Winery got a delivery!

Well, the winery received a delivery of Nebraska crabapples this evening! Just got done prepping them and putting them in the feezer. Even got a Nebraska spider that hitched a ride. That's a long way to travel to meet the executioner!

Whats the plan Sweetpea? We finally used our crab for cider this year, 100% crab juice, now I am trying to figure out what to dilute it with! Are those Dolgos? WVMJ

Sorry to bud in on the thread guys. But I have a question about using all crabapples. We just processed our apples of different varieties as well as some of our crabs we usually blend about 4-5 apple varieties with 2 crab varieties. But we have had such a huge crop of crabs that I am wondering what we can do with the extras for a cider on straight crab apples. What do you dilute it with if anything? Do you add sugar due to its tartness? Any possible recipes?? Thanks Carolyn

I have only started this year with my own fruit having finally got the equipment. We did a 100% wild crab juice, TA was 1.8%, outrageous, I added caramelized honey, let it ferment, its outrageous still, going to have to cut it in half with just a plain mead as we want to taste that honey also. What kind of apples did you guys use in your blend? WVMJ

Wow that was acidic! For the apple blend we have some native trees that have apples that are very similar to northern spy or a courtland type. They have a very nice sweetness with a bit of tartness. We also have a bunch of 5 in one trees that have golden delicious, red delicious, northern spy, and a few others can't remember now. Granny Smith. For our crab apples I wish I knew what kind they were they have been standing here since we bought the place. One looks like miniature Macintosh apples with the distinctive green and red markings. The other looks like mini delicious sort of. Not as round, larger, red with gold steaks and sweeter. We skipped last year, but the year before I can say this blend made a perfect cider! No sugar or water added and it came out to what seemed a perfect sweetness and acid balance. We didn't have a ta kit then so I have no idea where it was on the scale.

How much honey did you use and I'm guessing it wasn't enough? Could you blend it with normal apple cider? Boy this is going to be an adventure finding out how I can use all these crab apples and no I'm not making tons of crab apple jelly! Hey that's an idea... Maybe crabapple can be simmered with sugar to make a simple syrup?

Ok last post I have to go pick concords. I found a recipe which uses straight crabapples and sugar and raisins I'm sure sultanas would be complementary... Here's the link: http://foragedfoods.co.uk/crab-apple-wine-recipe/

I ended up with 4 gallons of fermented crab juice which is clearing now. I also have 5 gallons of Apple wine and I am wondering if I should blend the apple to the crab apple? Niether are sweetened yet.

Have you tasted both batches yet? If so, how does the crabapple taste compare to the apple? If it seems really sour you could blend it with your apple batch and then back sweeten to your tastes. Or you could keep them separate if the crabapple isn't too acidic to drink and just back sweeten each batch to your liking!

I'm going to make crabapple wine. It will use apple juice and the crabapples. I don't know what kind of crabapples they are, all I know is they are like I remember from home in Illinois. It's gonna need backsweetening.

That sounds great! Maybe once you've gotten around to it you can post your recipe! I have 2 - 6 gallon pails of crabapples so far left over from my apple blend. There is still probably another 5-6 6 gallon pails to collect... Not sure how much I'll need yet...

It's Arne's recipe. He sent me the crabapples. After drinking several of my wines, he apparently has so little faith in my winemaking skills that he sent me a recipe and also a bottle of his crabapple wine, so I would be able to get some idea of what the heck I am doing and know if I'd hit the mark or not.



(Hahahaha, wait til he see this....)

Uhuh!! Would love to get my hands on it! We have no issues with doing the apple/crabapple blend but I have all these crabapples waiting in pails for me to do something with them lol!! Arne, care to share? Have you posted it in the recipe section or is it under wraps??

Not a secret. Jim, can you scan it and put it on here? If not, let me know and I will retype it. Most of my recipies are written down til I start fermenting, then unless I do something different, I just put a piece of masking tape on the carboy and keep track of my racking, additions like k-meta on there. Sorry about the spider, but the last bunch of the crabapples were picked in the dark and just dumped into the box. Glad they got there ok. I don't know what kind they are either. Just an ornemental tree I brought home for Kathy 25 years ago. It is still loaded with crabapples. Anybody close can have them for the picking. Arne.

jswordy said:

It's Arne's recipe. He sent me the crabapples. After drinking several of my wines, he apparently has so little faith in my winemaking skills that he sent me a recipe and also a bottle of his crabapple wine, so I would be able to get some idea of what the heck I am doing and know if I'd hit the mark or not.



(Hahahaha, wait til he see this....)

Click to expand...

LOL, knew I would have to hold your hand. Arne.

Yeah, I will post the recipe as soon as I get it scanned or whatever.

Thanks very much guys! I'd much appreciate!

There ya go. I edited it to take out some stuff that probably shouldn't have been in there the first time.

Nah! Sounds like he thinks you are creative lol thanks for sharing Jim and Arne! This gives me a basis of what to use to add to these apples and not get a mouthful of sour wine when I'm done with it. Ill see what I can come up with once I start this batch!