apple wine

[big ad]

This is my first country wine and i keep you informed on how it goes, if anyone has done this before and has any tips then they would be most welcome.

APPLE WINE (1) [Heavy bodied]

* 24 lb. windfall apples, mixed varieties*
* 3-6 lb. granulated sugar
* 1 gallon water
* 1 tsp. pectic enzyme
* Sauterne wine yeast and nutrient

Chop the apples into small pieces, put into primary fermentation vessel, add the pectic enzyme and water and cover the mixture. The water will not cover the apples, so stir several times a day to bring bottom apples to the top. After 24 hours, add the yeast and nutrient. Keep covered (a bath towel held fast with a large rubber band works well if the primary fermentation vessel doesn't have a lid) and in a warm place for 7-10 days. When the vigorous fermentation of the pulp subsides, strain the juice from the pulp and set aside, then press the juice from the pulp and add to the set-aside liquor. Measure and add 3 lb. sugar per gallon of liquor. Put into carboy or gallon secondary fermentation vessel and fit with airlock. Rack when clear, allow another 60 days, then rack again and bottle. Allow six months before tasting, one year for best results. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry's First Steps in Winemaking]

 

[kirton]

I've just made a gallon of apple wine using a litre of Cloudy Apple Juice from Morrisons.

1 ltr Cloudy Apple Juice
1 kg unrefined demerara sugar
10 oz granualted sugar
1tsp pectolase
1tsp yeast nutrient
1tsp youngs super wine yeast compound

I started by just using just the apple juice and the demerara sugar, but this only gave an SG of 1070, so I added 10oz of normal white suger to bring the SG upto 1100.

I have no idea what effect using demerara sugar will have, but I'm hoping it will give a nice caramel flavour to the wine. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see!

 

[big ad]

sounds good to me, i have just got the yeast in mine but its not doing to much, think its bacause it might be alittle cold in my house to get it going.

 

[big ad]

just put the apple juice in a pet and tried to add the sugar but 3lbs was to much so i only added 2.5lbs, alsao its a very cloudy/white colour, hope its ok

 

[evanvine]

I added 10oz of normal white suger to bring the SG upto 1100.

What ABV are you looking for?
At the moment you are on the way to getting 13+%.
You will only really get flavour enhancement by using Barbados sugar or molasses.

 

[kirton]

At the moment you are on the way to getting 13+%.
You will only really get flavour enhancement by using Barbados sugar or molasses.

I was looking for about 12-13%. Had no idea what difference the sugar would make, but thought it was worth a try :

It's still bubbling away nicely, horrible colour though, but I suppose that will change.

 

[big ad]

it bubbled over last night, good job i only got about 2lbs of sugar in it, watch this space.

 

[metalmickey]

Without being a pendant, arent those recipes lacking in a certain ingredient to be called wine?

Neil

 

[evanvine]

Without being a pendant, arent those recipes lacking in a certain ingredient to be called wine?

Now there's interesting!
I wonder what are your missing essential ingrediants are?
Real wine wine being nothing more than grape juice and it's own bloom.

 

[metalmickey]

hahah,

Wheres the dividing line between cider and wine in this recipe, surely at 10% its a turbo cider

:whistle:

 

[evanvine]

surely at 10% its a turbo cider

I was under the impression that "TC" was so called because there isn't any crushing or pressing involved.
I could be wrong yet again!

 

[metalmickey]

Im only ribbin ya,

if CJJ Berry says its wine then its wine!

:clap:

although i thought it was called Turbo as i was ready to drink so quickly...well the cloudy apple juice should be, although im not sure about the pressed windfalls.

 

[evanvine]

I bow down to CJJB's better judgement :whistle:
When did he write this indepth, comprehensive, magnum opus? :ugeek:
Was it pre Dave Line? :twisted:
If so, it must be bang up to the minute stuff
Actualy I've never read the book, so my education has a yawning gap
When I come to think of it, I'm still in the dark ages anyway!

Double leg pull MM :thumb:

 

[kirton]

I've just racked off my apple wine (cider!) and it final og is 995. It'll be about 13.9%, flat and clear, and if that's not enough to c;assify it as a wine, it's getting bottled in wine bottles, so that should clear up any element of doubt :hmm:

 

[evanvine]

A rose by any other name.......
Nice one K, but I should taste it before you bottle it, could be cheek sucking dry

 

[kirton]

A rose by any other name.......
Nice one K, but I should taste it before you bottle it, could be cheek sucking dry

No, it's actually quite nice I had a rather yeasty 1/2 glass last night and decided to top up with a bit of white wine rather than back-sweeten it.
:

 

[evanvine]

No, it's actually quite nice I had a rather yeasty 1/2 glass last night and decided to top up with a bit of white wine rather than back-sweeten it.
:

Yes, that's the rub, you can't sweeten with sugar!