acid and apple wine

[EelfinnTy]

I've learned a lot from lurking on this forum for the last few months and have successfully made wine from a kit and dangerdave's amazing Dragon's Blood recipe. I finally signed up to ask a couple of questions about my latest attempt.

After reading many of the apple wine recipes on here I threw this together yesterday.

12oz frozen 100% apple concentrate x12 old orchard and great value.
96oz 100% apple juice x7
2c lemon juice
5c sugar
5-6 cinnamon sticks
2t whole cloves
small chunk of a nutmeg nut
1t tannin
2t yeast energizer
2t yeast nutrient
20oz raisins
6 fair sized grany smith apples cut in 1/8ths
2t pectin enzyme
1 packet Cote des Blancs yeast started per instructions on packet.

initial specific gravity 1.08 78F

After thinking about it I should probably sanitize a knife and cutting board and dice the apples.

My main question is about acid. Most of the apple wine recipes I found call for acid blend. I have it but didn't add any to the primary because I didn't want to over do it. Do you think the lemon juice will be acidic enough or should I still add some acid blend? I'm assuming I can add it later on if it needs it.

Any suggestions, changes I should make, and OMG you did what?!? comments are welcome. At this point it is fizzing away merrily in my kitchen.

 

[Arne]

Your apples should be ok in 1/8's. If you chop them, put them in some kind of strainer bag to make it easier to remove the pulp when you are done fermenting. You can add more acid post ferment if you have to. I usuallly add some real vanilla extract to my apple, not artificial vanilla extract. Don't have my notes handy, but i think I only add 10 whole cloves for a 5 gal. batch. They tend to be pretty strong. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[JohnT]

get yourself a cheap acid test kit. This is the only way to be sure that your acid level is where it should be. For apple or fruit wines, you need a TA of about .7 gpl.

 

[Turock]

Well, when you're using a recipe it tells you to use acid blend because of all the water they want you to add. You have to acidify all that water to get proper PH balance. But when you don't add water, 9 times out of ten you have no use for acid---you need calcium carbonate to bring the PH up because the fruit alone is more toward a lower PH. It depends on what the fruit is--or what kind of base you're working with like your juices. Those juices may be PH balanced--this is why you need a PH meter in order to varify where the must is at.

You've already got lemon juice in there---adding acid blend could be a mistake. But it's hard to direct you if you can't take a PH reading and tell us what you have.

 

[salcoco]

go by taste post ferment. try a bench trial but use only malic acid, this is the natural acid in apple. I have made apple wine using both tartaric and malic, best wine is with malic. If commercial feds dictate using malic only. bench trial tastes are best. Measurements are best preferment.

 

[jamesngalveston]

Turock, is there a scale of how much cc to add based on what the ph level is.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Eelf........you need a PH meter! You are completely guessing at this point. Juice and concentrate, even adding granny Smith's your PH will probably be close to 4.0. Depending on your batch size, I doubt that would be enough Lemon Juice to bring the PH in range for apple wine(3.1-3.3). PH meter will make you a better wine maker! Cheers!

 

[EelfinnTy]

ok... ok... I have a ta kit, some ph strips, malic acid, and some other stuff headed my direction.

Arne the apples, grapes, and spices in a mesh bag. I would love to know how much vanilla you add if you have a chance to check your notes. There is a 750ml bottle of vodka with vanilla beans soaking in it on my counter. After putting cloves in my hand we probably put in about 15.

Thanks for the ta and ph ranges. I'll be sure to check them when my stuff comes in.

 

[Turock]

James---the way we add calcium carbonate is to add 1/4 tsp at a time. Stir VERY well and retest. As you approach your target PH, reduce the amount so you don't over-adjust.

 

[Arne]

I used 5 tsp. in 5 gal. The vanilla is there, but not very noticable. Think it smooths it more than anything else. It was M&B extract, fairly expensive for a little bottle, but your homemade stuff should work as good or better. Arne.

 

[EelfinnTy]

I tested ta and ph today. The ta comes in at .925-.95%. A bit high for the .7 JohnT suggested. On the other hand my ph is jut a hair darker than the 3.6 on the example color. Will the CO2 in it throw off the ta measurement?

There is a noticeable tartness to it, and it sort of overwhelms the apple flavor. I'm sort of assuming/hoping the tart flavor will calm down as it ages, based on my experience with dragon's blood.

I'm guessing I should let it go and check again when it is closer to bottling?

 

[ShawnDTurner]

With a TA that high, Ph should be around 3.0. What method are you using to test PH?

 

[EelfinnTy]

Ph strips. http://www.midwestsupplies.com/winemaking-ph-paper.html

 

[ShawnDTurner]

I would be suspicious of those strips, with a ta as high as that you're ph. Should not be 3.6. I would re test or get a ph meter.

 

[EelfinnTy]

I think the dissolved carbon dioxide is throwing off the ta test. According to this site, "Titrate the must before fermentation begins. Carbon dioxide created during fermenation will produce inaccurate results."

 

[Arne]

If you are done fermenting, degas the wine, then check the acid. After degassing, the co2 should be gone. Arne.

 

[EelfinnTy]

I wanted to thank you guys for the help again!

On Aug 25 I checked the TA on a couple of cups I froze and thawed a couple of times, and ended up with a TA of .85 and ph of 3.6-3.7. After some taste tests I added some malic acid and 2lb of brown sugar. The final ph was about 3.4. Tonight I racked it off the sediment from the brown sugar and added 6 teaspoons of our homemade vanilla extract. I pulled off a small glass before and after the vanilla was added. There was a tiny hint of vanilla and the spice was a little more noticeable. It's good now, so it should be excellent this winter!