Crabapples

My bud & I are gonna try making a crab apple wine soon, our friend has around 50lbs of crabapples. What would be the most efficient way to mash all them up into a juice?

See the below link

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/crabapple-wine-51010/

Yooper made a 1 gal batch that can easily be scaled up to 5 gallons for your 50# of crabapples.

Awesome, Thank you for the help!

If they haven't been picked yet you could water the area under the tree very well for two or more weeks to increase size, sweetness and water content. Letting them hang longer will help, too.

I use an apple grinder that pulps the apples but chopping them down to an inch square or less should be small enough. Depending on the size, you might quarter them to remove seeds and stem, then give them a quick spin in a food processor, just avoid cutting or crushing the seeds.

Great idea, thank you!

I use a juicer for my apples

i use a juicer for crabapples and it works incredibly well. i add a small % of crabapple juice to cider rather than making crab wine, don't know what difference in flavor you would get fermenting on the crushed fruit vs juicing, but juicing sure works well for me! far more efficient than regular apples

I usually use my crabapples for cider but this past fall I did something different. I brewed 10 gallons of 1.060 OG Belgian blonde, then I racked 5 gallons to a 6.5 gallons fermenter with 12 pounds of frozen crabapples and a brett starter from Orval dregs. I'm drinking it now and it's great refreshing summer drink. It has a nice apple flavor and is very tart and dry. I wish the brett stood out a little more but I'm really happy with it. BTW I racked the other 5 gallons onto 12 pounds of cherries.

corkybstewart said:

I usually use my crabapples for cider but this past fall I did something different. I brewed 10 gallons of 1.060 OG Belgian blonde, then I racked 5 gallons to a 6.5 gallons fermenter with 12 pounds of frozen crabapples and a brett starter from Orval dregs.

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that's pretty novel! might have to try something like that this year. i noticed that some guezes (well, at least timmermans) has apple juice listed as an ingredient. you're taking it to the next level! and off topic...

Lol thanks y'all, I appreciate all the posts, I'll keep you posted as it goes along, we'll be starting it in about a week. We're getting a real heavy rain for the next week or so, so it goes along with the "fattening" up idea

Wow, my crabapples are never ripe until Aug/Sept. I plan to use a centrifugal juicer this season (and will cook down the pulp/skin/cores and seeds to make homemade pectin for jam making).

I made my first crabapple wine by using my homemade crabapple jelly. Actually did a crabapple quince jam wine. Turned out exceptional! I opted to backsweeten some with an overly sweet Concord, call it "CQC Rose--Crabapple Quince Concord", and backsweetened another part of it with AppleRaspberry concentrate---that one is most requested. Has a great raspberry nose and the tart tang of the crabapple. I also like the dry white, chilled. Is amazing how much one can do with one wine base!

I was saddened by the absence of crabapples last year (late frost), but my tree looks good thus far.

Good luck with your adventure....Consider freezing your apples first---they will release much more juice. And be sure to use a good dose or two of pectic enzyme because crabapples are one of the most pectin rich fruits out there. I would definitely add the PE initially and with the first racking as you transfer from open fermentation container to carboy and airlock.

saramc said:

Wow, my crabapples are never ripe until Aug/Sept. And be sure to use a good dose or two of pectic enzyme because crabapples are one of the most pectin rich fruits out there. I would definitely add the PE initially and with the first racking as you transfer from open fermentation container to carboy and airlock.

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Mine get ripe in the fall also, this year's crop looks a little thin so far.
I didn't use any PE at all in mine and it's crystal clear after just a couple of weeks in the fridge.

corkybstewart said:

I didn't use any PE at all in mine and it's crystal clear after just a couple of weeks in the fridge.

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Do you use any finings? I do know opting not to use PE you run the risk of exposure to heat triggering a protein haze. Though if you keep the wine chilled it is not an issue. Do you plan to backsweeten, or leave it dry?

pectic enzyme degrades pectin which is a polysaccharide, not a protein. i also have used crabs in cider with no pectic enzyme and it has cleared fine, but i tend to throw a bit in just in case. but you shouldn't have problems setting the pectin as there is no need to heat the crabs to make cider or wine!

saramc said:

Do you use any finings? I do know opting not to use PE you run the risk of exposure to heat triggering a protein haze. Though if you keep the wine chilled it is not an issue. Do you plan to backsweeten, or leave it dry?

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I racked a Belgian blonde beer onto 12 pounds of crabapples and let it sit for a couple of months.
it's nicely tart but not as dry and tart as my crabapple cider is.