Appley tasting high abv apple wine
4/10/15
2 - 1 gallon bottles, former apple cider jugs.
Sanitize the equipment. I used sodium percarbonate soaked bottles, funnels, airlocks, measuring spoons overnight, rinsed well. It's not ideal but that's what I did.
I eyeballed the measurements of the yeast nutrient and the tannins, for primary ferment. Measurements are approximate. The remainder of the recipe is precisely measured. I got the apple juice at Costco. It was < $8 for 2 gallons, made from Apple concentrate, nothing added. I mixed into each gallon: (more recently I found apple juice, not from concentrate, with nothing added for same price at Costco)
(Take about 2 cups juice out to make room for ingredients, can add it back in later if needed)
1lb corn sugar from brew store, refined, half for each bottle.
~1/8 tsp yeast nutrient ea one gal bottle
~1/4 tsp tannin ea one gal bottle
Half packet Montrachet yeast for each one gal bottle
Primary ferment in 1 gal glass carboys for 7 days, then siphon out to other one gal jugs/carboys for 3 weeks.
I waited til the 17th and racked to second fermenters, (2 one gallon jugs)
*On 4/25/15 (this is the part that boosted the flavor and abv.):
Added 2-12oz cans of apple concentrate and corn sugar, in a big Pyrex measuring cup, warmed it in microwave and mixed till the sugar dissolved. Cooled a little, added yeast nutrient and more tannin.
Measurements:
2-12oz cans of Apple concentrate
1.5c corn sugar
1tsp nutrient
.25 tsp tannin. 1/4tsp
Cooled to temp for a baby bottle, same as back of wrist. Poured equal amounts into each of the two jugs. Swished bottle around a little. Replaced airlocks and wait.
I kept an incandescent desk lamp on the jugs with a warm blanket wrapped around the bottles most days.it was cool this spring around 60 degrees. Warm is better I read somewhere 70-80f degrees.
Waited till 5/26 and racked into screw top wine bottles. Ferment slowed way down.
Tasted some during racking on 5/26, but waited about two more weeks for the wine to completely clear. It was beautiful golden and slightly sparkling. Tasted good. Non scientific buzz factor puts approximate abv 11-12%.
When I do it again I'll rack a third time to reduce amount of lees in smaller bottles. Tho it tastes great and has a good amount of alcohol in it judging by the buzz. I may simply go with 2 liter mason jars since they're so easy to clean and I'm lazy.
I liked this so much I think I could give it away. Will use good bottles for gifts.
I got a hydrometer on Craigslist for $5, for abv reading next batch.
Notes to self:
use a pan or small bin to catch drips when racking.
Find bottle clip for racking siphon.
Use measuring spoons and cups for everything.
Write everything down here.
Use funnel for yeast so it doesn't stick to upper part of jugs.
Put vodka or whiskey in air locks for bacteria.
4/10/15
2 - 1 gallon bottles, former apple cider jugs.
Sanitize the equipment. I used sodium percarbonate soaked bottles, funnels, airlocks, measuring spoons overnight, rinsed well. It's not ideal but that's what I did.
I eyeballed the measurements of the yeast nutrient and the tannins, for primary ferment. Measurements are approximate. The remainder of the recipe is precisely measured. I got the apple juice at Costco. It was < $8 for 2 gallons, made from Apple concentrate, nothing added. I mixed into each gallon: (more recently I found apple juice, not from concentrate, with nothing added for same price at Costco)
(Take about 2 cups juice out to make room for ingredients, can add it back in later if needed)
1lb corn sugar from brew store, refined, half for each bottle.
~1/8 tsp yeast nutrient ea one gal bottle
~1/4 tsp tannin ea one gal bottle
Half packet Montrachet yeast for each one gal bottle
Primary ferment in 1 gal glass carboys for 7 days, then siphon out to other one gal jugs/carboys for 3 weeks.
I waited til the 17th and racked to second fermenters, (2 one gallon jugs)
*On 4/25/15 (this is the part that boosted the flavor and abv.):
Added 2-12oz cans of apple concentrate and corn sugar, in a big Pyrex measuring cup, warmed it in microwave and mixed till the sugar dissolved. Cooled a little, added yeast nutrient and more tannin.
Measurements:
2-12oz cans of Apple concentrate
1.5c corn sugar
1tsp nutrient
.25 tsp tannin. 1/4tsp
Cooled to temp for a baby bottle, same as back of wrist. Poured equal amounts into each of the two jugs. Swished bottle around a little. Replaced airlocks and wait.
I kept an incandescent desk lamp on the jugs with a warm blanket wrapped around the bottles most days.it was cool this spring around 60 degrees. Warm is better I read somewhere 70-80f degrees.
Waited till 5/26 and racked into screw top wine bottles. Ferment slowed way down.
Tasted some during racking on 5/26, but waited about two more weeks for the wine to completely clear. It was beautiful golden and slightly sparkling. Tasted good. Non scientific buzz factor puts approximate abv 11-12%.
When I do it again I'll rack a third time to reduce amount of lees in smaller bottles. Tho it tastes great and has a good amount of alcohol in it judging by the buzz. I may simply go with 2 liter mason jars since they're so easy to clean and I'm lazy.
I liked this so much I think I could give it away. Will use good bottles for gifts.
I got a hydrometer on Craigslist for $5, for abv reading next batch.
Notes to self:
use a pan or small bin to catch drips when racking.
Find bottle clip for racking siphon.
Use measuring spoons and cups for everything.
Write everything down here.
Use funnel for yeast so it doesn't stick to upper part of jugs.
Put vodka or whiskey in air locks for bacteria.
