maple

Well I have been defeated, my prized batch of maple wine oxidized because I forgot to refill my airlock.

What is maaple wine? Is it any good?

Its absolutely delicious, and i'm going to be replacing it this week. Here's what I did

(1 gallon recipe)
3 Lbs pure maple syrup
8 bags of chamomile tea (take the tea out)
Montrachet yeast
Spring water

Put everything except 1 lb of syrup in a carboy and adjust o.g. to ~1.076 with spring water. Rack onto the last lb of syrup when s.g. hits 1.000 (3-4 weeks), and rack again when it's clear. Bottle when you're ready.

I can't wait to get this going again! I've made some good stuff, but this takes the crown in my book.

So how long do you let it bulk age? How long to bottle age? What does it taste like?

My one gallon batch was easily drinkable after 3 months of aging. But, I was bulk aging for 8 months and then was going to go to bottles. I usually use 12oz beer bottles. Makes between 7-10bottles, depending on how much you sample it. Its really up to you on how long, but I woud suggest at least 6mo/bulk and 6mo/bottle. And make sure there's fluid in the airlock at all times lol!As for flavor, it's a lot like mead, but obviously with the bigger, darker maple taste. The chamomile added a real nice slight floral touch to it. I was going to add oak chips during that fateful racking, but you know how that went.

Do you add anything to stop the yeast before you add the last pound of syrup or do you let it ferment again?

No I let it continue fermenting, and I think that the prolonged ferment may have boosted the flavor. I'm going to do 2 batches side-by-side this week, one with the staggered addition and one with it all in at once, so I can see if i'm right about that.

Awesome, what is the final gravity and alcohol percentage?

I ended up @ 1.012, which is perfect for me, not too sweet, not too dry. I'm not quite sure what the abv is, I don't tend to calc it out, but its probably about 10-12

One more question. What temperature do you bulk age and bottle age?

No more than 70, I did it around 65, but sometimes it got a little warmer/cooler obviously. I like to use a recording thermometer so I can see how the temperature changes when i'm away. This way I can fix any problems if during the day it gets too hot where I have my carboys or too cold at night.

pvtpublic said:

No more than 70, I did it around 65, but sometimes it got a little warmer/cooler obviously. I like to use a recording thermometer so I can see how the temperature changes when i'm away. This way I can fix any problems if during the day it gets too hot where I have my carboys or too cold at night.

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Is it ok to age cooler. Say 50 degrees? Wool it mature st the same rate?

What are you putting it in?

pvtpublic said:

What are you putting it in?

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I have a chest freezer with a temp controller. I use it as a celler when not fermenting.

I'd say go for it. I would have probably used one of those if I had one. You'll have to let me know how that turns out. I can only get the basement so cool.

I always bulk age my stuff in my mini fridge. It works great.

I wish I had that luxury, swmbo doesn't care about the necessity of booze, so I can't exactly find a "logical" reason to get one

You oughta try it as a maple/apple/honey.... I have no idea what to call it, at least as far as a name, but more than a few have called it "Speechless." No added water, the cider (on this side of the atlantic) is the base (our own apples), and no need for added processed sugars, the maple syrup (make your own! there's NOTHING else like it!!) and the honey (again, keep your own bees!) are more than sufficient. And as far as mine goes, I don't add nutrients. But definitely use pectic enzyme because of the apple juice/cider. I stopped using EC-1118 on this because it does tend to neuter the flavors and aromas a little bit. Go with DC-47, i'ts close but it keeps the flavors and aromas much better. I don't necessarily have a set recipe, and I've only made a few 7-gallon batches (since ceasing the use of EC-1118 - I love EC-1118 in other stuff but not this or the meads anymore) but as said the cider is the base, then maple syrup and honey according to whichever I have in whatever proportions, as long as I get the OG to around 1.080 - 1.100.

Anyways, it's worth a go. I DO prefer the maple alone, though, for certain occasions, but the mixed is exquisite.

That sounds really good, can you convert it to a one gallon recipe and share? Also, how do you do your maple wine?

You may be able to save your batch of maple wine. Do you still have it?

Try fining it with biolees, then noblesse, then opti white. If you add 1.5 to 3 grams per gallon and wait a week between each fining agent, you may be able to save it.

I do because I haven't gotten around to discarding it, but it's way past saving though, it's really bad, really really bad. It's so badly oxidized that there's no decent flavors left.

In the future, when the co2 is mostly gone, put a solid bung in it and forget the airlock.

Yeah, I will, I thought it would have been fine, since it was the only one i've aged w/o fluid in the airlock, but I didn't think much of it.

Yeah, that's not a bad idea

I'm trying this soon, but will be making a bacon maple version.

Maple Bacon? You'll have to enlighten me, good sir.

Fry up some bacon, crumble it, let it cool then pour all the contents(grease and all) into some vodka. Let this sit for a few weeks shaking daily. After the two weeks is up toss it into the freezer to let the grease solidify and pour your bacon extract into another container.

P.S. I love the Chug-a-lug in the sig :rockin:

Is it sweet/dry? How does the bacon flavor turn out?

Bacon extract... heh heh that's funny

I haven't tried it yet, but I know it's how Brooklyn made Reinschweinsgebot. All I will do is add a little of the extract to the secondary.

Post a recipe when you do, I have to give that a try. Mmmmm.... bacon...