Apple Wine Issue

[CoastalEmpireWine]

I made apple wine about 8.5 months ago. After letting it age we found the taste to be very good, but lacking some apple flavor. So we added a can of orchard concentrate. After this my acid titration kit can in and I found my wines TA to be a little too high.. So I lowered it to the correct level. After this we waiting about 3 weeks to taste it again and noticed that the wine has become bitter... What did I do wrong and how can i remove this bitterness?

 

[GreginND]

How much did you change the TA? And what did you use to adjust it? If it was just a little high I would not try to change it. Rather I'd balance it with some sweetness.

Can you tell us more about how you made this wine? Fresh apples? How?

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

She adjusted it like .25 It was made from apple juice. Before she adjusted the TA she said it tasted really good, with a minute apple taste. I advised her to get a can of apple juice concentrate and add it to the wine. She did, the she used Calcium Carbonate to lower the TA. Im starting to think it is an imbalance between sugar and acidity. It fermented dry to .994. No sugar has been added besides what was in the concentrate. At least im hoping it is an imbalance anyways.

 

[dralarms]

I've found that apple needs some sweetness.

 

[Julie]

I'm not sure I understand the acid level but TA should be .55% to .75%. I usually have my apple around .65% Also calcium carbonate should be used prior to fermentation not after. Did she backsweeten this at all? If so what level. Normally 1.010 seems to balance the apple out pretty well. And apple flavor normally comes in after a year of aging.

 

[GreginND]

I suspect the calcium carbonate may be part of your problem. I find it leaves a chalky taste. Well, it is chalk! My number one rule is not to male adjustments just because a number says so. If it tastes good, don't mess with it. I would probably let your wine age out for a while and see how it tastes further down the road. If it is still out if balance, try some sweetening trials.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

She has not back sweetened it yet. She is going to tonight. Then she is going to let it set. I did not know that Calcium Carbonate should be used before hand. It doesn't have a chalk taste to it, just bitter. I am thinking it might have been the calcium carbonate also. Hopefully it mellows out..

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

I am not home to help her with it, so I am trying to make it easy for her. I am currently deployed so... I dont have much longer left and I'll be home to help her. She said its still not bad, just more bitter.

 

[dralarms]

I am not home to help her with it, so I am trying to make it easy for her. I am currently deployed so... I dont have much longer left and I'll be home to help her. She said its still not bad, just more bitter.

Thank you for your service.

 

[Julie]

She can run a test by adding a 1/2 tsp or even a 1/4 tsp to an glass of the apple wine and see how that taste. Tell to make sure she measures how much wine she uses.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

She can run a test by adding a 1/2 tsp or even a 1/4 tsp to an glass of the apple wine and see how that taste. Tell to make sure she measures how much wine she uses.

Julie, are you talking about adding sugar? My thought process was this, asked her to fill a wine thief about 3/4 full then empty into a glass and add sugar until either the bitterness goes away or gets to where she likes it (or both!) then pour it back into the wine thief and measure it with a hydrometer..

And thank you!

 

[Julie]

Julie, are you talking about adding sugar? My thought process was this, asked her to fill a wine thief about 3/4 full then empty into a glass and add sugar until either the bitterness goes away or gets to where she likes it (or both!) then pour it back into the wine thief and measure it with a hydrometer..

And thank you!

YES! I would take enough out to take a hydrometer reading and tastings. Once she has the sweetness to her liking take a reading.

And let her know that she can pop on here to ask any question she needs answered if you are not available to help her.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

YES! I would take enough out to take a hydrometer reading and tastings. Once she has the sweetness to her liking take a reading.

And let her know that she can pop on here to ask any question she needs answered if you are not available to help her.

Julie, Thank you for your help. I will be home here soon as my tour is almost over. I will pass it along to her though. She has never fooled with it and she usually goes off of what i ask her, and she does it. Though I am certain she has no idea what she is doing haha.

 

[GreginND]

Ah, remote winemaking. That's not easy. Julie has given some great advice. And there is nothing at all wrong with letting it sit as it is until you can return. Good luck. I'm sure it will turn out fine in the end.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

Yea it has been a challenge since i have to go off of what my wife says and make assumptions there.

 

[Julie]

Yea it has been a challenge since i have to go off of what my wife says and make assumptions there.

roflmao, well nothing about the blind leading the blind,

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

Yupp nothing better than that! Also another question Julie. When she poured the wine into the wine glass last night she noticed tiny bubbles... But when she did it the first time (before adding K meta, Sorbate, apple concentrate, and Sodium Carbonate) there wasnt any. Do you think those bubbles are from where she added the calcium carbonate? It did cause the wine to fizz a lot! I attached pictures so you can see what I mean. I sure wont be adding calcium carbonate after a completed fermentation again! I finally have the equipment I wanted. My wife bought me a Vinmetrica SC-300! It tests SO2, pH, and TA!

 

[Julie]

sounds like it may need to be degassed but if you are not planning on bottling this until you get back, she doesn't need to worry about that right now. But to make sure it is not fermenting have her take a hydrometer reading and again 4 or 5 days from the first reading and see if it has moved or not.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

That sounds like a plan. Thank you Julie.

 

[Julie]

lol. you know you are going to have to put your wife's name on this wine as the lead winemaker!!!!