Starting an Apple Wine

[Waldo]

Tasting each step of the way to me is an essential part of winemaking.

 

[peterCooper]

OK so I tasted it.
It's definitely drying out. Very light and less appley than I thought. In the
UK cider is alcoholic and very often carbonated. That's pretty much what I
tasted although there was a hint of the cranberry.

Well satisfied with how its going. It will be interesting how I react as it does
dry out, will I like it more or less. That'll probably determine whhether or
not I sweeten after stabilization.

 

[Waldo]

And a little bit of sweetning goes a long way.

 

[masta]

Try some liquid apple juice concentrate to sweeten as it will add apple flavor.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Fine Vine Wines sells an apple flavoring item #3500...we have used it in some Sparkling Apple wine and it sure spruced up the flavor.....**A little goes a long way!!!!

 

[n5odj]

I've got a one month old 6 gallon carboy of apple wine (made from apple juice)that is now one month since beginning this batch. Tasted it today while racking. Since this is my first batch of apple, I didn't know what to expect, but was disappointed in the lack of flavor & thinness. Oh, to be sure I can taste the alcohol at 15% though. Anyway, using the abovementioned apple flavoring from FineVineWines, what would any of ya'll recommend be the dosage for this 6 gallon carboy to bump up the flavor?


Thanks,


Robert

 

[peterCooper]

Racked to glass Friday night.
Color looks just like apple juice. The cranberries didn't leave any color it
seems.
It's been bubbling away pretty fiercely since. I was going to do an SG test
but its still goig to strong. I'll leave it until I see o more activity and then
test.

Have a question though. It has already thrown a good inch of lees but it
is still got plenty of particulates in it. (good word that. Had to think for
five minutes to come up with it) I know when you use a kit wine you stir it
all up and degas before stabilizing and fining. Do you do the same with a
scratch wine or is it all right to take it of the lees first, then degas,
stabilize fine and return to the carboy?

 

[NorthernWinos]

  Anyway, using the abovementioned apple flavoring from FineVineWines, what would any of ya'll recommend be the dosage for this 6 gallon carboy to bump up the flavor?


  Thanks,


   Robert


 

An once/6 gallons would be enough to bring out the apple flavor...if you taste at that point you can always add more.
We try it before bottling....1/2 mil [cc] per 8oz glass of wine and taste...that equals [I think] 40 cc [mil] per 5 gallons OR 8 teaspoons/5 gallons OR 1.35 oz/5 gallons....40 cc[mil] is about 2.71 tablespoons.....So, if you put 1 oz/6 gallons would be slight, then go from there.
I use a syringe and add 1/2 cc[mil] to 8 oz of wine....we do the same with wine conditioner....that way you get to taste your wine and tweak it without tweaking the whole batch.
We bought some cherry flavoring and have never used it.Put some blueberry flavoring in some blueberry wine and over-did it a tad, but it still was good....so go easy on that flavoring.
We think the apple is a good addition to some of our apple wines, especially the sparkling ones.
It's not too expensive, [$3.99/4 oz] and a little goes a long way and it seems to keep well, tho we put it in the fridge after opening.
Masta is a whiz at equations...he might correct my sums...but think I figured them right....those are the amounts we have used.
Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[n5odj]

I appreciate the info. As an aside, is the addition of sorbate required with this product?


Robert

 

[NorthernWinos]

Yes, add sorbate too and what ever else you usually do at bottling.....The flavorings are for beer and wine and have no preservatives or other ingredients listed.
Other people my like to use frozen apple juice for flavorings at the end, but I have always been afraid of them making the wine cloudy.

 

[Waldo]

Rack it off the lees first Peter.

Racked to glass Friday night.
Color looks just like apple juice. The cranberries didn't leave any color it
seems.
It's been bubbling away pretty fiercely since. I was going to do an SG test
but its still goig to strong. I'll leave it until I see o more activity and then
test.

Have a question though. It has already thrown a good inch of lees but it
is still got plenty of particulates in it. (good word that. Had to think for
five minutes to come up with it) I know when you use a kit wine you stir it
all up and degas before stabilizing and fining. Do you do the same with a
scratch wine or is it all right to take it of the lees first, then degas,
stabilize fine and return to the carboy?

 

[peterCooper]

Well darn it! droppped my Hydrometer on the floor.
SG down to 1.010 and falling. Did that before I dropped it.
Guess I'll order a new one.

 

[MedPretzel]

Man, winemakers (knock on wood) seem to be clumsy people.





Coincidence?





I'm still on my 1st hydrometer.





Does that mean there's something wrong with me?

 

[Bert]

Martina


You must not be trying hard enough...

I think we are on our third one...and I haven't broken oneyet [knock on wood]....and I don't have just one spare, but two extras , just for those bad days.

Edited by: Bert

 

[MedPretzel]

I heard about having spares... From a Polish Princess, no less!

 

[MedPretzel]

To clarify: I do have one back-up, but only because someone sent it to me in a "bonus" ebay package.

 

[jobe05]

Martina,


Im still on my first hydrometer also.............


And I know that you and I both taste test during the process...........


Sometimes drink a glass or 2 from the last batch while we make the new batch....................


Tells me that we have our priorities right.....

 

[MedPretzel]

Amen to that.

 

[peterCooper]

You do have your priorities right but I want to asure everyone that I did not
drop the hydrometer BECAUSE I had had a glass to test

 

[peterCooper]

It's offical now; making scratch wine takes longer than kit wine. Even the
fermenting part it seems. I started my apple cranberry two weeks ago. I
racked it to glass last friday and started a WE Selection International
Barolo at the same time.

Wednesday I racked the Barolo to glass (SG was down to 1.020) and it was
fermenting away like a good un. Yesterday I did a comparison between
the two and the Barolo was throwing a three bloops to every one of the
apple cranberry. Today they're going at about the same speed. So my
conclusions is that the apple cranberry is on a longer slower ferment.

I'm wondering if it is to do with the yeast. I used a Lavlin 1118 in the
apple but I don't know what WE use in the Barolo.

Can't tell the SG right now but may be able to later on today, when my
NEW hydrometer arrives.Edited by: peterCooper