Apple Wine Recipe Help

[loumik]

My wine making experience so far has been kits only. But I have finally got courage enough to try a fruit wine from scratch. I have been looking at recipes at this site and several others. The recipe below is a blending of several recipes.
I would appreciate any suggestions or critizism from those of you with more experience. Will this recipe workout ok or should I make changes?

APPLE WINE (3 Gallons)

20-25 lbs fresh apples (remove stems,seeds,etc.)
1 Gal Apple Cider (no preservatives)
3 - 6 lbs sugar
2 Gal water
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
4 1/2 tsp Aci Blend
3/4 tsp Wine Tannin
6 Campden Tablets
1/2 tsp Ascorbic Acid
4 1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 pkg Lalvin EC-1118
1 1/2 tsp sorbate

1 Crush fruit in fermenter.
2 Add enough water to cover fruit, 3 crushed campden tablets,acid blend
tannin,pectic enzyme, and ascorbic acid. Add cider and stir. Cover
primary for 24 hours.
3 After 24 hrs remove enough must to test SG. If less than 1.085 add
sugar 1 pound at a time by dissolving in must or water. Continue
checking SG and adding sugar until SG reaches 1.085-1.090. Must temp
should be 65 -75o F.
4 Add contents of yeast packet to 1/2 cup of 104 -109oF water.
DO NOT STIR. Hydrate for 25 min. or until yeastpuffs up or water
becomes cloudy. Stir gently and blend with must in primary. Add yeast
nutrient and stir. Cover primary. Keep temp 65 -75oF.
5 Stir twice daily for 6 - 7 days or until SG reaches 1.030 -1.040.
6 Rack wine to carboy and attach an airlock. Allow fermentation to
continue for 3 -4 weeks or until SG reaches 0.998 or less for 2 -3
days in a row.
7 Rack to clean carboy or jugs. Add 1 crushed campden tablet and 1/2
tsp sorbate per gallon of wine and degass. Attach airlock and leave
for 24 hours.
8 After 24hrs add f-pak or back sweeten if desired.
9 Add clearing agent, reattach airlock and leave for 1 -2 weeks. Or you
may choose to leave to clear naturally with time.
10 Rack to clean, sanitized carboy and bulkage for at least 6 months
then bottle.

Wait at least an additional 6 -12 months before drinking



Any critizism or helpful suggestions will be appreciated. I have everthing
necessary to start this wine except maybe a little boost in confidence.

LOUMIK

 

[djrockinsteve]

My wine making experience so far has been kits only. But I have finally got courage enough to try a fruit wine from scratch. I have been looking at recipes at this site and several others. The recipe below is a blending of several recipes.
I would appreciate any suggestions or critizism from those of you with more experience. Will this recipe workout ok or should I make changes?

APPLE WINE (3 Gallons)

20-25 lbs fresh apples (remove stems,seeds,etc.)
1 Gal Apple Cider (no preservatives)
3 - 6 lbs sugar
2 Gal water
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
4 1/2 tsp Aci Blend
3/4 tsp Wine Tannin
6 Campden Tablets
1/2 tsp Ascorbic Acid
4 1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 pkg Lalvin EC-1118
1 1/2 tsp sorbate

1 Crush fruit in fermenter.
2 Add enough water to cover fruit, 3 crushed campden tablets,acid blend
tannin,pectic enzyme, and ascorbic acid. Add cider and stir. Cover
primary for 24 hours.
3 After 24 hrs remove enough must to test SG. If less than 1.085 add
sugar 1 pound at a time by dissolving in must or water. Continue
checking SG and adding sugar until SG reaches 1.085-1.090. Must temp
should be 65 -75o F.
4 Add contents of yeast packet to 1/2 cup of 104 -109oF water.
DO NOT STIR. Hydrate for 25 min. or until yeastpuffs up or water
becomes cloudy. Stir gently and blend with must in primary. Add yeast
nutrient and stir. Cover primary. Keep temp 65 -75oF.
5 Stir twice daily for 6 - 7 days or until SG reaches 1.030 -1.040.
6 Rack wine to carboy and attach an airlock. Allow fermentation to
continue for 3 -4 weeks or until SG reaches 0.998 or less for 2 -3
days in a row.
7 Rack to clean carboy or jugs. Add 1 crushed campden tablet and 1/2
tsp sorbate per gallon of wine and degass. Attach airlock and leave
for 24 hours.
8 After 24hrs add f-pak or back sweeten if desired.
9 Add clearing agent, reattach airlock and leave for 1 -2 weeks. Or you
may choose to leave to clear naturally with time.
10 Rack to clean, sanitized carboy and bulkage for at least 6 months
then bottle.

Wait at least an additional 6 -12 months before drinking



Any critizism or helpful suggestions will be appreciated. I have everthing
necessary to start this wine except maybe a little boost in confidence.

LOUMIK

Well let's see, First I wouldn't add any water. Add your cider on top of your apples and fill primary to 4 gallons (for a final 3 gallons). Next that's too much sulfite. You only need 1 camden tablet per gallon. 4 tspoons nutrient should be enough. Do not add your pectic enzymes until after at least 12 hours of sulfite addition. P. E. will not work in a sulfite or fermentating liquid. Your yeast packet need only 2 ounces of 100 degree (no hotter) water. Add to water and swish quickly a few seconds then leave it alone for 15 minutes. Add immediately to must. After gravity has reached below 1.000 rack to a carboy, add sparkolloid and a pinch of sulfite. Clear and rack in 4 - 6 weeks. Sweeten and add sorbate and age 5 months. Bottle. You may want to age with some cinnamon sticks.

 

[loumik]

Thanks for your input Steve. That was what I was looking for. It had occured
to me to use the cider instead of water at the start, but then decided to just follow the recipe. The recipe calls for 3 campden tablets at the initial mixing.
The other 3 are to be used with sorbate when I degass.

Thanks again for your help. I am going to make the changes you recommended and will probably start this wine early next week.
LOUMIK