# crabapple wine



## johnthemc (Jul 27, 2011)

Hi everyone.
I just passed a neighbor's house and realized that the huge tree in his yard is loaded with crabapples. I normally do not take this road home and never really took notice to the tree but probably never passed when it had fruit.
Being a beginner, my question is can wine be made from crabapples? And if so would someone be able to give me a receipe and directions to follow.
I would very much appreciate any info.
Thank You,
John


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## orf (Jul 27, 2011)

being new myself I can just say that jack keller has one on his website.I've read alot on here say he dosen"t use enough fruit but this is only second hand info. I hope that helps.


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## Wade E (Jul 27, 2011)

Only the big ones called Dolgo and I used to make it every year and its very good. I dont drink anywhere near as much wine as I make so I still have a decent supply of it or Id be making more. Its very very good as a sparkling wine! Here is a pic of the size of Dolgo's so you know what they look like.


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## johnthemc (Jul 27, 2011)

Thank You,
Would you be able to give me a reciepe and directions I can follow?
John


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## Runningwolf (Jul 27, 2011)

Wade I would also like to see the recipe as I have some available to me. I was thinking of steaming them.


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## djrockinsteve (Jul 27, 2011)

I made crab apple last year and need to bottle. Use apple concentrate to add some extra flavor and help with the acid. I froze mine after washing off. Cut in half still frozen removing many pits/seeds and stems. Added pectic enzyme shortly after they thawed then yeast next day. 

I took it to prob. 1.080 to start. May have added raisins too. I'll look later when I get home. I too pass a c. a. tree and they look ripe now. 

Sparkling huh Wade. Just may try that. Did you for e inject or second fermentation?


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## Minnesotamaker (Jul 27, 2011)

I've made several crab apple wines. All have turned out very good. Much better than regular old apple wines in my opinion. BUT..... the apples do make a difference. You'll want to head over to that tree and have a taste. If the apples are loaded with delicious flavor, they should make good wine. Some crab apples are too tart or bitter to make a wine for my tastes.


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## djrockinsteve (Jul 28, 2011)

yea i need to see how mine came out. another thing on my list


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## johnthemc (Jul 28, 2011)

thank you for the info, i will let you know if i make it, but does anyone have a recipe they would share?


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## buddy (Jul 28, 2011)

Here is a recipe similar to the one that I made last year except it uses less sugar than the one I made. My recipe called for 3 pounds of sugar per gallon, which was too much. It didn't even finish to dry, the fermentation stopped at Sg 1.012 which was OK because I wanted a sweet wine but now the ABV is quite high.
I didn't bother to cut the apples. All I did was remove the stems and put them into the freezer for several days. Then thaw and crush the apples in a pail using a 2X4. The pectic enzyme will do the rest. The volume of the gross lees was surprisingly small compared to the starting amount.
If you have a lot of apples that are available to you I would use at least 6 pounds to the gallon.
http://www.winemakeri.com/Crab_Apple_Wine_s/188.htm


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## Wade E (Jul 28, 2011)

Its in our recioe area but labeled as Dolgo Crab Apple.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=13465#post13465


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## Runningwolf (Jul 28, 2011)

Thanks Wade


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## Arne (Jul 29, 2011)

Two years ago I made a crabapple. Did not care for it origionally, but after a year or so it came around and is pretty good. My recipe book says for a gal. I used:

4 lb crab apples. Did not freeze em first but if doing it again they will start out frozen.
Placed in bag and poured a gal. of boiling water on them.
When cool, added campden and waited 24 hours. 
Smashed witha potatoe masher before campden.
Used 2 1/2 cups sugar
No acid was added
1/4 tsp tannin
1tsp. yeast nutrient.
did not write down the typeof yeast
Started Aug. 8, stabilized mar 13
Sweetened with 1/2 c. sugar.

The crab apples are looking good this year. Will probably try it again. Last year they had some kind of a disease or blight. They all had a bad spot on them. Will most likely change a little on this recipe this time, but I was pretty new to the winemaking when I did this. It came out pretty good, tho. Arne.


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## djrockinsteve (Jul 29, 2011)

I pulled what I did, mine is different and haven't bottled it yet.

I used 18 pounds of crab apples. (Halved and removed the seeds after they were frozen)
1/2 gallon 100% pure apple cider
3 cans of Old Orchard Cranberry Blend Concentrate (no sorbate added)
24 cups of Inverted Sugar (by weight)
1 teaspoon ascorbic acid
6 teaspoons of nutrient
21 drops of pectic enzyme
Enough water to make 6 gallons before the addition of the apples.
Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast
Starting gravity was 1.090

My ph at the beginning was 3.10
After fermentation it was 3.27

I did a second batch similar to this except I used 3 cans of apple kiwi strawberry.

Add all ingredients except yeast. Allow 12-24 hours for the pectic enzyme to work.
Rehydrate your yeast and add.
Remove the apples around 1.020
Ferment dry 
Rack off of the gross lees.
Sulfite with 1/4 teaspoon of k-meta
Mix in sparkolloid and stir vigorously (mixing and degassing)

Allow to clear 6 weeks.

Rack, add a pinch of k-meta and age minimun 6 months.
Add sorbate and sweeten to your preference


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## johnthemc (Jul 29, 2011)

I thank you all and will let you know how I make out.
John


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## Runningwolf (Aug 13, 2011)

This sounds like a great wine and I am going to make it. First picking i got about 18 pounds of Dolgo Crabapples. I picked yesterday and just destemed and picked out any wormy apples. They will be froze until I am ready and have all I can get. I will be using Wades recipe.


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## fabrictodyefor (Sep 2, 2016)

I've read through several posts containing "crabapple" in the posts. I believe I'll have about 120 lbs of crabapples when done sorting out the bad ones. I've got 65 lbs in the freezer already and 2 more 5 gallon buckets full. I appreciate djrockinsteve's recipe, but what would "drops" of pectic enzyme convert to tsp of pectic powder? My "plan" was to "press" the crabapples after they have thawed from being frozen. My press is a home made one made by my dear hubby, but I am sure it would not press the crabapples without being previously frozen. But it works pretty good and I've pressed my rhubarb and choke cherries in it and it will press them till dry and I get a lot of juice. I have a 20 gallon Brutte and was hoping to do this all I in one batch. My basic question: if I press till dry is it necessary to ferment with the "pressed" crabapple stuff? Or do you think I will get enough of the flavor from the pressing. I could do it in 2 separate batches, if I need to, leaving pressed crabapples in the mesh bag and then add it to the ferment bucket. At this time I do not want to add anything else, just want to make a straight crabapple for now and do some bench taste tests later if necessary. Any advice will be most welcome!


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## jigmee7276 (Dec 18, 2022)

johnthemc said:


> Hi everyone.
> I just passed a neighbor's house and realized that the huge tree in his yard is loaded with crabapples. I normally do not take this road home and never really took notice to the tree but probably never passed when it had fruit.
> Being a beginner, my question is can wine be made from crabapples? And if so would someone be able to give me a receipe and directions to follow.
> I would very much appreciate any info.
> ...


Hey John,
I'm new to making crabapple wine myself. Here's a recipe i found < Crab Apple Wine Recipe >. I'm into the closing stages of primary fermentation. Till now its going well. The only mistake on my part was that i didnt add the citric acid as mentioned in the recipe. I fear the wine might just be a little weak. But i am tasting that astringency which is delicious. Anyway hope you brew a lovely batch.
Just out of curiosity, which variety of crabapple have you found? Mine is called mallus sikkimensis. A species native to northern india where i live. 
Jigmee.


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