Apple Wine!

[xune]

Just thought I would say I've made 4 or 5 different types of wine this year, and so far my favorite is my most recent, apple wine. I am just starting wine making this year, but it has been a foray I will never forget. I made two gallons of Apple wine this year. One from store bought apple juice, one from fresh pressed apples. They both finished out about 0.998, and started at 1.080. The gallon made from the fresh pressed apples is SOOOO much better tasting, at least at this point. It's got an almost sour note to it that lends itself quite well to the wine. Very happy with both, and will definitely be making more next year. Though I'll be ramping up the scale big time. Probably go for 30-50 gallons next year if I can manage. Maybe more, we'll see in time.

This forum has helped me a lot over the last year and I would really love to thank everyone here. I am so impressed with my wine, and my family seems to be as well. Couldn't be happier.

 

[hounddawg]

hi,
if you like to experiment try a pear/apple blend, you put both in the fermenter at the same time, now if you don't have the patience to watch grass grow then you will want to buy some pear pectin before you start, when i put this blend into carboys to bulk with out pear pectin means i bulk age 2 years, with pear pectin 6 to 8 months, if you try this and can not find pear pectin let me know i should have a site to order from, i have note ordered any in at least 5 years now, because the best tasting wine you'll every taste in my opinion is the wine that you do as slowly as possible. but most peoples heart will not rest for 2 years lol, but i give thanks to mother earth, 50/50 pear,apple i have watched you like making something different or plum crazy, as i do myself, people on here flipped out when they found out i don't use tannings in stead i use crabapples freeze them then press out the juice, but test slowly be cause it is far stronger then tannings, or as called from the deep woods where i live it's called the bitters BEST OF LUCK TO YOU
DAWG

Just thought I would say I've made 4 or 5 different types of wine this year, and so far my favorite is my most recent, apple wine. I am just starting wine making this year, but it has been a foray I will never forget. I made two gallons of Apple wine this year. One from store bought apple juice, one from fresh pressed apples. They both finished out about 0.998, and started at 1.080. The gallon made from the fresh pressed apples is SOOOO much better tasting, at least at this point. It's got an almost sour note to it that lends itself quite well to the wine. Very happy with both, and will definitely be making more next year. Though I'll be ramping up the scale big time. Probably go for 30-50 gallons next year if I can manage. Maybe more, we'll see in time.

This forum has helped me a lot over the last year and I would really love to thank everyone here. I am so impressed with my wine, and my family seems to be as well. Couldn't be happier.

 

[bkisel]

30-50 gallons planed for next year... Now that's impressive!

Last year I made a 6 gallon batch from fresh pressed apple cider. Came out so good and was so well received that this year, as I type, I've got a 6 gallon batch in secondary and just yesterday the yeast pitched on another 6 gallons.

I think the back sweetening I did last year (and will do again this year0 was important to the good taste. Back sweetened with 2 cups of brown sugar, i cup of honey and two cans of frozen apple juice concentrate.

 

[drainsurgeon]

I'm interested in finding out the recipe on the Apple wine you two are making. My daughter has offered me her entire apple harvest on 2 trees in her back yard. I've already made a big batch of apple sauce, apple risp, apple dumplings and picked 4 bags full yesterday (about 80#). There is still probably 300# of apples hanging that I can have. I have been looking for a good deal on a press but no luck so far.

Recipe (there is about 25 in the recipes here) and anyone got a press for sale?

 

[bkisel]

I'm interested in finding out the recipe on the Apple wine you two are making. My daughter has offered me her entire apple harvest on 2 trees in her back yard. I've already made a big batch of apple sauce, apple risp, apple dumplings and picked 4 bags full yesterday (about 80#). There is still probably 300# of apples hanging that I can have. I have been looking for a good deal on a press but no luck so far.

Recipe (there is about 25 in the recipes here) and anyone got a press for sale?

Here is what I used...

Apple Wine from Cider

Primary Ingredients...

6 gallons non-pasteurized, no additive apple cider
1 tsp. tannin
3 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 tsp. yeast energizer
3 tsp. pectic enzyme
3/4 tsp absorbic acid
6-9 tsp acid blend
3-5 tsp bentonite
6-8 pounds sugar - SG 1.080-1.090 - 11% to 12% potential abv
1/4 tsp k-meta
1 packet yeast (EC-1118 or some other white wine yeast) - after 24 hours of above

Degas/Stabilize/Clear...

2 tsp Potassium Sorbate
1/4 tsp k-meta
1 packet(s) SuperKleer

Back Sweeten...

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup honey
2 cans frozen apple juice concentrate

Bulk age...

1 cinnamon stick

 

[wineforfun]

Bill's recipe is almost identical to what I do with the exceptions of
a. I used fresh juice squeezed/pressed from apples
b. I use either KVI 1116 or Cote des Blancs yeast

When done I will split batches into 1 gal. carboys and make different additions, ie: cinammon sticks, clove, anise, etc.

 

[bkisel]

Bill's recipe is almost identical to what I do with the exceptions of
a. I used fresh juice squeezed/pressed from apples
b. I use either KVI 1116 or Cote des Blancs yeast

When done I will split batches into 1 gal. carboys and make different additions, ie: cinammon sticks, clove, anise, etc.

Very close indeed... Cote des Blancs yeast is what I pitched yesterday and I'll have to update my post for the addition of one cinnamon stick during bulk aging.

I like the idea of the cloves you mention but I'm reluctant to add any anise to my wine.

 

[wineforfun]

I like the idea of the cloves you mention but I'm reluctant to add any anise to my wine.

Well, I will admit I have never added it to apple wine before, nor the clove, only cinammon, which turned out very well.

I had a 3 gal. batch that I split into 1 gal. batches and am doing some experimenting with.
#1 SG 1.002 plus 1/2 cinammon stick
#2 SG 1.012 plus 1/2 cinammon stick and 1 clove
#3 SG 1.022 plus 1/4 cinammon stick, 1 clove and 2 anise star seeds

I have made a variation of dragon blood( @jericurl 's recipe) which makes use of anise. I really liked it in there so giving it a go here. Trial and error my friend.

 

[Jericurl]

I have made a variation of dragon blood( @jericurl 's recipe) which makes use of anise. I really liked it in there so giving it a go here. Trial and error my friend.

A small amount of chamomile in an apple wine, along with some spices, is also utterly fantastic.

 

[drainsurgeon]

Here is what I used...

Apple Wine from Cider

Primary Ingredients...

6 gallons non-pasteurized, no additive apple cider
1 tsp. tannin
3 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 tsp. yeast energizer
3 tsp. pectic enzyme
3/4 tsp absorbic acid
6-9 tsp acid blend
3-5 tsp bentonite
6-8 pounds sugar - SG 1.080-1.090 - 11% to 12% potential abv
1/4 tsp k-meta
1 packet yeast (EC-1118 or some other white wine yeast) - after 24 hours of above

Degas/Stabilize/Clear...

2 tsp Potassium Sorbate
1/4 tsp k-meta
1 packet(s) SuperKleer

Bulk age...

1 cinnamon stick

Back Sweeten...

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup honey
2 cans frozen apple juice concentrate

Thanks bkisel, that's what I was looking for. When you add the acid blend are you shooting for a specific pH level? And also with back sweetening are you shooting for a specific SG or just going by taste?

 

[bkisel]

Thanks bkisel, that's what I was looking for. When you add the acid blend are you shooting for a specific pH level? And also with back sweetening are you shooting for a specific SG or just going by taste?

I add acid blend as per an apple cider to wine recipe I found somewhere on the internet. Seat of the pants but can see where shooting for a specific PH level would be useful. Instrument wise haven't moved my hobby beyond thermometer and hydrometer.

By taste for back sweetening but then record, if I remember to, final SG as a guide/reference for next time.

For me there is/has been more art [luck?] then science in making my wine.