Maple wine questions

[zirtico]

I've made a small batch of "maple wine". Brewed it at essentially at 1:1 ratio - 2 litres of Dark Amber Grade A syrup added to 2 litres of water. I halted fermentation by adding sulphites and refrigerating at 39F, or 4˚C. I wanted to add bentonite to clarify it so that I could bottle and let it age.

My question is this: it is in the refrigerator right now and fermentation has stopped. Can I add bentonite normally to the chilled wine and expect it to clear? Should I add the clay to boiling water and let sit and then add to the cold wine?

Also, since this is a lower alcohol wine (11.5-12%) and less acidic than a mead or a grape wine, I am expecting it to take less time to age? Perhaps 6 months to peak compared to a year for a traditional honey mead?

Thanks!

 

[Yohef]

So this is just fermented maple syrup? I have been curious about that, I'm interested to hear how it turns out.
As for the bentonite, you will want to dissolve it at least somewhat. If you add it dry straight to the brew the vast majority of it will sink to the bottom of the vessel almost immediately and will yield disappointing results. If you don't want your gravity and or alcohol % to change you can remove some of the brew with a wine thief and heat it slightly in a cup or bowl(whatever you prefer) and dissolve the bentonite in it. Allow this to cool before adding to your wine.

 

[zirtico]

Hmm thanks. It's not pure maple syrup. Pure syrup would probably have too high a gravity for yeast to begin fermentation. It is a 1:1 dilution with water, 2L syrup, 2L water for an OG of 1.152. Even that is on the higher side.

Anyway, the batch of mead I made before this, I added pure, undissolved bentonite straight to the batch and it literally cleared up within 30 mins (I admit I used 3 times as much as I should have). This time I added it to hot water which I then added to the wine while still hot.

It's been sitting for 4 days now and although there is a layer of sediment, the wine is a bit clearer but not totally clear yet and it is probably clearing naturally and therefore very slowly. Should I re-bentonite or just leave it in the fridge until it naturally clarifies?

 

[Yohef]

I'd leave it be for a while, the bentonite may continue to do its thing for a while longer.
As for the maple wine, I should've been more clear, all I meant to ask was whether or not there were other ingredients like fruit or honey.

 

[zirtico]

OK, thanks for the advice.

The batch of mead I made was spiced with cloves, vanilla and cinnamon, so I decided to leave this batch unspiced and unaltered, as I love the taste of maple/caramel in general. What I did do, however, was split up the must and fermented in two smaller containers; one plain, and one with 1.5 ounces of American medium-toasted oak chips.

I can't wait for it to mellow out so I can taste both batches. I finished fermenting at 12% and it is probably on the sweet side at 1.04 FG, so I expect it to be a nice, mapley, oaky dessert wine once its ready to drink.

 

[zirtico]

I'd leave it be for a while, the bentonite may continue to do its thing for a while longer.
As for the maple wine, I should've been more clear, all I meant to ask was whether or not there were other ingredients like fruit or honey.

One more final question. I've now bottled the bentonited wine which is not 100% clear but much clearer than it was. I am hoping for it to clear in the bottle over time. My question is, how long do you think after brewing would it take to mellow out a bit? I can't wait a whole year to drink it, but from what I've read, the rule of thumb seems to be the less acidic the beverage and lower alcohol content, the less ageing it requires. This will be less acidic than honey mead and FAR less acidic than grape wine, so any inputs on how long to mellow before drinking would be appreciated.

 

[Yohef]

In a recent thread on aging that I took part in, a fellow member posted a very good idea. After bottling, open a bottle that is a few months old and drink about a shot of it, take notes on the taste and such, then seal it up, and repeat this once a month with the same bottle until it's gone. By the end, with your notes, you'll know at what point it was ready.

 

[fatbloke]

In a recent thread on aging that I took part in, a fellow member posted a very good idea. After bottling, open a bottle that is a few months old and drink about a shot of it, take notes on the taste and such, then seal it up, and repeat this once a month with the same bottle until it's gone. By the end, with your notes, you'll know at what point it was ready.

Hum ? But that's a hell of a good why to oxidise a bottle.......

Oxidisation is a slow process but repeated exposure would likely speed it up.

The best way to monitor progress, is to get 3/4 of it into the bottle size for you intended serving (likely 750ml bordeaux bottles - I'm less of a fan of burgundy shape.....) then get the rest of it into 250ml or 330ml beer bottles for test monitoring (drinking). Get them filled to about 5 to 10mm below the lip and cap with oxygen absorbing caps.

Drink a small one every 3 or 4 months and bingo. When a small one is good the larger size will likely be close too.......

 

[Yohef]

Fb, you make a good point

 

[Michel316Sizaire]

So this is just fermented maple syrup? I have been curious about that, I'm interested to hear how it turns out.

I made my own maple syrup this year and used maple sap instead of water to make 4 liter batches.

Made three batches; 1st of season, another mid season and an end season. All three are of a different color/shade.

I'm interested in seeing the flavor differences. Being patient, I'll let the bottles age 1 year before sampling one.