fresh apple wine

[Abrnth3]

I have been searching on here for hours, is there a recipe for apple wine that uses only fresh fruit? No concetrates.

 

[Julie]

You really don't need a recipe. If you want to make a wine from fresh apples, I would quarter the apples, freeze them for a few days, take them out of the freezer, once they are defrosted then will be mushy so much easier to press. Do not add water, just apples, add enough sugar to bring sg to around 1.080, add k-metz, nutrient and pectic enzyme.

Make sure you put the fruit into a bag, you can pick up 5 gallon paint bags from Home Depot that will work and ferment on skins for a week. Being able to press the apples is the best way to go but if you do not have that option just squeeze the daylights out of the bag.

 

[ColdClimateWines]

Best to press first. Skins can cause many different issues, the least being off flavors or pesticide residue in the skin, depending on apples. We find about a pound of sugar per gallon of juice works. Pectin enzyme helps. Kmbs ok but you might want ( if your experimental) to let natural fermentation start for around three- four days then pitch your chosen yeast.
If you decide to get into it a sinkerator or garbage disposal unit makes an inexpensive apple grinder. A bench press can be rigged to make a press.

 

[GreginND]

Personally I would not do natural fermentation. I don't see any reason to risk it.

I've heard about people us a garbage disposal for pulverizing apples. I would think it would be too small holes and difficult to get the apples through. Anyone have experience doing this? Is it a pain to push the apples through a garbage disposal?

 

[Julie]

If you freeze the apples you would not need to run them thru a disposal, they are very soft at this point and all you need to do is press.

 

[oldwhiskers]

Jack Keller's site offers some recipes for apple wine using fresh apples that you could use as another source for consideration.

http://www.winemaking.jackkeller.net/recipes.asp

 

[Julie]

if you use one of Jack Keller's recipe just remember do not add water. Sorry but apples are a light flavored fruit and when you add water to any light flavored it has a watered down taste.

 

[Luc]

Completely agreed with Julie.

I once did all kinds of experiments for mashing up apples and freezing gained the highest amount of juice and the best taste. you can re-read that story here:

http://wijnmaker.blogspot.nl/2008/09/appeltje-voor-de-dorst-apple-day.html

And indeed agreed with the fact that you should not dillute the juice. Use pure juice measure acidity and measure SG and bring both up to an acceptable level by adding citric acid and enough sugar to get to an SG of 1.080.

This way you will have a full bodied, full flavoured wine and that is surely what you would be looking for.

Luc

 

[Grandly]

The best apple wine I made I just brought the apples to the boil no simmering added sugar..cooled then added yeast..

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I agree with Julie
Freeze them first and then let them warm up and if you have use of a crusher - do so if not - just a big potato masher works well. I did not add any water at all !!
I went by Jack keller and made 15 gallons of terrific apple wine after 1 year - yes I had to back sweeten with a bit of apple concentrate and sugar

 

[yanks4carolyn]

If you freeze the apples you would not need to run them thru a disposal, they are very soft at this point and all you need to do is press.

Julie, do you leave the skins on thru the fermenting?

 

[Julie]

Julie, do you leave the skins on thru the fermenting?

Yes leave the skins on

 

[Mdrew]

This guy dominates apples with the garbage disposal. He did do some major upgrades to the disposal, mainly a much more powerful electric motor.

I've heard about people us a garbage disposal for pulverizing apples. I would think it would be too small holes and difficult to get the apples through. Anyone have experience doing this? Is it a pain to push the apples through a garbage disposal?

 

[meadmaker1]

I've looked into building one of these but not all disposals will work. Many have very small grinding holes that will clog the thing up .
Personally I juice the apples first, much easier to gauge end volume and adjust sg.
Apple takes long enough to clear without waiting for the sludge to fall out.

 

[ThunderFred]

I've used a garbage disposal to process apples. I bought a small stainless steel bar sink and mounted it to the disposal and ran a hose out to a waiting bucket. Worked great. No clogging, easy to clean up and blew through the apples in no time. Used it on pears as well. it's a very quick way to process a lot of fruit.

We cored our apples. Not sure if the disposal would break up seeds and bring bitter flavors but I didn't want to take the chance.

 

[michael77]

Idea for chopping up apples (which have been softened by freezing) for wine recipe....Try mincing with grass trimmer in a bucket (might be messy)....works for chopping up leaves..... Anyone try this?

 

[Pistol Bill]

I've looked into building one of these but not all disposals will work. Many have very small grinding holes that will clog the thing up .
Personally I juice the apples first, much easier to gauge end volume and adjust sg.
Apple takes long enough to clear without waiting for the sludge to fall out.

Same here, quartered, de-cored ran through Omega juicer (spins slow, wont oxidize as quickly as a high speed juicer). 6 gallons of juice to start. Ended up with 5 gallons bottled of 15% ABV. Very dry, back sweetened to taste....perfect!

 

[Pistol Bill]

Idea for chopping up apples (which have been softened by freezing) for wine recipe....Try mincing with grass trimmer in a bucket (might be messy)....works for chopping up leaves..... Anyone try this?

Creative idea. But no, never tried it.

 

[James1955]

How many lbs of apples to get 5 gal of juice if I may ask?

 

[niemiecsebastian82]

As for me it's 50% of juice. It depends on what apple's you process. I would say it may vary 50-60%. I press them in home made press after chopping. Then I wait 24hours for particles to go down in the barrel. I keep it in cold place. After that time I drain the juice from barrel, leaving pulp on the bottom.
This will save half year time for wine to clear.
And I have more apple's than I can process.