# Caramel Apple Wine



## txlbbguy

After doing a few of the flavored kit wines, it seemed to me that they were making a fast low alcohol wine that was drinkable when it was finished simply by adding a "flavor pack". This flavor pack tasted to me simply like a flavored syrup...so I have tried my own attempt at this without a kit and with great success.

First, I made an apple wine from apple juice concentrate. After it has settled and cleared, I added a bottle of Tourani's Caramel Syrup I purchased from World Market. It has been aging for six months and I tried a bottle last night and it is amazing! It does have a very distinctive caramel apple taste. I was not sure how the flavor would be after aging, but so far its great. Has anyone else tried this? My other blend was a Cranberry wine made from the frozen cranberry concentrate, then adding a bottle of the Tourani Pomegranite syrup. It tasted great when I bottled it, so I am anxious to try one of those soon as well. My next idea was to do a basic white wine recipe with the Welches White grape juice and add a bottle of strawberry syrup at bottling. So far im getting great results with about half the cost of a kit, but higher alcohol content and a better body wine. Anyone else ever try this crazy idea? if so, how did it turn out?


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## seth8530

Im sure your not the first one to do it but I salute your work and hope that you carry on and keep us updated


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## Tom

1st WELCOME!
Now just watch what we make. There are many here that do alot from scratch. Look under "RECIPIES" for "different" wines.


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## Minnesotamaker

Your blend sounds interesting. How does the caramel apple compare to the real thing? The reason I ask is this: some flavors we recognize as blended flavors (e.g. cherry-cola, lemon-lime, chocolate-milk). Other flavors are a complex combination of two distinct flavors (e.g. pie and ice cream, french fries and ketchup, potatoes and gravy). I would put the caramel apple flavor in the "complex combination" catagory with two distinct flavor profiles that go well together. Are you able to capture both profiles individually, but together?


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## countrygirl

this sounds delicious! please keep us updated.


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## txlbbguy

Lon, I would agree...this is more of a combination of complex flavor where both have distinctive notes. At this point I can clearly identify the apple flavor and the caramel flavor but they do combine very well. I will update after it ages for a year to see how it tastes at that point. I can say my friend who does not drink wine tasted it and was ready for a bottle to take with him!


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## txlbbguy

*Update on the caramel apple wine*

I bottled this wine back in late spring, so it has only had the chance to age for a few months, but I had to open a bottle this last weekend for some friends that were dying to try it. I have to say that it already tastes amazing! Several people tried it who do not normally drink wine and they loved it. I will put the recipe up if anyone wants it...but it was just basically the recipe for apple wine using the frozen concentrate juice and then adding a bottle of the Tourani Caramel Apple syrup at bottling. I will update again closer to the holidays when I hope that it goes over really big!


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## winemaker_3352

I did the same thing added in the Tourani Caramel Apple syrup but i used crab apples - i also added in cinnamon sticks and a vanilla bean - smells great!!


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## Kemo

sounds great! seems like you would even be able to get a pie flavor from adding some cinnimon sticks!


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## tcavan01

*Amounts*

txlbbguy, how much wine did you start with and how much syrup did you add to it?


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## txlbbguy

I started with a six gallon recipe and added a full bottle of the Tourani Caramel Syrup. I am about to start another batch and this time I think I am going to add only a half bottle of the syrup so that the caramel flavor is much lighter.... Just to see if I like the difference. I had a friend suggest adding the small bottles of Tourani instead of the standard bottle, but use one each of caramel and one of green apple. I may just try that as well!


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## keena

Anyone have a good apple wine from concentrate recipe? I'd like to try this one out!


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## txlbbguy

Keena,
This is the recipe that I used...it is from Jack Keller's winemaking homepage. It is for a gallon batch, so i just multiplied it by 6 to get my six gallon batch. The only difference I would do this time after the wine is finished is only add half of the bottle of caramel syrup so that the caramel taste is more subtle and not quite so overpowering to the apple. 

APPLE CONCENTRATE WINE
2 12-oz cans frozen apple concentrate
1 1/2 lbs granulated sugar
1 tsp acid blend
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 crushed Campden tablet
¼ tsp tannin
3 qts water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 pkt Champagne wine yeast
Bring 1 qt water to boil and stir in sugar until completely dissolved. Pour frozen apple concentrate in primary and add boiling sugar-water. Add remaining 2 qts cold water, acid blend, tannin, yeast nutrient, and crushed Campden tablet. Stir well, cover primary and set aside for 12 hours. Stir in pectic enzyme and recover primary. After additional 12 hours, add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily for 10 days, keeping covered. Rack into gallon secondary, top up if required and fit airlock. Rack, top up and refit sirlock every 60 days for 6 months. Stabilize, sweeten if desired and wait 2 weeks. Rack into bottles and set aside one year

Good luck and keep me updated!


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## keena

Thanks a million! I'm hoping to start it in a week or so. Do you know what size the Carmel syrup bottle was? I saw that brand in like 25 oz bottles and 33 oz bottles. The reason I ask is because Maybe if yours was 33 I could just use the 25 to reduce it.


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## Hokapsig

maybe I'm missing something, but when does the Caramel come in? Do you have a starting and ending SG to go by? 

Can you relist and go very precise for those of us that haven't made this before???
Thanks!!!


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## txlbbguy

The recipe i listed above is what I go by. I start with a SG of 1.085 as I do on all of my wines because I like about an 11% alcohol and no more. It overpowers the fruit taste for me if it is any higher. Also, I add the caramel syrup just before bottling...and I also stabilize it at that point with potassium sorbate to make sure it doesnt start refermenting. Other than that, I follow the recipe above as its listed. Hope that helps.


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## ShelleyDickison

Update on my Carmel Apple Hard Cider. Took a reading today at Day 7 and it was 1.025 with temp adjust. Took a small taste and not to bad. Even talked my husband into tasting and he agreed. Just might have to make a straight apple wine after this.


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## jswordy

I just opened a bottle of my Indian Summer Apple Cider wine last night. It has been bottled for 9 months. The rest has been good for it!


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