Apple Wine and Bentonite

[Eddie_G]

I am going to try my first apple wine. I have been reading that they are hard to clear. I was thinking of using bentonite at the start of fermentation (like for a grape wine). My recipe does not call for this. Does anyone see an issue if I use the bentonite anyway? Would it hurt anything? Thanks.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Apples contain a hefty dose of pectin. Pectase enzyme is the magic that will help you.

Well sure you could put in bentonite, it will not harm the apple, bentonite is good at combining with protein and removing it. BUT pectin won’t be pulled out with bentonite.
A non-clearing opinion, good cider apples as Kingston Black have tannin which provides long flavor notes. A fairly common source for this flavor is some crab apples. After tasting several varieties which are landscape plantings I found Prairie Star and use about one percent in wines like rhubarb and up to five percent in apple cyser. ,,,, and that means that pectase goes in all wines with crab apple flavor.

 

[Eddie_G]

Thanks for the info Rice_Guy. I am experimenting with an old-timey varietal called Stamen. They are very tart, firm apples with red skins - they used to be the go-to apple for pies way back when. Getting them from a local, old orchard so they are super fresh. I'm only making 3 gallons so this is sort of a learning process for me. The recipe I'm following calls for pectic enzyme, which I will add. Yeast is Wyeast Rudischiemer (now called 4783). Good for apples.

I've made a few kit wines in the past which turned out well. Also a blueberry wine which I really like. Have a chemical engineering background so what you say makes a good deal of sense to me.

 

[Rembee]

It would also help @Eddie_G if you core the apples and discord the core and seeds. The seeds make the wine bitter. Sprinkle pectic enzyme over the slices in a bag and freeze them for 4 or 5 days. Freezing them helps to break down the cell walls. I also leave the skins on. Then I also add the recommended amount of pectic enzyme to the must 24 hours prior to adding any nutrients or yeast. Apples are high in pectin and need help to clear.

 

[Eddie_G]

@Rembee yep no seeds. Fruit was washed, cut up with any bad spots removed. I also am a fan of freezing the fruit first. In fact I used frozen blueberries for the blueberry wine. I am hoping that the skins will give the wine a rosy color - they are red but not real deep red.

 

[Rembee]

I also add the zest of half a lemon and the juice from it with no seeds per gallon. It gives the wine a crisp fruit forward flavor if you will.
I've only had success with turning the apple wine to a light rose by using all red apples.
But I normally only use Dorset and Anna apples because those are what I grow. They are both yellowish and red stripped. My apple wine taste more like a nice light to medium body Riesling wine. I also add 1 cup of brewed Earl Gray black tea per gallon for some additional complexity of the tannins in the tea.

 

[glennwing]

I find my Apple wine clears quickly and beautifully. i add peptic enzyme before fermentation. After fermentation I rack and degas then add Chitosan and Kessil (sp) to clear. Clears in just a few days.

 

[Eddie_G]

Yes the 4783 yeast should give me something like a Riesling - I am looking forward to it. I will try the zest and tea, that sounds interesting! I already lemon juiced the cut up apples so they don't get brown in the freezer.

 

[Eddie_G]

@Rembee I suppose with all these light, delicate flavors in the wine it is best to ferment at the low end of the temperature range so you don't boil them off. Do you recall what temperature you used? Thanks.

 

[Rembee]

I have a 3 gallon batch that I just racked into secondary 10 days ago. I ferment my apple wines between 65° and 70° deg. I use Lalvin D47 yeast. You need to make sure that the yeast you use can tolerate a cooler temperature. It normally takes me about 7 to 10 days to ferment with the D47 at this temperature. I also make up a yeast starter for 24 to 36 hours prior to adding it to the must.
My apple wines normally clear up very nicely in about a months time with no addition of Chitosan or Kessil. I do not use these clearing agents in any of my wines. I rather use father time for clearing.

 

[GoBigBlueF150]

Hello, I hope you will help me.
I found 48# of 'Sweet tango'/'fuji' apples on sale for $13. I am having a hard time finding a 6gal recipe. Could you please help steer me to a good one?

 

[cmason1957]

If you found any recipe scaling is an easy task. Say the recipe you have is for 1 gallon, multiply everything by 6 to get your 6 gallon recipe (but I might use 6.5 or 7 to account for racking losses. Except for yeast, which remains at 1 packet for 6 gallons.

Also as a side note, the best apple wine is made with a mix of tart and sweet apples, Fuji is considered a sweet apple, so you need to add something like crab apples for the tart.

 

[GoBigBlueF150]

I don't have any tart and am ready to go, one recipe called for 1lb or golden raisins. Should I really add 6lbs for 6gal? This is starting to get expensive

 

[Rembee]

This recipe is for 1 gallon. (Multiply x 6 for your 6 gallons)

• 6 to 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of fresh apples.
• 2 pounds (900 g) of granulated white sugar or SG of 1.090
• 1 teaspoon of citric acid or 1 organic lemon juice (optional – some people like it).
• The zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup brewed black tea
• 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient (different brands might slightly differ so make sure to follow the instructions on the pack).
• 1/2 teaspoon of wine tannin
• 1/2 teaspoon of Pectic Enzyme. I double this per gallon. Helps to clear the wine faster after fermentation is complete.
• 1 campden tablet
• make sure to add enough water to make 1 gallon.
• Wait 24 hours before adding your yeast and nutrient. Give the pectic enzyme a chance to work.

Note: Instead of just water, I add frozen apple concentrate mixed as per instruction on the can. Then add this to reach desired level.

 

[Rembee]

You do not need raisins, it's optional!

 

[Rembee]

I also forgot to mention, core the apples and discord the core and seeds. Seeds will make the wine bitter.
Chop the apple pieces up and place into a brew bag in a fermentation bucket. Cover the bucket with a sheet or towel. Squeeze the bag 3 times a day until you reach SG of 1.010. Then squeeze or press the liquid from the bag and discord the mash when finished.
The apple piece will turn into mash during the fermentation.

 

[cenk57]

I am an apple nerd. I love apple wine. One of my favorites. As been stated, you would have better results if you mixed sweet, sharp and bittersharp varieties to the mix - however the Winesap (Staman) is a decent single variety cider producer. I just throw in a dose and a half of pectic enzyme when I add my k-meta pre ferment. I have never had a haze or cloud issue. I also crush and press my apples, using 100% juice for the wine. 71B is my apple yeast "go-too". It cuts back the malic acid.

 

[Czaccary]

This recipe is for 1 gallon. (Multiply x 6 for your 6 gallons)

• 6 to 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of fresh apples.
• 2 pounds (900 g) of granulated white sugar or SG of 1.090
• 1 teaspoon of citric acid or 1 organic lemon juice (optional – some people like it).
• The zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup brewed black tea
• 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient (different brands might slightly differ so make sure to follow the instructions on the pack).
• 1/2 teaspoon of wine tannin
• 1/2 teaspoon of Pectic Enzyme. I double this per gallon. Helps to clear the wine faster after fermentation is complete.
• 1 campden tablet
• make sure to add enough water to make 1 gallon.
• Wait 24 hours before adding your yeast and nutrient. Give the pectic enzyme a chance to work.

Note: Instead of just water, I add frozen apple concentrate mixed as per instruction on the can. Then add this to reach desired level.

Does the tea matter? Or can it be any sort of tea?

 

[Rice_Guy]

The purpose for tea is too provide some tannin, ,,, any black tea should work. A herbal no tannin or green will not work. If you have chestnut or similar wine tannin it also would work, my go to is about 5% tannic crab apple.

Does the tea matter? Or can it be any sort of tea?

 

[Rembee]

Does the tea matter? Or can it be any sort of tea?

As @Rice_Guy has already mentioned, any black tea will do. It's the tannins that you want from the tea.