Apple wine, way too sweet

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jo.trader

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Hello brewers!
today I finshied making my first apple wine and before racking it I decided to taste it
And it was way too much sweet for my liking, sh** was like syrup!
I made the mistake of putting too much sugar, and the bread yeast didn't help.
It's now sitting in the second fermentation, what can I do to rudece the sweetness?
 
  1. Dilute it with water.
  2. Add a yeast with higher alcohol tolerance (like Premier Cuvee or EC-1118). Properly rehydrate the yeast for best results.
  3. Consider adding some malic acid or an acid blend.
 
  1. Dilute it with water.
  2. Add a yeast with higher alcohol tolerance (like Premier Cuvee or EC-1118). Properly rehydrate the yeast for best results.
  3. Consider adding some malic acid or an acid blend.

its currently bubbling in the second fermentation, should i leave it or add yeast?
 
"Bubbling" just means CO2 is being released; it doesn't mean that fermentation is taking place. Use a hydrometer to measure specific gravity if you want to know for sure.

Follow the steps I provided will be fine regardless. Without knowing your recipe and measurements for the batch I can't really provide more specific recommendations.
 
how long was it in primary? when i have done ciders in the past I used different wine yeasts and all have dried the ciders out.
 
Yea, add more juice, it’ll help retain flavor, plus adding it now can add flavor back that were lost during the longer primary fermentation.
 
+1 For adding more juice.
Kick off fermentation again and you get more wine out of it.
Could split the batch if it's crazy sweet, right?
 
with good brewing yeast as cheap as it is, why would you use bread yeast unless the recipe specifically called for it?
 
with good brewing yeast as cheap as it is, why would you use bread yeast unless the recipe specifically called for it?
Yeah and if the recipe calls for it, the recipe must be old. We have some excellent yeast made for mead and wine making. I'm making a prosecco/champagne wine now using ec 118 yeast. Smells awesome. Can't imagine the smell being as good with bread yeast. I did try it once in a cider. Ended up chucking it out.
 
I'm sure this one played out long ago (and curious if anything helped), but for anyone else that might stumble on this challenge, here's some of my thoughts.
  1. On adding water: This could work if small adjustments are needed and you have ample flavor - but I'd be cautious. You will dilute the flavor significantly faster than the sweetness. Should also be done with other adjustments. On it's own, it likely will flatten the wine, body, mouthfeel, fruitiness, etc. Adding water might be useful if it is just too "apple-y", has ample ABV, and you can also adjust back the acid and mouthfeel.
  2. On adding apple juice/cider: This is possibly better than water, as it will add flavor, but is, itself, sweet so will have less an effect on reducing the sweetness. Further, it will probably have a larger impact on mouthfeel - reducing the "grip" that is essential in feeling like your drinking wine not juice. That said, this could be an option if planning to also kick start a new fermentation.
  3. On adjusting other characteristics: Depending on the level of imbalance, personally, I'd start here. Tweaking sweet/sour/bitter can go a long way, does not dilute, and can be done in micro-adjustments. Adding a small amount of acid or bitterness will first appear to remove the sweetness before making itself known. The one downside to be aware of is that repeated tinkering raises the chance for some other issue like oxidation, infection, or producing something that tastes "manufactured" all of which may be unrecoverable.
    • On adding acid: Acid blend is safe but consider the "right" acid to add. Since this is an apple wine, leaning more on the malic might better fit the profile. Tartaric acid is more nondescript but may seem more "wine-like". Straight lemon juice is less traditional - and perhaps controversial - but, whatevs, you're experimenting and flavors pair well. Citric, if too much is added, will quickly feel sharp and lime-like which would be weird here but may be a better choice if doing a persimmon, orange wine, or berry wines. You might think "lemon juice" = "citric acid" but lemon is a flavor on top of the acid. I think of citrus fruits along a deep/rich to sharp/thin spectrum from blood orange > tangerines > kiwi/loquat > lemon > lime. Citric acid on it's own lacks "flavor" and in excess is super sharp reminding me of the "lime-end" of the spectrum. In wines with deep rich flavor, it can be a great compliment. Lactic acid probably isn't a good fit here but has it's place in more buttery styles.
    • On adding bitter: Lots of options here but powders at this stage will significantly discolor the wine. Given it is apple, oak chips or related products can be used but stick to light toasts (if toasted at all). The apple will mask any slight discoloration but a heavier toast will turn it disgustingly brown. There are other woods that might be interesting if you're in the mood to experiment. Another option is tea which is softer. Leaves or bags can be used alone or brewed though might dilute so make it strong. The benefit of a brew is that the results are immediate and you can adjust in real time.
  4. On adding yeast: This is a reasonable option if the balance seems too far off to micro-adjust but try not to start on #2 for a while then onto #3. By that point your messing around too much. If choosing this route, consider that while a given yeast might have a higher alcohol tolerance, typically it would ease into that level. In this example, the wine is likely at 10-12% already and, even using a 16-18% yeast, it might have difficulty starting up or reaching it's full potential. Here, I'd slowly acclimate the yeast starting with a small amount of plain sugar water adding a 1/4 cup of the wine every couple hours for the better part of a day. If already active by the first addition, and loosely covered or under an airlock, it won't oxidize. Then add the cup (or pint) to the secondary and leave it alone for a few weeks.
  5. On blending: This is always a good option - or at least and easy option. If you have some other comparable wine lying around or you can start a new batch that you can take super dry, you can simply mix them together. Disclaimer: blending is an art, no trivial task at scale, and no disrespect here but, in your kitchen, this is an easy way to avoid over-tinkering and possibly get a result closer to what you are looking for.
  6. On making cocktails: Why not? Add some rye, a few lemon wedges, maybe a cinnamon stick and close it up until fall.
  7. On getting over it: Sure, start with tinkering to gain skills, maybe get a better result. In the end, if it isn't so bad you have to toss it (and for me it has to be pretty bad), drink it and move on. It's all a learning experience, right?
Hope this helps. Cheers.
 
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