Suggestions for a Sweet Apricot Wine?

[Just-a-Guy]

Hi Folks,

I picked up a couple cans of 96 oz Vintner's Harvest apricot today from the LHBS. Planning to make a 5 gallon batch. I was thinking I may put some dried apricots in the primary, and hold back a little of the VH for backsweetening/ flavoring.

I was also thinking I may fortify this batch. Was wondering, should I do that early in the fermentation, or wait til the end? Any suggestions on what to use? Apricot brandies are usually pretty awful, no? I can get Everclear (if I drive across the state line ).

TIA,

JAG

 

[sour_grapes]

I have no opinion on whether you should ferment to dry, then fortify and backsweeten, or whether you should perform fermentis interruptus. However, in case you decide to to the latter, I previously worked out the math for knowing when to add your fortifying spirit. Here is the previous post where I link to an excel spreadsheet to assist timing the fortification process. The discussion in that thread may be useful, too.

Well, I put this into an Excel sheet, which you are welcome to (if I can figure out how to attach it). There are two sheets: one you input the sugar in g/l, the other you input the SG of the must instead. In both sheets, you input parameters in the yellow boxes, and the answers come out in the blue boxes.

 

[cimbaliw]

Be careful with the dried fruit. I've used dried mangos twice. The first time, 24 oz, in the secondary of a lower grade pino blanco kit and they have imparted a used tire aroma and a similar off flavor. Not that I go around chewing on old tires but you get the gist.

I threw 8 oz of the dried mango in a recent batch of skeeter pee (primary) and left them in for a couple of days until I caught the same smell. Pulled them out pronto and seem to have avoided trouble. I have not back sweetened this batch yet but am hoping for a nice mango finish.

While I realize that Apricots and mangoes are different fruits, my point is to encourage you to stay on top of your batch of wine. Raisins have always "set it and forget it" for me, but mangoes not so much.

BC

 

[salcoco]

first dried fruit may have high sulfur content and could inhibit fermentation.

I would use all of the concentrate and use a yeast such as EC1118 or QA23 and do a stepped feeding. when the ferment reaches 1010 sg add sugar to 1030. Keep repeating until sg remains constant . ABV will get to 16-18% and residual sugar at last feeding may create balance. final taste tests will determine if any additions are required. possibly some apricot brandy to add to existing flavor.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Thanks for the replies all. We haven't done it yet, and I'm dropping the dried fruit idea.

salcoco -- how would you recommend doing the stepped feeding? Put a full load of sugar in to start, then continue adding to it along the way? Or doing, say, half the sugar at start, and feeding more along the way with the total being what the recipe calls for (I forget, maybe 10 lbs table sugar)?

Also, would you just pour the sugar in, or dissolve it in hot liquid? Water would obviously water down the must. Pulling out must and heating it to melt sugar would kill yeast? I could hold back part of the juice and use that along the way?

TIA,

Mark

 

[BernardSmith]

Might your LHBS have bottles of fruit extract? All the flavor , but none of the sugar..

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Might your LHBS have bottles of fruit extract? All the flavor , but none of the sugar..

Yes. In fact, I have an apricot extract from my LHBS.

 

[salcoco]

first have the specific gravity at 1.092 when you start fermentation. then add additional sugar when sg reaches 1010. I always use a sugar syrup. add two cups sugar to one cup hot water mix in a blender . let cool and add about a cup to the fermentation and measure sg. note the rise in sg then add additional sugar syrup until achieving the 1030 range. once ferment reduces to 1010 add the sugar syrup again in the quantity determined the first time. make a batch of sugar syrup ahead of time so that you have enough for the ferment. the amount of water added will not hurt the ferment. Eventually the fermentation will stop and you will have a high abv and sweet apricot wine. let it clear and then taste test to see if further adjustments are needed. for a three gallon batch I was fermenting a cup of sugar syrup was enough. you will need to check the sg each day when step feeding. the sg will drop enough in one day to need additional syrup. the 1030 mark is not critical if one cup get you 1020 that is good go ahead and continue fermentation. numbers are guide only.