Apple Wine

[ftut]

Hello all, I'm hoping you can help me out with my Apple wine problem. I've been making my apple wine from cider. one gallon of cider to make one gallon of wine. The problem is that it taste like green apples. Is it supposed to taste like that? I sweetened with one cup of simple syurp but it doesn't help. Am I making hard cider instead of wine? abv is 11%. I made some with a cherry apple cider and it was a little better. Should I try blending with something? Thanks for any help any of you can provide.

 

[Waldo]

I may be wrong ftut but I dont believe you can make wine from cider. I have made a couple of apple wines that turned out pretty good but I was using fresh apples. I do know that from my personal experience it is hard to make a decent wine from a single variety of apples and I add raisins to mine too for body.

 

[grapeman]

Most apple cider you buy has been made from a blend of apples not a single variety- which is the way you want it. From what I have seen, you either like apple wine or you don't. If it is too harsh for you, give it a year of age and it will mellow out. It is possible that it was made from ealy harvest apples and they will have a green flavor. You could also add k-meta and sorbate to stabilize and then sweeten it a bit with some fresh apple cider or apple juice.


Here's hoping it improves for you.

 

[hannabarn]

If it tastes like green apples, maybe you made a gewurztraminer!!!!

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Ive only made a few batches of apple,in fact have one going now,but my experience is it does need plenty time to come around. Give it six months or so and may improve for you. Or you could sparkle it like NW does, that changes it completely.

 

[Steve in KC]

Waldo, yes, absolutely you can make apple wine, and some VERY fine wine indeed from cider, fresh pressed/pastuerized only is the best.

I don't really see the problem. You want apple wine, but you don't like the tartness of it, because it reminds you of a granny smith? Where are you getting your cider from? Is it fresh pressed? Ask the cidermill if they're using a single variety or if it just depends on what's ripe in the orchard when they press the cider.


If it's tartness that you don't like, you can always cold stabilize to drop some acid, or blend with another wine to reduce the 'granny smith' taste.


And to answer your question, no, you ARE making wine. Hard Cider is cider that is fermented with it's own sugars (5-6%abv).

 

[ftut]

You hit the nail on the head Steve, It reminds me of agranny smith. I got the cider from a market in Western Maryland. It comes in a glass jug that I keep as a carboy. The price is right to, about $6 a gallon. They have straight cider and cherry flavored cider. I've tried both and the cherry flavored turns out a little better. That makes me belive that maybe I should try blending with something. What blends well with apple? I have 3 gallon that I need to get started. Should I add something to it to make a 5 gallon batch? I have one 5 gallon carboy availible. Any ideas what to add? I've got peaches, strawberries, beets and concord grapes in the freezer.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Everything is good with apple.....We like Apple/Raspberry really well.

Apple Strawberry sounds really good....I think Apple/Concord might be nice too.

I am thinking about doing an Apple/Blueberry sometime.

 

[Steve in KC]

You hit the nail on the head Steve, It reminds me of agranny smith. I got the cider from a market in Western Maryland. It comes in a glass jug that I keep as a carboy. The price is right to, about $6 a gallon. They have straight cider and cherry flavored cider. I've tried both and the cherry flavored turns out a little better. That makes me belive that maybe I should try blending with something. What blends well with apple? I have 3 gallon that I need to get started. Should I add something to it to make a 5 gallon batch? I have one 5 gallon carboy availible. Any ideas what to add? I've got peaches, strawberries, beets and concord grapes in the freezer.

Before we go crazy...how long are you bulk/bottle aging your apple wine before you are drinking it? If you're getting in there before 1 year, I'd really, really caution you to stay out of it for at least 1 year after bottling. The taste does change for the better during that time.


What I would suggest is letting your 3 gallons go to dry, sweeten after it's bulk aged for a while.


In the meantime...you can get a gallon of Welches Niagra (3 cans per gallon) started and do a bench trial of blending the two after they're both stabilized. I did a 50/50 blend and love it. I call it, summer white.




The other thing I was going to suggest is ....trying a different cider to start from. Find a cider mill near you, or apple orchard, and call and ask if they make fresh pressed cider. I think once you try a different source, you'll be happier.Edited by: Steve in KC

 

[NorthernWinos]

I have 3 gallon that I need to get started. Should I add something to it to make a 5 gallon batch? I have one 5 gallon carboy availible. Any ideas what to add? I've got peaches, strawberries, beets and concord grapes in the freezer.

Do not add water to your apple juice to make it up to 5 gallons....it would dilute it too much....If you want to make a 5 gallon batch add some frozen apple juice concentrate [any brand] to make up the difference....Do 3 cans per gallon....then add your other fruit if you desire for a nice blend.

It is so much fun blending juices to make your very own wine.....it's your wine....Have fun with it.

Just my 2¢.....

 

[ftut]

Thanks Northern Winos. I was about to dilute it. What if I get two more gallon of cider and throw in a gallon of strawberries?

 

[Steve in KC]

It's your wine, but personally, I'd ferment the strawberry separately and blend to taste when both wines are done. You might be surprised and come to find that you like stawberry wine all by itself and wouldn't know if you toss them in with the apple.


Yes, two more gallons of cider to bump it up to a 5 gal batch. Don't forget your sugar addition for those two extra gallons.

 

[NorthernWinos]

2 more gallons would be the thing to do.....Keep us posted with your process.

 

[joeswine]

good morning all,got to say something about cold stabilization smoothers out the flavor quite well,let the whole process from start to finish take place in a refrigerator,what a difference it makes for ciders and fruit wines,did some as a experiment,peach cider,just fine

.it also aids in clearing the wine very nicely.....need to be patient with it,,but it works ..