Storing Juice

Hello, I grow cashew apples in Central America and use the juice to make a great wine, the question I have for anyone who knows is can I store the juice more than a day in order to accumulate a big batch such as 50 gallons or I should i make small batches of 5 to 6 gallons? because the rate of ripe apples come at different times its difficult to produce big batches of juice,

thank you
Alexander

You can freeze your juice until you have enough. For a few days you could add k-meta and or absorbic acid.

I have frozen fruit and juice a year no problem.

thank you will do,

Quick question for you. What is a cashew apple? How do they taste, like cashews, or apples? Just curious, have never heard of them. Arne.

here is a link to cashew apples , they have a very tart sweet , sour flavor , high in vitamin C , Great wine, ferments in hours of picking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew_apple_juice

Well you had my curiosity up so I checked out some info and this sounds like it makes a very good wine. Like djrockinsteve says you can freeze the juice or the fruit.

Or, you can start the first 5 gallons fermenting and then as you get more juice add it to the active ferment, no need to store anything, as long as its actively fermenting it can be in a bigger container and just upsize depending on the amount of new juice you add. WVMJ

WVMountaineerJack said:

Or, you can start the first 5 gallons fermenting and then as you get more juice add it to the active ferment, no need to store anything, as long as its actively fermenting it can be in a bigger container and just upsize depending on the amount of new juice you add. WVMJ

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Great answer, Jack. Sometimes the best answers are the simpliest. Don't know why, but I don't think I would of thought of that. And, Cashew apples, thanks for the link. Looks like they should make a good wine. Arne.

thank you jack, so what your saying is I can use a yeast pack and start a 5 to 6 gallon batch fermenting, and just add juice as it comes in from the field? without adding more yeast?

I use only juice cashew apples are 80 to 90 percent juice so don't add water, its very hot here so the fermenting starts hours after I squeeze the fruit , in small batches I let it stop bubbling after 2 weeks then I boil then let sit 2 more weeks , decant and use Benoite to clear ,then bottle, Is there some thing I can use to stop fermentation?last season I had a few bottles start bubbling again.

I have been doing this since last year so I am new to wine making but , out of 400 bottles I made last year I only have a box of 25 left, great tasting wine.

I am not sure I understand your process, you boil the wine after its fermented? That would boil the alcohol away. Can you guys get metabisulfite and potassium sorbate down there? You could also pasturize your juice before you add your yeast, not sure what temp would work for you, search for pasturizing apple juice. So what does this taste like?WVMJ

Jack this is what I have been following

Procedure

A. Ingredients preparation:
1.Select ripe cashew apples.
2.Wash and weigh.
3.Trim both ends of the apples and slice into four equal parts.
4.Weigh sliced apples.
5.Add sugar equivalent to 12% of cashew weight.
6.Soak the mixture for 12 to 15 minutes.
7.Drain the pulp and set aside the juice extracted for fermentation.

B. Alcoholic fermentation:
1.Transfer the juice to fermenting bottle/jar about 3/4 full.
2.Add 1/2 teaspoon yeast.
3.Shake bottle in circular motion.
4.Plug on cotton at the mouth of the bottle/jar.
5.Set aside for two to four weeks.
6.Siphon/decant the clarified wine.
7.Mix egg white and pasteurize to 50-60°C for three minutes.
8.Pack in bottle and cover with cap bottle/jar.
9.Age to desired year.
10.Chill before serving.

But I am open to your suggestions? I don’t use egg whites any more using benonite , the chems you mentioned are not around here so anything I buy comes from the States, As for the wine it has a very fruity smell , and the taste it ranges in flavor an explosion of sweet sour, very exotic, hope this clears up my process, and thanks,

You didn't mention what yeast you use. A good yeast will ferment to dry in a week. Your must needs oxygen. Stir a few times a day to move sugars, nutrients and yeast around. Most people ferment in a bucket with a lid loosely fitted to allow oxygen in and carbon dioxide out.

No need to rack to a bottle unless you are using a very slow yeast. It is important to get wine off of sediment once it is finished. The gross lees which is composed of many things contains dead yeast you want out of the wine.

Bentonite is good. I use sparkolloid. Whatever you can get.

See our tutorials for numerous helpful articles to help you out.

So you can send me a few hundred pounds of apples It sounds exciting and fun, let us know how you get along with the continual fermentation by adding more and more to an ongoing batch. Are you guys doing this on a commercial level or just for fun? WVMJ

Thanks for the info, djrockinsteve , and jack I would love to send you cashew apple , if only they would keep for more then a few days,
there very delicate,

the yeast I am using is LALVIN 1118 and D47 ,

I am very exited to try continual fermentation, and will pasteurize before adding yeast have an old press that dose wonders , last year we squeezed by hand, after spending all day in the orchards,

We sell locally and at the cashew fairs here in the country of El Salvador, next year we should have our sanitary license to Export .

I do appreciate your advice its great having people that have made great wines,

Thanks