Crab apple jelly wine

[Saunassa]

My wife made 8 batches of jelly this year but one batch did not turn out well due to using a new pectin. So since it did not jell and ended up like heavy syrup she was going to chuck that batch.

I look at it and think hey, I have a packet of cote de blanc in the fridge, so i took 8 pints and put it into a 1 gallon fermenter, added 1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme for the heck of it and 1 tsp of yeast nutrient and 1/3 of the packet of yeast so hopefully it will chew threw all that sugar and pectin and i will get some wine out of it.

Figuring that to 1 gallon of crab apple juice there is 6 cups of sugar so there is the chance of it coming out tasting like jet fuel. It might turn out nasty or maybe just a drinkable wine but for a packet of yeast i myself don't have anything invested.

Beautiful color but was worried about how much foam it might get with all that sugar and pectin if it ferments so i did not fill it to the top.

thoughts?

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

add some apple juice to dilute, but hold the apple flavor

 

[Saunassa]

add some apple juice to dilute, but hold the apple flavor

Add it when done fermenting to keep some Apple flavor?

 

[primerib]

Saunassa, I can’t comment one way or the other on the cider method, but I like your name! Juuri tulin saunasta!

 

[Saunassa]

Well it has had about 1/2 - 3/4 inch layer of dense foam on it since the eighth and is slowly perking along. Smells good, will have to wait another week and check the gravity.

 

[Saunassa]

Update: it had slowed and no apparent bubbles in the airlock, transferred on 10/22 to a one gallon jug to get it off the pectin and yeast goo and topped up with a quart of Apple juice. Happily perking away again.

Btw I sampled a little, way sweet still but fizzy with a little tangyness to it.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

keep us posted. Sounds like you may have a winner there

 

[Saunassa]

Appropriate update for Halloween. The yeast/pectin looks like a bloody brain.

 

[Saunassa]

Latest photo, the yeast and lees/pectin appears to be settling out and

is looking good. Nice light bubbly foam on top like you would get from can of soda.

 

[Saunassa]

Question I have is that there appears to be a steady stream of bubbles coming g from the bottom where everything is settling with it appears to be every once in a while a chunk of yeast floating by. Due to extremely high sugar in the beginning, approx 6 cups into a gallon of juice when the jelly was made, how long will this ferment or is the yeast still reproducing?

 

[z-bob]

I just found this thread. I have used old jars of crabapple jelly (whenever I make jelly, I make too much) to chapitalize cider many times. But usually it's a half-pint of jelly per gallon of juice. I've never made one as sugary as yours. If it's too sweet when you think it's about done, divide it into two gallon jugs and add more cheap apple juice.

I'm surprised that it's staying rosy-red. Mine has always ended up yellow; all the red (and brown) drops out with the yeast.

 

[Saunassa]

Surprised here too. Been fermenting almost 6 weeks and still nice red. I can only attribute it to her having cooked down four different varietied of crabapples,
skin and all and then the added sugar and it only being crabapples. Perhaps the color was somehow stabilized by the cooking and sugar?

 

[MarkKF]

My question is we try to remove pectin to clear cider/wine. But jelly has added pectin. Will pectin enzymes help?

 

[Saunassa]

I added 1/2 tsp of pectin enzyme in the beginning, mixed it in and I am sure not enough enzyme did it more for shots and giggles. btw, the self clearing started about a week ago.

 

[Saunassa]

How will I know when this is done fermenting? Wait until spring or until my hydrometer floats versus tipping over?

 

[Saunassa]

It had dropped pretty clear about four days ago with one massive amount of sludge. Transferred it today and topped with a pint of water. Tastes great, is sweet with good apple taste. The lingering taste is kind of tart/acidic. I know there is alcohol but it is not hot just present. Amazing considering there was 6 cups of sugar used to make the jelly.

 

[Saunassa]

OG was too high to measure. Hydrometer would tip over. My refractometer measures it now at 1.074 before I topped it off with water. Ain't it pretty? Nice rose blush color.

 

[Saunassa]

Think I will let it sit another week and test it and if stable put it in bottles.

 

[Saunassa]

Bottled it up today (12/15/2018)
It is interesting, sweet with the acid from the crabapple making nice aftertaste and masks the alcohol. Drank as shots or maybe club soda to lighten it might work well

.

 

[Saunassa]

I did not add anything to stop fermentation or stabilize so maybe it will have slight carbonation.
Picture with lights on, kept a rose` color to it.