Starting an Apple Wine

[Waldo]

I guess I am going to have to stay away from Wal-Mart or any grocery store. I went to "Wally World" early this morning to do a little Christmas shopping and I spied this sparkling cider.

It is 100% pure carbonated apple juice with no water, preservatives, sweetners or concentrates added. But they only had 4 bottles left which was a little less than a gallon but I decided to try it anyway. Following is my recipe and hopefully I will end up with a fairly decent apple wine cooler. I am making a starter using Lalvin EC-1118 for it's ability to do a quick fermntation and it's recommendation for white and sparkling wines.


Dissolved 1-1/3 lbs. sugar ( Natural Cane Turbinado Sugar from Hawaii) until completely dissolved in 2 cups ( 0.124996 gallon ) hot water and added sugar water & cider (.79976 gallon) to fermenter. I then added 1 tsp. acid blend, 1/4 teaspoon tannin, 1-1/2 tsp. yeast nutrient, and one Campden tablet dissolved in processor to fermenter and stirred in well. I will let this set for 12 hours and will then add 1-1/2 tsp. Pectic Enzyme. Let it set for another 12 hours and if SG level and tannins are where I want them I will add my starter to it which will finish out my total volume tojust a tad overone gallon.Edited by: Waldo

 

[peterCooper]

Did you add the acid blend just because, or did you measure acidity first/
I'm asking because I don't have a pH. tester (except for the pool and I'm not
using it) and am ready to start my apple wine.

Also does it make a difference using a campden tablet or K-meta?

 

[peterCooper]

How are you organizing your starter?

 

[Waldo]

I am usng the taste method to test for acid Peter. Letting my tongue tell me if it needs some help. As for my starter. I am hydrating in plain water around 75 degrees. Once it get going, I add about 1/2 cup of my mustwith a bit of yeast nutrient. I let that work for a bit and then add another cup of must. Once it gets to fermenting really strong again I add it to my primary. I use a large spoon and drizzle the starter onto it, letrting it splash across the surface of must in the primary. Hope this answered your question, if not, I'll give it another try.

 

[masta]

How is the apple wine coming Waldo? Must have been strange having to degas the juice before starting fermentation!

 

[peterCooper]

Took the plunge and now I am itching.

Went on the store site and picked up Bentonite, Acid Blend, a pH tester,
lavlin EC - 1118, yeast nutrient, tannin and pectic enzyme.

Saturday, I'm going to start a cranberry apple. I'm itching to start now but
I have a Christmas do at my place on Friday and I can't get my wine stuff
out until afterwards.

Thought I'd soak 1lb of sweetened cranberries overnight and then put in
the blender. Then add to 6 gallons of natural apple juice from Krogers
test for sugar and acid and adjust.

I plan to the leave for 24 hours before pitching the yeast.

I think that will give me something that looks vaguely Rose and has a
kick like a mule. There is something distinctly reminiscent of femininity in
that last sentence.

Am I on the right track?

 

[Waldo]

I do believe you are peter. Should be very good

 

[peterCooper]

So it is now officially started.

1lb of dried sweetened cranberries
2 oz raisins
2 oz of currants (both because they were left over from the Christmas
cake.
Soaked for 2 days and then processed in the FP to make a pretty fine
slurry.
Added six gallons of apple juice.
3 gallons of Kroger fresh apple juice
3 gallons of the pasturised Kroger keep for ever stuff. ( that's all they had
but it was cheap)
Added 8 lb sugar in solution to bring the SG up to 1.90 PA is abotu 11.5%
3 tsp tannin
adjusted acid to .60 (took six tsps.)
Added 2 tsp of yeast nutrient

Have Bentonite in solution waiting to go in tomorrow
Will pitch the yeasy Lavlin 1118 tomorrow also

My biggest worry is that I'm easily up past 6.5 gallons and have less than
a gallon head room in the fermenter. Debating whether or not to take out
1/2 gallon.

 

[MedPretzel]

My biggest worry is that I'm easily up past 6.5 gallons and have less than
a gallon head room in the fermenter. Debating whether or not to take out
1/2 gallon.

Take it out. Rather to be on the side of safety. Put it in a 1-gallon bucket or so. Makes a great toppingu up bottle.





Sounds like a great recipe. Keep us posted.

 

[peterCooper]

Must is bubbling away by crazy. I had no problems in starting.
Sunday morningadded the bentonite and gave it a good stir. Then I pitched
the yeast. By the afternoon it had started with a good cap on it, maybe 1/2
thick at most.

The cap had gone Monday afternoon but a pretty fierce ferment had started.
I had expected it to be slower but it seems to be going just like a kit wine.

 

[masta]

Sounds great Peter and a good must makes some happy yeast!

 

[peterCooper]

I just thought of something. I added 8lb of sugar to make the OG move
from 1.050 to 1.090. That's 2lb per 0.010. If I ferment this to dry at .990
that means I'm turning about 20lb sugar into alcohol! I know some of it
turns to CO2, but do I have about 20lbs of alcohol in here? Or doesn't it
work that way?Edited by: peterCooper

 

[masta]

Peter,


Here is my calculation of amount of alcohol in your finished batch.


OG 1.090 to FG 0.990 = 13.2% ABV


23 L x 13.2% = 3.03 L of Ethanol


3.03 L = 0.80 gals


Ethanol is6.59 lbs per gallon


6.59 x 0.80 = 5.27 lbs of Ethanol


FYI:


SG of Ethanol is 0.789


1 Liter of Ethanol weighs 0.789 KGEdited by: masta

 

[Waldo]

How is that wine coming Peter. Some pictures would be nice

 

[Waldo]

How is the apple wine coming Waldo? Must have been strange having to degas the juice before starting fermentation!

Coming right along Masta. Fermentation has slowed considerably and will probably be racking andstabilizing bythis weekend. SG is at 1.000 as of this evening and beginning to clear a little.

 

[MedPretzel]

YUMMMMMMMMMMM-UMMMMMMMMMM!





Gimme a glass!





M.

 

[Waldo]

Thanks Martina.Just head on down Kiddo and we will have us a wine tasting party extrodinaire

 

[peterCooper]

Ok here's the first picture.

sorry it's a bit blurry, but then I was too when I took it.

The color is off too. Bad lighting in the room.

This is about 12 hours after I pitched the yeast.
I can do another image of the airlock going bloop bloop bloop bigtime of
you like.

SG was down to 1.040 last night from 1.060. I will most likely move it to
a carboy on Friday or Saturday evening if it keeps on going down this
fast.

Than hopefully I'll be able to get a look at the color.

 

[Waldo]

Looking good Peter. How does she smell?

 

[peterCooper]

Still very much like apples. Good smell but I'm beginning to smell the
alcohol and the CO2 has a different tang than in the kit wines.

I'll be brave on Friday evening and have a taste.