Apfell Wine and Honey

Texron · 08-19-2010, 08:51 PM

I have a batch of Edworts Apfell Wine I started on the 5th of July, last year. With the exception of racking it a couple times and topping up with apple juice it has been pretty much left alone. Its a traditional batch made according to Edwort's recipee and should be pretty tasty by now. I was thinking of drawing off three gallons to a clean carbouy, add two quarts of honey, top off with water, then re-pitch with a mead yeast.

Any thoughts on this? Any suggested tweaks or adjustments to enhance flavor? What yeast would be recommended. Does this even sound like a good idea?

**Yooper** · 08-19-2010, 08:58 PM

It depends on what the ABV is now. Yeast don't like high ABV environments, so it might be a very hard ferment to get started, if it will even go. If it's a low ABV now, you might be able to get it to ferment. If you try, you'll want to use staggered nutrient additions to keep the yeast happy, as well as a yeast starter to start with.

Check the alcohol tolerance of your chosen yeast strain. You don't want to try if you're already near the tolerance level. You'd probably have to use something like champagne yeast if the other yeast strains have a low alcohol tolerance.

Texron · 08-19-2010, 09:11 PM

I would imagine its somewhere around 9-10 percent as it is-its a stock batch of Edworts recipee. Of course the honey and the water would cut that down some, then build it back up as the fermentables are consumed.

Alternatively I could ferment the honey and water buy themselves and then blend the two together when thats pretty well done. Orrrrrrrrr, I have a traditional mead I made that the fermentation stuck when it was still about a 1.020 gravity. I could just blend those together and then let them age.

Interesting ideas. I am open for any suggestions.

2ndGenBrewer · 08-19-2010, 11:28 PM

I'd say that if the apfell wine is on the dry side then blending it with the mead that's at 1.020 would be a great way to save a otherwise undrinkable batch.

Texron · 08-20-2010, 04:01 AM

I was wrong on the gravity of the traditional mead-it was last measured at 1.043. I guess I could try something real scientific like mixing a little in a cup to see what I could come up with.

Might try 3 ounces of the Apfell Wine with 1 then 2 ounces of of the mead to see how it tastes.

Texron · 10-15-2010, 05:36 AM

I tried several different ratio's for a blend and the best for my palette was a 1:1 mix. It was simply awsome. I blended a six gallon carboy full of it and had a difficult time putting it back into my fermentation room and leaving it alone. It was really good. It tasted a little hot but was not objectional at all. I can hardly wait until it gets some age on it to see how the flavors meld. I am thinking I will probably be doing this again in the near future.

Thanks to everyone who PM'd me advice. I appreciate it.