gervin GV5 White Fruit Wine Yeast
- Water as required for a finished batch of about 4.5 litres
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Equipment
- 10-litre fermentation bucket with lid
- 1-gallon glass demijohn
- Bored demijohn bung and airlock
- Hydrometer and trial jar
- Large fine straining bag
- Long brewing spoon
- Syphon tubing
- No-rinse sanitiser
- Cherry pitter or small knife
- Five or six 750ml clear wine bottles
- Wine corks and a hand corker
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6-Bottle Wine Starter Kit
10 Litre Fermentation Bucket
1 Gallon Glass Demijohn
Demijohn Bung
Bubbler Airlock
Wine & Beer Hydrometer
Plastic Trial Jar
Large Fine Straining Bag
40cm Brewing Spoon
Syphon Tubing
No-Rinse Sanitiser
750ml Clear Wine Bottle
Premium Corks
Hand Corker
Preparation
Use ripe cherries and remove the stones
Choose fully ripe cherries with good colour and a clean fresh aroma. Sweet dessert cherries make a softer, rounder wine; sour or tart cherries give brighter acidity. Frozen cherries also work well once fully thawed.
Remove leaves, stalks and damaged fruit, then stone every cherry before crushing. Keep the clean juice released while pitting or thawing and add it to the fermenter.
Before you begin
Sanitise after cleaning
Clean first, then sanitise.
Measure the sugar
Target OG 1.085–1.095 rather than relying on a fixed sugar weight.
Match the acid to the fruit
Sweet cherries may benefit from a small acid addition; sour cherries generally do not.
How to Make Cherry Wine
Clean and sanitise everything
Clean first, then sanitise the fermenter, lid, spoon, straining bag, hydrometer, trial jar, syphon, demijohn, bung and airlock.
Sort, wash and stone the cherries
Use 2–2.25kg ripe cherries. Remove stalks and damaged fruit, rinse and drain, then remove and discard every stone before crushing.
Crush the fruit gently
Put the stoned cherries into a sanitised straining bag and crush enough to release juice without turning the fruit into purée.
Dissolve the first sugar addition
Dissolve about 800g brewing sugar in roughly 1.5 litres of hot water, cool below 25°C, pour over the fruit and add cool water until the liquid volume is roughly four litres.
Adjust acidity for sweet cherries only
If using sweet dessert cherries, stir in about ½ teaspoon citric acid. If using sour or tart cherries, leave it out initially.
Add the Campden tablet
When the must is below 25°C, crush one Campden tablet, stir it through, cover and leave for about 12 hours.
Add the pectolase
Stir in 1 teaspoon pectolase, cover again and leave for another 12 hours.
Drain the fruit temporarily
Lift the fruit bag and let it drain over the bucket for about 10 minutes without wringing it.
Set the initial liquid volume
Add cool water to bring the liquid to approximately 4.2 litres.
Take the first hydrometer reading
Use a well-mixed, pulp-free sample near the hydrometer's calibration temperature.
Adjust the sugar only if needed
Aim for 1.085–1.095. If low, add cooled sugar solution in 50g additions, then 25g additions as you approach the target.
Make the final volume 4.5 litres
Bring the liquid to exactly 4.5 litres, stir thoroughly, record the final OG and return the cherry bag.
Add nutrient and Gervin GV5
Stir in 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient, pitch the full sachet of Gervin GV5 and ferment around 18–22°C.
Manage the fruit each day
Once or twice daily, gently push the fruit bag beneath the liquid and stir briefly with sanitised equipment.
Start checking gravity from day four
Use fermentation progress rather than the calendar alone to decide when to remove the fruit.
Remove the cherries at about 1.040
Usually after 5–7 days, lift out the bag when gravity is around 1.040 and press only lightly.
Transfer to the demijohn
Syphon into the sanitised 1-gallon demijohn, leave heavy pulp behind, fill to around the shoulder while active and fit the bung and airlock.
Let secondary fermentation continue
Keep the demijohn around 18–22°C and out of direct sunlight.
Confirm fermentation with stable readings
Fermentation is complete only when two hydrometer readings taken at least 48 hours apart are identical. A dry wine may finish around 0.995–1.000.
Rack and allow the wine to clear
Syphon into a clean sanitised demijohn, leave sediment behind, minimise splashing and keep headspace low.
Bottle without splashing
Sanitise the bottles, syphon, corks and corker, then fill and cork gently.
Give cherry wine time to mature
Allow around 6–9 months before judging it. Stronger fruit-led batches can continue improving for a year or more.
Beginner's cherry wine timeline
| Approximate time | What to do | What decides the next step |
|---|---|---|
| Brew day | Stone and crush the cherries, make the first sugar syrup and add Campden | All stones removed and must below 25°C |
| 12 hours later | Add pectolase | Wait a further 12 hours |
| About 24 hours | Adjust volume and gravity; add nutrient and yeast | Final OG 1.085–1.095 |
| Days 1–4 | Push the fruit down and stir daily | Begin gravity checks from day four |
| Usually days 5–7 | Remove and gently drain the cherries | Gravity about 1.040 |
| Weeks 2–6 | Allow fermentation to finish | Two identical readings at least 48 hours apart |
| Following 1–3 months | Rack and clear | No meaningful new sediment |
| Months 6–9 | Mature, then taste | Fruit and acidity become integrated |
The calendar is a guide, not a bottling instruction. The hydrometer and the condition of the wine always take priority over the date.
Final bottling checklist
- Gravity is unchanged across at least 48 hours.
- The wine is clear.
- No meaningful new sediment has formed for at least two weeks.
- The wine tastes still, not fizzy.
- Any back-sweetening has been done only after correct stabilisation.
- Bottles and bottling equipment have been sanitised.
Common Problems
The wine tastes too sharp
Sour cherries can be very bright when young. Give the wine time before correcting it; careful back-sweetening after stabilisation can soften perceived acidity.
The wine tastes flat
Sweet cherries can produce a softer wine. If you omitted acid initially, judge the finished wine after fermentation before making any small adjustment.
The wine stays cloudy
Use pectolase, avoid puréeing the fruit and give the wine enough time to clear.
There is harsh almond bitterness
This can come from damaged cherry stones. Always remove the stones and discard cracked kernels.
The gravity stopped above 1.010
Do not bottle. Check the temperature, give the yeast more time and compare hydrometer readings.
The colour is turning brown
Minimise splashing after vigorous fermentation, keep headspace low and protect the wine from direct light.
FAQs
How many cherries do I need for one gallon of wine?
Use about 2–2.25kg of ripe, stoned cherries for a 4.5-litre batch.
Do I need to remove the cherry stones?
Yes. Remove and discard them before crushing the fruit. Do not crack or grind the stones into the must.
Can I use frozen cherries?
Yes. Thaw them in a clean covered container, keep the released juice and remove the stones if they were frozen whole.
Can I use sour cherries?
Yes. Sour or tart cherries make excellent wine, but usually need no added citric acid at the start.
Can I use sweet supermarket cherries?
Yes. Use ripe fruit with good flavour. Sweet cherries generally produce a rounder wine.
Why use pectolase?
Cherries contain pectin, which can contribute to haze. Pectolase helps juice extraction and clearing.
Why use a hydrometer?
Cherry sweetness varies by variety and ripeness. A hydrometer lets you set the starting gravity accurately and later confirms fermentation has finished.
How much sugar should I add?
Start with roughly 800g, then adjust with the hydrometer to 1.085–1.095.
How strong will the finished wine be?
Expect roughly 11.5–13% ABV if it starts at 1.085–1.095 and finishes dry.
How long should cherries stay in the fermenter?
Usually 5–7 days, with removal around gravity 1.040.
How long does cherry wine take to ferment?
Often around 3–6 weeks, but stable hydrometer readings decide when it is finished.
What final gravity should I expect?
A dry cherry wine may finish around 0.995–1.000.
Can I make cherry wine sweeter?
Yes, after fermentation has fully finished and the wine has been correctly stabilised. See our back-sweetening guide.
How long should cherry wine mature?
Allow roughly 6–9 months. Some batches continue improving beyond a year.
