Can You Make Wine From Coffee Cherries?
Quick answer
- Coffee cherries contain sugars and acids, the primary components needed for fermentation.
- The process would involve harvesting, processing to extract juice, and fermenting similar to grape wine.
- Flavor profiles would be entirely unique, likely with fruity and potentially earthy notes.
- It’s not a common practice, so specific recipes and established techniques are scarce.
- Success depends heavily on sugar content, yeast health, and preventing spoilage.
- Expect an experimental process rather than a guaranteed outcome.
Who this is for
- Homebrewers looking for novel fermentation projects.
- Coffee enthusiasts curious about the full potential of the coffee plant.
- Experimental chefs and food scientists interested in unique flavor creation.
What to check first
Brewer type and filter type
While this article is about making wine from coffee cherries, not brewing coffee, understanding the “equipment” for the cherry processing is key. If you’re using fresh coffee cherries, you’ll need a way to separate the fruit pulp from the bean. This might involve a pulping machine or a manual method. For the wine itself, fermentation vessels like carboys or food-grade buckets are essential, along with airlocks to manage gas release.
For the wine itself, fermentation vessels like carboys or food-grade buckets are essential, along with airlocks to manage gas release. An airlock is crucial for allowing CO2 to escape while preventing oxygen and contaminants from entering.
- Complete Package: this package provides everything you need; Each pack includes 4 fermentation buckets, 4 twin bubble airlocks, and 4 silicone grommets; Whether you're an experienced brewer or just getting started, our fermentation bucket kit ensures you have everything you'll need to start your fermenting projects
- Durable Material and Color Aesthetics: constructed from safe and durable plastic materials, colored in white, this fermentation bucket with lid and airlock ensures safety and long term use; The included clear twin bubble airlock and black silicone grommets further emphasize not just the functionality, but also the aesthetic charm of this set
- Generous Capacity and Proper Size: our fermentation bucket offers the generous capacity of about 6.5 gallon/ 25 l, suitable to cater to your fermentation needs; Measuring about 12.6 inches in upper diameter, about 11.3 inches in bottom diameter, and about 15.7 inches in height, it comes with the ideal size for convenient home use; This fermenting bucket will be your reliable companion in your brewing adventures
- Designed for Efficiency and Convenience: this 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket is designed with printed scales providing precise measurements, and exhibits nice airtightness that ensures ideal fermentation conditions, also easy to clean, offering you a convenient brewing experience, lightweight and easy to transport with its convenient handle design
- Versatile Beverage Preparation: this fermentation bucket with airlock is a versatile brewing tool, ideal for making a variety of beverages; Whether you're a fan of homemade wine, beer, mead, cider, or any other fermented beverage, this bucket provides nice functionality to support your brewing passion
For the wine itself, fermentation vessels like carboys or food-grade buckets are essential, along with airlocks to manage gas release. A good quality fermentation vessel is key to a successful batch.
- MAKE YOUR OWN SAUERKRAUT, KIMCHI, AND PICKLES - The Kenley fermentation crock is a natural and easy way to make sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, and more at home. With a 1/2-gallon capacity, it can hold up to 3.2lb of vegetables, making it perfect for small batches.
- HIGH-GRADE CERAMIC AND FOOD-SAFE COATING - Crafted from the finest natural stoneware, this authentic fermentation jar ensures that the flavors you taste come only from your vegetables. A carefully designed, food-safe coating prevents oxidation and improves temperature stability, resulting in well-preserved and delicious fermented vegetables.
- GAME-CHANGING WATER SEAL - The Kenley 1/2 gallon sauerkraut crock is designed to make fermentation easy so you get great results every time. The water seal lid lets fermentation gases escape while keeping air out, ensuring your vegetables are properly preserved and taste great.
- ENHANCE FERMENTATION WITH WEIGHTS AND POUNDER - The fermentation crock comes with unglazed weighting stones to keep all kimchi or sauerkraut submerged under the brine during fermentation. The pounder is added to pack down the cabbage, releasing its juices and speeding up the fermentation process.
- EASY TO USE AND CARE FOR - The fermenting crock is double-glazed for easy cleaning and care. To clean, simply remove any stray vegetable matter when empty, wash with your usual washing-up liquid, and dry fully. Sturdy yet elegant, the Kenley fermentation crock looks great on any countertop.
Water quality and temperature
For wine fermentation, clean, filtered water is crucial. Tap water can contain chlorine or other chemicals that might inhibit yeast activity or impart off-flavors. The ideal fermentation temperature will depend on the specific yeast strain you use, but generally, temperatures between 60-75°F (15-24°C) are suitable for many wine yeasts. Too cold, and fermentation will slow or stop; too hot, and it can stress the yeast and produce undesirable compounds.
Grind size and coffee freshness
For wine, the concept of “grind size” doesn’t apply to the coffee beans themselves, but rather to the preparation of the coffee cherry pulp. You’ll want to break down the cherry pulp to release its sugars and juice. Freshness of the cherries is paramount; overripe or moldy cherries will lead to spoilage and unpleasant flavors. The “beans” inside the cherries will be removed before fermentation.
Coffee-to-water ratio
When making wine from coffee cherries, the ratio is less about coffee grounds to water and more about the amount of cherry pulp (or juice extracted from it) to water and sugar. The natural sugars in the cherries may not be enough to achieve a desirable alcohol content. You will likely need to add additional sugar (like cane sugar or honey) to reach a target specific gravity for fermentation. A starting point might be to aim for a potential alcohol of around 10-12%.
Cleanliness/descale status
Sanitation is absolutely critical in winemaking. Any equipment that comes into contact with the coffee cherry juice or the fermenting wine must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. This includes your fermentation vessels, stirring spoons, siphons, and bottles. Residual bacteria or wild yeasts can lead to spoilage, off-flavors, or even prevent fermentation altogether.
Step-by-step (brew workflow)
1. Harvest and select coffee cherries: Gather ripe, undamaged coffee cherries. Remove any that are overripe, bruised, or show signs of mold.
- What “good” looks like: Brightly colored, plump cherries.
- Common mistake: Using unripe or overripe cherries.
- How to avoid: Careful selection during harvest.
2. Process cherries to extract juice/pulp: Remove the outer skin and pulp from the coffee beans. This can be done manually or with a small pulping machine. The goal is to get to the mucilage layer and the bean.
- What “good” looks like: Clean beans with some mucilage attached, or a mashed pulp.
- Common mistake: Incomplete pulping, leaving too much dry matter.
- How to avoid: Follow pulping machine instructions or be thorough with manual methods.
3. Ferment the pulp/mucilage: Place the processed cherry pulp (or a slurry made from it) into a sanitized fermentation vessel. You may add water to create a slurry.
- What “good” looks like: A wet, mash-like consistency.
- Common mistake: Not adding enough liquid if the pulp is dry.
- How to avoid: Ensure a workable consistency for yeast.
4. Adjust sugar content (if necessary): Measure the specific gravity of the liquid. If it’s too low for your desired alcohol percentage, add sugar (e.g., granulated sugar, honey) until you reach your target (e.g., 1.080 to 1.095 for 11-13% ABV).
- What “good” looks like: A specific gravity reading within the target range.
- Common mistake: Adding too much or too little sugar.
- How to avoid: Use a hydrometer and follow its readings carefully.
5. Add yeast nutrient: Coffee cherries might be lacking certain nutrients that wine yeast needs to thrive. Add a yeast nutrient to support healthy fermentation.
- What “good” looks like: A well-balanced nutrient addition.
- Common mistake: Forgetting yeast nutrient, leading to sluggish fermentation.
- How to avoid: Always include yeast nutrient in your recipe.
6. Pitch the yeast: Add a suitable wine yeast strain (e.g., Lalvin EC-1118, K1-V1116) to the must. Rehydrate the yeast according to package instructions.
- What “good” looks like: Yeast added to the must at the correct temperature.
- Common mistake: Adding yeast to liquid that is too hot or too cold.
- How to avoid: Follow yeast rehydration instructions precisely.
7. Initial Fermentation (Primary): Fit an airlock to the fermentation vessel. Allow the mixture to ferment vigorously for 5-10 days, or until the active bubbling subsides significantly. Stir or “punch down” the cap of solids daily.
- What “good” looks like: Active bubbling through the airlock, a frothy cap forming.
- Common mistake: Not stirring the cap, leading to potential spoilage or off-flavors.
- How to avoid: Maintain a daily stirring routine.
8. Rack to secondary fermenter: Carefully siphon the liquid off the sediment (lees) into a clean, sanitized secondary fermentation vessel (e.g., a carboy). Fill the vessel as close to the neck as possible to minimize headspace.
- What “good” looks like: Clearer liquid transferred, leaving sediment behind.
- Common mistake: Disturbing the lees excessively, introducing unwanted flavors.
- How to avoid: Use a siphon gently and avoid sucking up the sediment.
9. Secondary Fermentation and Aging: Allow the wine to ferment slowly for several weeks to months. Rack again as new sediment forms.
- What “good” looks like: Slow bubbling, gradual clearing of the wine.
- Common mistake: Leaving too much headspace, leading to oxidation.
- How to avoid: Top up the carboy if necessary.
10. Stabilize and Clarify (Optional): Once fermentation is complete and the wine has cleared, you can add stabilizers (like potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite) if you plan to back-sweeten. Fining agents can be used to speed up clarification.
- What “good” looks like: Stable wine, clear appearance.
- Common mistake: Adding stabilizers too early or not at all if back-sweetening.
- How to avoid: Wait until fermentation is truly finished.
11. Bottle: Sanitize bottles and siphon the finished wine into them. Cap or cork securely.
- What “good” looks like: Wine transferred cleanly into sanitized bottles.
- Common mistake: Poor sanitation of bottles, leading to spoilage.
- How to avoid: Ensure all bottling equipment is scrupulously clean and sanitized.
12. Age: Allow the bottled wine to age for at least a few months, or longer, to develop its flavors.
- What “good” looks like: Improved complexity and smoothness over time.
- Common mistake: Bottling too early, resulting in a harsh or underdeveloped flavor.
- How to avoid: Patience is key; let the wine mature.
Common mistakes (and what happens if you ignore them)
| Mistake | What it causes | Fix