Taste of Fruit Wines.. Some input?

[SolocamX708]

I am trying to figure some things out in the field of winemaking and maybe you guys can help. I have tried making several batches of apple this year trying to perfect a batch that i like. I have critiqued each batch and recorded all that i have done. I have a couple questions though. When making these wines i have checked specific gravities made sure they were all 1.080 to 1.090 to start the wine varying the starting sp a little and using different yeasts and different apples for each batch. The problem i seem to have is a very very harsh wine after being in the secondary for a month. It tastes almost like pure alcohol with very little body and taste. I have followed several different recipes hoping something would change but has not. I am curious as to what is happening to make this occur. It the wine simply to young? or is it something i am doing? This same thing has occured when my father who is new to winemaking tried making peach blueberry and apple from a fruit concentrate. Some advice or input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Aaron

 

[SolocamX708]

I forgot to add the recipe

20lbs fresh apples
Suagr to a sp of 1.085
Lavlin EC-1118
1 1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme
1 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient

 

[djrockinsteve]

I have made several batches of apple wine. All very good. You might want to lower the gravity to give you around 10 to 10 1/2% alcohol.

Have you been checking your acid levels.? I don't see any tannin in the recipe, even just a small amount would help the taste.
Are you aging and clearing long enough. Aging should be at least 6 months.
Back sweeten to 1.015 +/-

Cinnamon during aging

 

[SolocamX708]

Yes i did add acid blend, but i do not remember how much off hand. It is still young, it has been in the secondary for a month. I just am not happy enough with the taste, i mean this wine is extremely dry. I am wondering if this strain of yeast is fermenting the wine to quickly and not giving me the taste i am looking for.

 

[closetwine]

Yes i did add acid blend, but i do not remember how much off hand. It is still young, it has been in the secondary for a month. I just am not happy enough with the taste, i mean this wine is extremely dry. I am wondering if this strain of yeast is fermenting the wine to quickly and not giving me the taste i am looking for.

It needs to age, my apple was very harsh at first. Also, it sounds like you should sorbate then backsweeten to get the tast you want. There's also the option of an F-pack.

 

[whine4wine]

I am currently making my 4th batch of apple.
Your starting SG will indeed yeild some potent wine.
You could start with a lower SG startpoint, or use a flavor pac to sweeten the batch.
I have had good luck using Frozen Concentrated Apple Juice to flavor and sweeten my wine, after it has been stabilized.
This approach also works well with other fruit wines.

 

[SolocamX708]

I wouldnt mind having to add some sugar to taste, but i do not have the apple fruity taste i am looking for. Would a different yeast strain suite what i am looking for? I know the lalvin-ec118 is a very quick fermentor capable of 18% alcohol. Maybe it is fermenting to quick and not capturing the flavors of the fruit?

 

[mmadmikes1]

small amount of sweetness will bring out flavor of fruits,really. Start with lower sg so your not making rocket fuel. Higher the alcohol, lower the flavor. Last ferment at a little lower temp, 68 69. I have good luck with fruity flavors when fermenteed a little cooler

 

[djrockinsteve]

Adding just a bit of inverted sugar will really bring out the flavor. Even in Reds, just 2 or 3 gravity points can make a big difference.

In addition aging will cahnge the flavor. Wine will go thru many changes over time.

 

[ffemt128]

I think your wine is a little young still. The 1.085 IMHO isn't bad for apple wine. I usually start mine around there and it comes out good. I generally add cinamon and a small amount of clove to my apple wine. I would say to give it more time to age and if you are looking for a more fruit flavored apple wine, make an fpac and use that to back sweeten to desired taste with. I usually take a gallon of apple juice and simmer to abt 3/8 of a gallon or less and use that in a 5 gallon batch.

 

[BobF]

In addition to sweetening as others have mentioned, measuring/adjusting acid will make a huge diff in both the fruit flavor and the perceived sweetness.

I always make sure acid is in range BEFORE doing any sweetening.

Speaking of acid, apple has malic as the primary acid component. Malic is harsh to my taste. 71B will metabolize a good portion of the malic. Use tartaric and/or citric when you adjust post-ferment.

And no, apple is not an early drinker!

When making any adjustments, go slow and make adjustments to a small sample rather than the whole batch. Once you're happy with the results, calculate the necessary amounts for the remainder of the batch and adjust.

 

[non-grapenut]

I add boiled bananas to my apple...helps with body and adds tannins....12 to a gallon, 2 with skins on/gallon.

 

[SolocamX708]

Thanks for the input guys, ill see what I can do. The Ec-1118 in all reality is a champagne yeast could that be making this such a harsh wine?

 

[Julie]

Thanks for the input guys, ill see what I can do. The Ec-1118 in all reality is a champagne yeast could that be making this such a harsh wine?

Not sure if that would be a cause but try using 71b 1122 next time. It helps bring out the fruit flavor and like everyone else has said you need to sweeten it up some and let it age. Make yourself an f-pac and use that to backsweeten with, this will also add additional apple flavor. And try experimenting with spices, a little cinnamon, ginger and cloves really goes will in an apple wine.

 

[SolocamX708]

The one batch i made i did use raisins and cinnamon in and that was harsher than the rest, i dunno what is happening here, but this wine isnt quite to my liking at all. I even took some that has an sp of .095 and backsweetened to try it and it just doesnt have much flavor.