Apple wine update

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number6

Junior
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I'm a total noob at this. But over the July 4 weekend, I started a batch of wine from store-bought apple juice, and I think it's going quite nicely.

1 3qt bottle apple juice. About 2 cups sugar. ½ teaspoon pectic. 1 cup black tea. 1 tablespoon lemon juice. I package Lalvin D47. 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient.

I started fermentation in my Instant Pot on the lowest yogurt setting. Added bentonite after 24 hours. After 72 hours, I racked it to a gallon container, put on an airlock. After about a weekand a half, SG reading showed little to no sugar left, but maybe I didn't do it right. Racked it again, added a Campden tab and 5 oak cubes, and in the refrigerator.

Well, that was last week. Today I tried some. My wife tried it, and even she was impressed. Once it sits for a bit, my apple wine compares quite nicely to a less expensive California Chardonnay. I think I'm taking it off the oak next week.

In all, a nice first serious effort if I do say so. I'll update in a bit.

Thanks for tolerating a complete beginner!
 
Welcome number6. Sounds excellent. I would monitor the oakiness over the next few days. Five oak cubes sounds about right for a gallon of wine but the wine can extract a great deal of the oak flavors quite quickly and while some wines really benefit from a great deal of oak other wines can taste over-oaked. And once over-oaked it can take a long time for the flavors to mellow out.
 

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