My First Wine Ever.. Need Advice

[Beerfant]

Hi friends,

After first ever brew of an Apocalypse-style sugar beer, I set my goals high and tried to make Apfelwein.

Short on budget, and a bit afraid because of living in a country where it's illegal to keep alcohol, I decided to experiment with just 5 liters (1.32 gal) of sugar free apple juice. I added about 300 grams (10.6 oz) of drinking (medicinal) glucose powder that comes with vitamin D added, and pitched in a packet of dry yeast after rehydrating it in a little water.

For the airlock, I made a crude one myself, affixing a clear rubber hose to the cap of the plastic carboy, with the other end dipped into a 1.5 liter 7-Up bottle half-filled with mineral water.

I kept the crude fermenting setup in a bucket filled with some water with bleach added to keep germs away, and kept it in a dark place.

As the temperature was in the range of 80-90, the fermentation took place at a really fast pace. For the first 5 days it was almost non-stop bubbling, then it completely stopped within 7 days.

Now, after 10 days, the wine seems to have cleared almost fully. I cheated half a liter and drank that on 6th or 7th day. It tasted wonderful. It has dried out completely, and has a decent abv.

Now, I donno if I should bottle it at this stage or leave it in the carboy to age. Your advice would be highly appreciated.

 

[sfgoat]

Personally I like to give mine about a month before I bottle.

 

[podz]

Just drink it and make some more!

 

[HB_in_Subic]

If you are happy with the taste and clarity now, transfer it off the yeast and pitch another batch on top of the yeast in the carboy.

I like what you are doing. Pure and simple.

 

[roastglint]

Daddy loves some hooch!

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Everybody loves hooch, they just love to adamantly deny it on Homebrewtalk.

O.P. I'd also bottle it up now and get some more a brewing...

 

[roastglint]

Everybody loves hooch, they just love to adamantly deny it on Homebrewtalk.

O.P. I'd also bottle it up now and get some more a brewing...

SmokeyMcbong. Subtle name. I like it. But anyways yes, if your happy with it bottle it or drink it.

 

[vincentAlpha]

Pretty much like everyone says, if it is good right now: bottle and enjoy. Make sure to use something that can take pressure though, odds are the yeast have done their work but the bottling may kick them up just enough to make some more pressure. Not sure where you are but if you can get the bottles from any carbonated beverages then that'll do the trick as I don't imagine you can get any sort of beer glass out there if alcohol is illegal. If you can snake your way to getting a hydrometer or some other way to measure the specific gravity it can help check if the brew is finished or not.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Pretty much like everyone says, if it is good right now: bottle and enjoy. Make sure to use something that can take pressure though, odds are the yeast have done their work but the bottling may kick them up just enough to make some more pressure. Not sure where you are but if you can get the bottles from any carbonated beverages then that'll do the trick as I don't imagine you can get any sort of beer glass out there if alcohol is illegal. If you can snake your way to getting a hydrometer or some other way to measure the specific gravity it can help check if the brew is finished or not.

1.5L/2L Coke or Sprite bottles work well. Just wash them out good to ensure no soft drink taste.

 

[Beerfant]

Thanks everybody!

Yes, it is done, because it's totally dry. It does smell of apples but without any sweetness. I am planning to age a bottle or two, while slowly sipping away the rest, and get another one going. I am planning to start a grape wine this time.

I also want to prime one 1.5 liter bottle to see the difference. What do I need to do?

 

[Beerfant]

If you are happy with the taste and clarity now, transfer it off the yeast and pitch another batch on top of the yeast in the carboy.

I like what you are doing. Pure and simple.

Great idea! nestar:

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

I also want to prime one 1.5 liter bottle to see the difference. What do I need to do?

I usually do one oz of sugar per gallon. So just under half an oz for 1.5l but there are priming sugar calculators on line to tell you the exact amount to add.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I was telling a good friend of mine about your story. He is going OFW in a few weeks and was an avid fan of my home brews. He asked me to show him how to make it so we did 2 batches today. The premise was make it with equipment and materials that can be found over there. We ended up using two 1 gallon bottles of Apple Juice, 200g of Sampaguita Sugar, 1/4 of a banana (potassium for the yeast and body for the wine) and 2 Tbsp of Red Star Baking Yeast. We removed 300ml of juice from the Apple bottle, dissolved the sugar in it (after letting it warm in the sun), rehydrated the yeast with a solution of water and mushed banana and pitched. Our SG was 1.072, if OG is at 1.00 = 9.4%ABV. We had activity within 1 hour at 3 hours had to cool the water from 92F to 88F.

For more details check out my blog in signature.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

What temps and what yeast did you use for this recipe? I want to ward of the fusels...

 

[Beerfant]

What temps and what yeast did you use for this recipe? I want to ward of the fusels...

The dry yeast. Well, I found two different brands here of bakers yeast. One was an imported brand, while the other was a local brand containing imported yeast. Both are strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is supposed to be the wine making yeast. I opened both and smelled them. The imported brand smelled more awful and bread-like, so I used the local brand. The finished product has no bread-like smell. I have no idea what strains they might be.

As for the temps, I guess it was brewed in the 80s. It does have some fusels, as it gives a headache... I donno, maybe aging will make it better. Down here, I'll probably only be able to make some fine wines in the winter.

 

[Beerfant]

I was telling a good friend of mine about your story. He is going OFW in a few weeks and was an avid fan of my home brews. He asked me to show him how to make it so we did 2 batches today. The premise was make it with equipment and materials that can be found over there. We ended up using two 1 gallon bottles of Apple Juice, 200g of Sampaguita Sugar, 1/4 of a banana (potassium for the yeast and body for the wine) and 2 Tbsp of Red Star Baking Yeast. We removed 300ml of juice from the Apple bottle, dissolved the sugar in it (after letting it warm in the sun), rehydrated the yeast with a solution of water and mushed banana and pitched. Our SG was 1.072, if OG is at 1.00 = 9.4%ABV. We had activity within 1 hour at 3 hours had to cool the water from 92F to 88F.

For more details check out my blog in signature.

I saw your recipe at your website. I had considered brewing in a cooler myself but I was wondering if the increased humidity inside, because of the water, may not actually increase the temperature.

 

[Beerfant]

Frankly, I would prefer a little less dryness in the wine/cider. What should I do? can I shift it to a secondary and add more apple juice?

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I have had no issues with the humidity affecting temperature. My mead is working out well using the same technique. I have switched out the water a couple of times as it started to get cloudy or from blowoff. I have noticed if you use a uninsulated cooler (just styrofoam) it sweats unlike the coleman cooler.

If you add some more apple juice, chances are it will continue to ferment. You could end up with higher alcohol or the yeast could poop out and end up sweeter. Or you could just add some apple juice as you drink it. The problem is without Potassium Metabisulfite (Campden Tablets) and Potassium Sorbate, it is very hard to stabilize the wine.

Thanks for the info on the fusels. That was my concern about fermenting so warm with bread yeast. Try using a little bit less sugar on your next batch. That way it would finish a little higher and sweeter.

 

[Beerfant]

I have had no issues with the humidity affecting temperature. My mead is working out well using the same technique. I have switched out the water a couple of times as it started to get cloudy or from blowoff. I have noticed if you use a uninsulated cooler (just styrofoam) it sweats unlike the coleman cooler.

If you add some more apple juice, chances are it will continue to ferment. You could end up with higher alcohol or the yeast could poop out and end up sweeter. Or you could just add some apple juice as you drink it. The problem is without Potassium Metabisulfite (Campden Tablets) and Potassium Sorbate, it is very hard to stabilize the wine.

Thanks for the info on the fusels. That was my concern about fermenting so warm with bread yeast. Try using a little bit less sugar on your next batch. That way it would finish a little higher and sweeter.

I just found one imported brand of brewer's yeast is available here as a health supplement. It is a pound pack of GNN (Good 'n Natural.)

http://www.goodnnatural.com/Products/Debittered-Brewers-Yeast-Powder-50-Natural-Protein.htm

Do you think it will do the job?

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Although I could be wrong, but I believe that nutritional yeast is not living viable yeast...

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Although I could be wrong, but I believe that nutritional yeast is not living viable yeast...

I am leaning towards agreeing with SmokeMcBong on this. It is probably the same stuff found in the bottom of our homebrew bottles. You could try to ask the store if it is an active yeast culture or just a fiber supplement? Maybe ask for a sample and see if you can proof it? If it proofs, and you are going to use it, try to keep the temperature as close to below 70F as possible. Who knows what strain (or combination of strains) for that product.

 

[Beerfant]

I am leaning towards agreeing with SmokeMcBong on this. It is probably the same stuff found in the bottom of our homebrew bottles. You could try to ask the store if it is an active yeast culture or just a fiber supplement? Maybe ask for a sample and see if you can proof it? If it proofs, and you are going to use it, try to keep the temperature as close to below 70F as possible. Who knows what strain (or combination of strains) for that product.

I guess it's American. It is available in 1# sealed cans available through mail order. I don't think I can ask for a sample, and it's too expensive to buy just for the sake of trying. I can write to the manufacturer for the information, though! Whatever strains it might be, it is Saccharomyces Cerevisiae and it's brewers, not bakers, so it should be useful if it is alive.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Sounds good Beerfant.

So far my little experiment is at 1.002 after just 2 days (about 9.4%ABV). The day before it tasted like Hard Apple Cider (at 1.019). Now it tastes hot and more like wine. I made two batches, one will sample at 7 days and the other let sit for 14 days. This is to show the aging process to my friend.