Maple Sap

[Dirtydog420]

Getting 25 gallons of maple sap for free tomorrow. Plan add enough sugar to make 12% then back sweeten with Maple Syrup..

I think I might add some maple syrup before fermentation for better flavor..

 

[Runningwolf]

Are you going to make the entire 25 gallons into wine. Can you post your recepie?

 

[Dirtydog420]

First, my bad, 15 gallons.. And yes..

Was going to use jack kellers recipe for about half but add some maple syrup for sweetness and flavor.

The other half was going to be sweetened with maple syrup to bring up the sg and was going to back sweeten before bottling..

I haven't actually written out recipes yet but as soon as I do Ill post them both..

 

[Dirtydog420]

So here are the recipes I just came up with. As stated, the first recipe is adapted from jack kellers recipe. As I haven't made it yet, there are a few blanks..

Maple Sap Wine: Per Gallon:
Sugar
1 or 2 lemons based on size
12-15 cloves
1/8 tsp tannin
1 tsp nutrient
maple syrup
pectic enzyme
d-47 yeast

Im taking 5 gallons of sap and boiling it to reduce by half. Going to take the 2.5 gal of reduced sap and add more sap to bring up to 5 plus gallons. Going to add some maple syrup, but not sure how much yet. Going to check SG and add sugar as needed by boiling proper amount in some of the must. At same time, going to boil the zest of the lemon and the cloves for 15 min, strain and add to the sugar water. Once sugar dissolved, going to add to must with rest of ingredients. Pitch yeast. Want to aim for a SG of 1090..


The second is going to be more of mead I guess since I want to use maple syrup to increase the SG and add as little sugar as possible.

Once again this is a per gallon recipe:
Maple Sap
Maple Syrup
1/8 tsp tannin
1 tsp nutrient
sugar
pectic enzyme
d 47 yeast

Was going to sweeten sap with syrup for flavor and to increase SG. I am not sure how much I am going to use so this is a 'wait til I do it to see'.. If needed I will add sugar, and rest of ingredients.

Was planning to ferment dry and back sweeten with maple syrup to taste once done..

If anyone has another suggestion for a yeast I am all ears. Want to use something that is good with delicate flavors..

 

[Runningwolf]

Hey Dirty Dog did you ever make wine before with cloves and how much do you like the taste. The reason I ask is that they are way over powering. I only put 2 or 3 in 7 gallons of apple I made and that was perfect. You could just get a slim hint of them.

 

[Dirtydog420]

wolf did you ferment them with the must? and no I haven't however if my understanding of the recipe is right, you just boil it with the lemon zest for 15 min and don't add them to the primary..

Looking at bruno's,( post http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3060 ) It seems like it came out great this way..

 

[Runningwolf]

No I added them during the aging period

 

[Dirtydog420]

Ya I think thats going to be difference.. Just like oak, the longer you leave it the more flavor you get... I could def see where you could easily let it sit too much on the cloves if aging with them..

I pretty much have read that the clove/lemon zest recipe will taste nothing like maple syrup, that's why I am doing half and half to try to make a wine with some maple flavor.. I am looking for a delicate wine, nothing too syrupy but with under tones of maple.. but we shall see..

 

[bruno]

My 60-gallon batch is moving right along. SG started at 1.07, now down to about 1.03. I also added yeast energizer at the beginning.

I used the zest fro 60 lemons along with the cloves, and heated the mixture for about 1/2 hour in just enough maple sap to cover the mixture. Strained it and added to the sap.
Then juiced the 60 lemons and added that juice.
One hint: if you zest that many lemons, get rubber gloves. I have no finger nails or skin left on my hand.