Holiday Wine

[HippyD]

Hey all HippyD here, another thread to hopefully gain more knowledge and input. Very satisfied with the support/help/feedback I received on my last post.
I'm here for the long haul so of course no rushing, every good product takes time, love, and dedication. As one previously stated true makers act as a shepherd meticulously mastering they're craft.
I'm not close to there yet, but as it is that time of year I'm really interested in learning more about Apple wines recipes and the whole process as I have seen countless yt videos of people just tossing yeast into apple juice smh...
Unfortunately I'm a long ways away from the closest brewshop, & my debit is unavailable for online purchase.
But any and all budget recommendations for my situation on recipes is much obliged
-Hippy D

 

[buMbLeB]

I've only made apple wine twice, so I'll let others lead with the advice, but I will say that I've been surprised at how tasty throwing yeast at AJ has turned out (ok, and some sugar and nutrients)! I'm sure it could be better, but I've done using store-bought generic juice, and I've been very happy so far.

 

[HippyD]

Thanks B, I'm open to any budget recipes atm, having a hard time financially so I'm open to any reccomendations, or ideas.

 

[buMbLeB]

Well, if you look at the "sticky" at the top of this section you'll find "Man, I love apfelwein" (or something close), and the recipe is right at the top! It's just regular apple juice, dextrose (I use table sugar) and yeast (original uses Montrachet, I use ec-1118 champagne yeast). The yeast may be your only issue - if you're trying to use baking yeast (or brewer's yeast for all I know) it might stop working before it turns all the sugar into alcohol.

Other than that, 1/2 cup sugar per litre AJ will give you nearly around 11% abv when it's dry. Voila!

 

[HippyD]

I know I want to make that asap, but I don't want to waste good juice with bakers yeast uggh.

Yeast donations anybody? Just kidding that maybe against the rules lol. I'm just finding it impossible to get ahold of decent yeast it's frustrating.

 

[Ho0sier-9]

If your debit card will not allow internet purchases you might want to go to the local grocery store and "buy" a Debit card.
you could control how much $$ is there and still make internet purchases.
then the next time you need to make an order just "load" the card back up......

good luck

 

[HippyD]

Gotcha Hoosier & Thanks again B, I'm 100% going for the apfelwine. I got my 5g CB and everything else but the yeast. Looks like I'm going to take a trip out of town to nearest HBS. Okay questions-
1. I know many have tried different yeast strains. Would a high abv yeast like Ec-118 or the Lalvin ruin my batch?
2. In SoCal it's getting pretty cold at night(34-40)F, warm during the day (75-82F) I have a sealed refrigerator in my garage. No temp gauge but, Im hoping it will suffice?
3. In the instructions it didn't say to oxygenate yeast w/ covered clean ect... Just pitch yeast and airlock?
4. I'm thinking of making a diy airlock(tiny pinhole /w vodka) or tubing submerged in a solution?

Sorry for all the Q's and long post I just don't want to screw up, and waste so much time and resources.
Much Love. - HippyD

 

[buMbLeB]

1. I know many have tried different yeast strains. Would a high abv yeast like Ec-118 or the Lalvin ruin my batch?

I usually use ec-1118, I like it! It's hardy and reliable, will do well in apple juice without extra nutrients etc, and finishes nice and dry.

2. In SoCal it's getting pretty cold at night(34-40)F, warm during the day (75-82F) I have a sealed refrigerator in my garage. No temp gauge but, Im hoping it will suffice?

It's the heat you'll need to watch out for. I've never fermented in a fridge, and at full blast it will make the yeast go dormant - are you planning to ferment in there? If so, run it lightly.

3. In the instructions it didn't say to oxygenate yeast w/ covered clean ect... Just pitch yeast and airlock?

I've done it both ways, pitch and airlock works fine. Probably even better if you just cover it with a clean breathable cloth for the first couple of days to let the O2 in.

4. I'm thinking of making a diy airlock(tiny pinhole /w vodka) or tubing submerged in a solution?

Go with the tubing.

 

[HippyD]

Thanks again buMbleB, very useful information as always.
About the refrigerator, I don't plan on running it. I just figured with the cold temps it would help keep things steady. I'm afraid to commit to 5gal if it gets too cold.
Also any advice on Real cinnamon sticks & or brown/cane sugar. The original recipe sounds perfect but, so do the additions just not sure how it will affect the overall apfel.

 

[buMbLeB]

You're welcome. I should note that my method of making cider is to let it ferment down to around 1.003 and then cold crash - I actually have specialty fridge containers for this purpose. This lets me keep some residual sweetness and a mild carbonation without sulfates/ites. Otherwise ec-1118 is going to eat all the sugar, and your cider will be bone dry. There are other yeasts that will stop earlier, but I don't have much experience with them. But since you have the spare fridge, you could just turn it on once you get to your desired finish level and keep the cider there until Xmas.

No advice on the flavour additions other than "cane sugar", which as far as I know is just table sugar (sucrose) and is what I use. It works and tastes great.

 

[HippyD]

Awesome thanks man, since your actively responding and have more knowledge than me I hope we can continue talking about this and other subjects. See right now for me it's a shot in the dark as I don't have the tools to measure SG & FG. And having a hard time finding the Ec-, but I've heard Lalvin 711b is believe is pretty similar, idk. Would it be ok to contact you via cell?