Accidental White Wine Success

[Justin_Sane]

Well 5 days ago I started a step feeding experiment. My intent was to make a high proof white wine. However I did not take any pictures (wish I would have). I formulated my own recipe and here is what I came up with.

The Recipe:

64 oz: Old Orchard Apple Passion Mango Juice
1/2 Tsp: Pectic Enzyme
1 Tsp: Bentonite
2 Cups: Invert Sugar
3/4 Tsp: Yeast Nutrient
5g: Lalvin EC-1118 (Hydrated)

I mixed all the ingredients in a 1 Gallon glass growler. And let it sit for 5 days.
the temp was around 65F-70F the entire time.

The first day was fermenting well. After that almost no action to be seen. I was afraid my fermentation had stalled for some unknown reason. So I decided to take a sample for testing.

The test read at 70F and a SG of right about 0.995! I was shocked needless to say. I was fully prepared to add some Yeast Energizer.

And surprisingly the clarity is amazing already, as well as the smell. So I think I'm going to scrap my original experiment of step feeding at this point. Instead I think I will go ahead and rack the wine and Stabilize it. The wine just looks to good and smells to good to risk ruining it on something new to me.

Anyways, here is what it looks like at this point. Any thoughts or ideas?

- Justin Sane

 

[JohnT]

Well 5 days ago I started a step feeding experiment. My intent was to make a high proof white wine. However I did not take any pictures (wish I would have). I formulated my own recipe and here is what I came up with.

The Recipe:

64 oz: Old Orchard Apple Passion Mango Juice
1/2 Tsp: Pectic Enzyme
1 Tsp: Bentonite
2 Cups: Invert Sugar
3/4 Tsp: Yeast Nutrient
5g: Lalvin EC-1118 (Hydrated)

I mixed all the ingredients in a 1 Gallon glass growler. And let it sit for 5 days.
the temp was around 65F-70F the entire time.

The first day was fermenting well. After that almost no action to be seen. I was afraid my fermentation had stalled for some unknown reason. So I decided to take a sample for testing.

The test read at 70F and a SG of right about 0.995! I was shocked needless to say. I was fully prepared to add some Yeast Energizer.

And surprisingly the clarity is amazing already, as well as the smell. So I think I'm going to scrap my original experiment of step feeding at this point. Instead I think I will go ahead and rack the wine and Stabilize it. The wine just looks to good and smells to good to risk ruining it on something new to me.

Anyways, here is what it looks like at this point. Any thoughts or ideas?

- Justin Sane

Hmmmm, Seems like it fermented complete in just one day and maintained a temp of 70 degrees or less???

My gut feeling is that you did not have a very high brix to start with. Did you take a hydrometer reading before you added the yeast?

 

[grapeman]

If it fermented for 5 days, it could be done. Knowing the starting specific gravity should always be done. You have no idea what the alcohol level would be without it.

 

[Justin_Sane]

I know the starting SG. I just forgot to put it up sorry. The Starting SG was 1.084

 

[3274mike]

I made a 6.5 gallon batch with old orchard apple mango and it so far has turned out nice. made it pretty dry and its now aging. turned out tasting a lot like a riesling. some what followed dragon blood recipe with less lemon juice and only concentrate. see what it taste like in another month or so.

 

[jswordy]

I made a 6.5 gallon batch with old orchard apple mango and it so far has turned out nice. made it pretty dry and its now aging. turned out tasting a lot like a riesling. some what followed dragon blood recipe with less lemon juice and only concentrate. see what it taste like in another month or so.

Dry apple wine has that Riesling-like taste. Really good after a year.