Apple Wine!

[ericonthehill]

I started my first batch of Apple Wine yesterday. The apples this year are small, but very sweet and tart. Not really sure what kind they are exactly, but they taste good. Picked 17 gallons of em, used 14 gal. for my wine. De-cored and washed em, simmered them in a bit of water, then divided them equally among 3 primary buckets. I didn't use a recipe at all on this one, so we'll see how it turns out. Over night I let the sugar sit on top of the apples to extract juice, instead of adding a bunch of water.

Pitched a yeast starter today, and just a few hours later it's really fizzing like crazy! Smells like Apples and Bread in my garage! Hopefully I can get atleast 9 gallons out of it. Been waiting all summer to do this one.

 

[Julie]

I would suggest using some pectie enzyme, since you heated up the apples there is a good chance you will get a pectic haze.

 

[ericonthehill]

I did. Used all my regular ingredients for the most part.

 

[saramc]

Sounds great!! Keep us posted. I have not made an apple wine YET, but I am going to pick pears on Tues or Wed and then I am going apple picking after that!! Think I will try some hard apple-pear cider and then some apple wine and pear wine, three different batches. That is the plan anyway!!

 

[Bartman]

Is there a standardized, meaningful difference between "apple wine" and "hard apple cider"? Both are fermented, obviously, but is there any difference in ABV levels? Is one fully fermented while the other is arrested? Difference in yeast or fermentation approach? I assume both are allowed to clear, so you don't have the haziness of commercial "cider" (no alcohol) vs. apple juice.

Really, my question comes from having made Apfelwein and not knowing if it is the same thing as hard apple cider, simply by a different name. Thanks,

 

[saramc]

I think in all reality "real" hard cider is made by the natural fermentation of apple juice and everything else is called wine. BUT, most cider kits that I have looked at run around 5-8% ACV.

Found this interesting to read (ATF, 1997), talks about taxing cider vs wine....and defines hard cider as anything greater than 0.5% and less than 7%.
http://www.ttb.gov/rrd/tdatf398.htm
After reading this, I now know why the commercial fruit flavored ciders I have had are listed as "apple wine".

 

[ericonthehill]

I believe it also has to do with the aging process. From what I understand, hard cider is drank the same season it's made. I too thought first about making cider, but went full on wine with this one. maybe I'll try it next season! I'll keep you posted on this one. It's kicking like crazy right now, smells great. The strongest aroma I've got from a wine so far. My wife says it smells like apple candy in the garage.

 

[saramc]

The description of the smell sounds YUMMY!

I know on the cider making, back in the day, MOST of the barrels containing the apples were parked away and stored thru the remainder of fall and winter, and I want to say it was usually around "May Day" that the new barrels of cider were brought out. They also made a lot of what is referred to as "Apple Jack", a freeze distilled high proof apple cider. But since apples can ferment quite quickly on their own, I suspect there was always a barrel of hard cider in varying strengths tapped (likely "one for the wee ones" and "one for the elders").

FWIW, I make a probiotic rich hard cider using water kefir grains, and I drink it every single day. In a matter of a few days I have a low ACV super healthy fermented apple beverage ready to consume. No muss, no fuss. The grains grow and reproduce on their own-so you can increase your production, share them with friends, etc. Interestingly the water kefir grains have 10+ different organisms, including a few Saccharomyces. You (or anyone interested) can PM me if you want to know more about water kefir grains (been making kefir for several years, milk and water types). I would like to make a ferment from a dedicated wine yeast for comparison...soon.

 

[UBB]

Apple picking is scheduled for tomorrow. I don't have a crusher (yet) so the plan will be to core and chop the apples, placed apple pieces into straining bags and ferment in a 20 gal BRUTE. This will be my first foray into a batch of this size. Any recommendations or advice is welcome!

 

[Poormanfarm]

I just bottled my apple wine that I made last year. last year, I bought 6 gallon of pure freshly squeezed apple juice that they call cider but it was simply raw apple juice. I made 5 gallon (no water added) and let it bulk age for 12 months. I back sweetened with 2 cans of apple juice concentrate and it is perfectly clear. The best wine I have made so far.

 

[ericonthehill]

I may try that as well. So far this is coming along nicely though. I strained all the pulp off today as it's still fermenting and fizzing like crazy. I don't like to strain it after it starts slowing down, as I'm cautious of getting too much air to it at that point. Tastes great so far too. I'm using a green apple that is very tart and very sweet. I've never tasted this sharp of flavor in any store bought juice or fresh juice for that matter. I guess the drought did have it's benefits this year.

 

[ericonthehill]

All seems to be going a planned so far. Tastes good and it's been in it's secondary for a bit now.

 

[ericonthehill]

Totally clear now. In a couple of days I'll be back sweetening with corn sugar. I'd like to get it up around 1.020 maybe a little less depending on taste. Using a little apple juice to help top it off the rest of the way.

 

[Thig]

Totally clear now. In a couple of days I'll be back sweetening with corn sugar. I'd like to get it up around 1.020 maybe a little less depending on taste. Using a little apple juice to help top it off the rest of the way.

Are you concerned that adding more apple juice now will cloud it back up? I have a bottle in the early stages and thinking of adding a can of frozen apple juice concentrate after I add sorbate just to put some apple flavors and sugar back in.

 

[ericonthehill]

The Applejuice I'm using isn't concentrate. The apple juice is the exact color and just as clear as the wine I'm adding it to. Using the apple juice to disolve my dextrose in and to top it off. At this point I don't want to stir the wine to add sugar.

 

[ericonthehill]

Racked it and back sweetened. Looks good, but I really can't taste the apple much. I'm hoping the apple flavor will be more apparent with age.

 

[dralarms]

It should. My apple was fair at bottling, but after a couple months in the bottle the apple flavor really pops.

 

[ericonthehill]

I threw in a cinnamon stick and a touch of imitation caramel. No oils in the caramel flavoring so I shouldn't haveany problems there. I tried it out on my 1 gallon jug to see what comes of it.

 

[dralarms]

I started another batch, got 13 gallons. 10 straight apple, very clear, and since I used juice to top off it is fantastic.

The 3 gallon is an "apple pie wine". Its not clear yet, letting it absorb some cinnamon and nutmeg.

 

[ericonthehill]

How much cinnamon and nutmeg do you add? When do you add it?