Apple Wine

[RotGut76]

I'm pretty new at this, but do you have an apple press? Or are you talking about just pressing by hand? My apple wine may take longer to clear, but I just dumped my frozen apples (I ran them through my food processor) in my ferment bucket, then added some apple juice, enzyme, citric acid and campden tablets. It might be easier if you put the frozen apples in nylons or a mesh bag?? Or if you have a juicer, then you've pretty much gotten all the good stuff out anyway. But mine forms a nice cap, so figure when sg gets low enough, I'll scoop out the "cap" and squeeze that, hopefully that will get most of the apple mush out without too much difficulty.

I have a homemade press although no food processor. I was going to put them in a mesh bag and then press them or squeeze them out by hand daily like the Dragons Blood recipe.


One other thing. Can I use acid blend or does it have to be citric acid?

 

[RotGut76]

So my batch is under way. I put all the apples in a mesh bag put them in the primary with the water and all of the other in ingredients. I took an SG reading as soon as I put everything in there and it was 1.020. After 24 hours and a bit of squeezing of the fruit bag it is now at 1.030. Before adding any other sugar.

Should I wait another day or two before pitching the yeast to see how high the SG gets or should I just continue on as the recipe states?

 

[Johngottshall]

With my cider and juice the gravity reading was 1.050 before I added sugar

 

[RotGut76]

With my cider and juice the gravity reading was 1.050 before I added sugar

Thanks. Perhaps I will wait another day.

 

[RotGut76]

Does anyone think this yeast would be a bad idea for this recipe?

 

[djrockinsteve]

Any of Lalvins yeasts will be fine. I use this yeast for champagne.

That one or EC-1118

Rehydrate it then add or make a starter.

For further info see our tutorials on rehydrating yeasts.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Here is a like to my tutorial on how to hydrate yeast.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f71/how-hydrate-yeast-10353/

 

[RotGut76]

I did my batch in a slightly different order. I added the sugar up to an SG of 1.080 before I pitched the yeast.

Will this have a negative effect?

 

[fabrictodyefor]

I think you are supposed to add the sugar before the yeast....that is the way I did it! Racked my apple wine for the second time the other day. I actually strained through mesh strainer before going into a clean carboy. What was left in the strainer looked like runny apple sauce! Put in cinnamon sticks and am going to leave it alone till Christmas. May try some then, but may wait longer, but will take the sticks out at that time. Now I have more apples processed and in my freezer. I think I may try some with cranberry juice concentrate...then I was thinking of using some oak chips with another batch....so many possibilities! When you get free fruit the best thing to do is make more wine!!!

 

[RotGut76]

Cool. My SG before adding the sugar was only. 1.030 so I figured I should bump it up before adding the yeast.

 

[djrockinsteve]

1.080 would be good. That way it's not over powering

 

[RotGut76]

1.080 would be good. That way it's not over powering

That was my target. I did go slightly over but hopefully it wont be too overwhelming.

 

[djrockinsteve]

It will be fine. I aged it with 1 full cinnamon stick per gallon. Back sweetened to maybe .998 and 1.003. I have friends who like dry and semi dry.

Leave some cinnamon out of a batch and when you bottle add 1/2 of a jalapeño pepper with 2-3 seeds.

Very good.

 

[fabrictodyefor]

http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?/topic/32444-cran-apple-raisin-wine/

As I have more apples in the freezer and picking up more today I searched around yesterday and found this recipe....this will be my next apple wine!

What does the jalapeno do to the apple wine?

 

[djrockinsteve]

You get a jalapeño apple wine. If you like jalapeños then try this. You taste apple with a hint of jalapeno. Search this forum for jalapeño wine. Several of us have made it. Runningwolf Julie and ffemt have made full jalapeño wine but this way is a much milder one.

Its not nasty like you may think.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Well I got a chance to start our apple wine - We filled a complete chest freezer with apples and froze them and then let them thaw for a couple of days. We then ran them thru the manual crusher and we ended up with approx 2 - 15 gallon primary fermenters. Waiting for the temp to go up to add the yeast !!

 

[jamesngalveston]

i would add sugar to get to 1.095 are even better 1.100...mesh bag is the way to go, after sitting in water that has pectin enzyme they squeeze like marsmallows....

 

[xcaret]

I choped up my unfrozen apples and put them all into a fermenting container, seeds and all, over a month ago. I was out of town and got home a few days ago to see the cap was about 5 inches thick. I scooped it off with a sieve. I then poured it through a nylon stockingand saved it in a 15 liter or so container with vac loc on it, the rest went into 2 liter pop bottles. My question is that although I see quite a bit of sediment on the bottom, the rest is extremly cloudy. I have often bought a bottle of non alcholic apple juice at health food stores that is just as cloudy. I really don't mind the cloudyness, but am wondering if I can clear it , if the flavour will be any better. As it is it is fantastic. but if it can be improved upon I'll give it a try.
I think it might be to late to add any bentonite , bcause your suposed to mix it with water. How about gelatine? I just read that can be used too, but no mention of whether you just add it by pouring a package it ,or is it suposed to be watered down? I dont have room for water. I can shake the container around to kinda get it mixed , but not to good.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

i would add sugar to get to 1.095 are even better 1.100...mesh bag is the way to go, after sitting in water that has pectin enzyme they squeeze like marsmallows....

They squeezed like marshmallows after they thawed out -
James I typically will let this process go and at the end, run them thru a mesh bag for the initial 1st run and then put them thru the press. Is there an easier way ? There are alot of apples we are talking about !

 

[LoneStarLori]

I put mine in a mesh bag and squeezed it daily. The pectic enzyme does make it very soft and easy to squeeze. If you have pectic enzyme in your bucket, it should still do its thing even if not in a bag.