Questions about apple wine/cider in general.

[Nogmaals]

So, as a long time fan of alcohol I got into brewing recently. My parents have an apple orchard and so apples are quite easy to come by. I built a small-scale press at the start of December last year and made my first batch of cider. Nothing fancy, but it turned out great in my opinion. So of course I didn't stop there!

I made another 10 liters of cider which is almost done with its second fermentation. But that's not why I'm here. I'm quite confident it will work out.

I wanted to try an apple wine. Our apples generally reach an SG of about 1060 (hope I got that right). Or roughly 6% ABV. So after pressing the juice I added extra sugar to get it to about 12% ABV (using a Champagne yeast). However, I realized later that extra sugar is usually not added until áfter the first fermentation. The fermentation is slowing, and the SG is down to about 1010 by now. However, it's still absolutely opaque. I'm just wondering if it's because of adding too much sugar too soon, or if I can still expect it to clear.

And a second question is regarding apples. I pressed some more juice today, but it was very thick. I have a basic knowledge of apples, and I know the pectine increases as apples age. But is this kind of juice still usable? I treated it with pectic enzyme though.

Thanks for any advice you may have!

 

[CvilleKevin]

the SG is down to about 1010 by now. However, it's still absolutely opaque.

Thats normal, usually it wont start to clear until done fermenting and if you are using champange yeast, it still has a while to go.

I know the pectine increases as apples age. But is this kind of juice still usable?

Hmm, are these apples past their storage life or did they freeze and thaw? Usually over time the starches convert and you get a better juice yield, not worse - but I suppose there must be a point of diminishing returns. Usually you can pitch yeast with a starter into mashed fruit (as opposed to juice) and in a few days the fermentation will lift all the pulp to the top and you can rack the fermenting juice off the bottom.

 

[Daze]

Our apples generally reach an SG of about 1060 (hope I got that right). Or roughly 6% ABV.

I could be mistaken but I believe 1.06 is closer to 8% ABV

 

[BoomerCreek]

I've pressed Winesaps late in their season and they were very pulpy but very sweet. Currently the primary ferment has finished and the cider is starting to clear a bit. After secondary it should be see through. Your cider should be clear especially with the added pectic enzyme.

 

[liquidavalon]

I could be mistaken but I believe 1.06 is closer to 8% ABV

From 1.06 to 1.01 you are looking at 6.56% ABV, right?

 

[kiwibrew]

From 1.06 to 1.01 you are looking at 6.56% ABV, right?

You can expect it to ferment out completely .996 or even less sometimes

 

[liquidavalon]

You can expect it to ferment out completely .996 or even less sometimes

.996...that is 8.4%. Wow!

 

[Nogmaals]

Hmm, are these apples past their storage life or did they freeze and thaw? Usually over time the starches convert and you get a better juice yield, not worse - but I suppose there must be a point of diminishing returns. Usually you can pitch yeast with a starter into mashed fruit (as opposed to juice) and in a few days the fermentation will lift all the pulp to the top and you can rack the fermenting juice off the bottom.

They've been stored at around 4 degrees centigrade for as much as three months now. That's when most of these apples were harvested. Even though that's not nearly as much as supermarket-bought apples usually sit, I've noticed a profound drop in quality (though having access to perfectly fresh apples for a couple of months each year, I am a bit spoiled when it comes to that). They haven't been frozen. Next year I'm gonna start a couple months earlier, though. That should really make a difference. If I get particularly bored today I might press a few more liters, I think we've got some that were harvested later somewhere. Thanks for the quick answers.

 

[dinnerstick]

hello fellow lowlands cider maker! we are members of a rare breed. you may need to send me some of the appelwijn when it's done, just so i can double check it

 

[Nogmaals]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

 

[dinnerstick]

send me a private message with a shipping address and i'll send a bottle from a couple of last autumn's batches, but you have to promise not to open them for a few months, they still need time

 

[Nogmaals]

Isn't that gonna be quite expensive?

 

[Nogmaals]

I just went to check the Champagne-yeast project and it has really gotten quite dry (0.99ish). Quite sure it's finished fermenting, so I racked it into a cleaned, sterilised container, put the airlock back on, and gave it a shake to get some of the CO2 to push out the air. There was about an 3/4 inch of deposit left on the bottom, but now it's still canary-yellow. And now I know what people say when they say that it tastes a bit chemicalish at first, the taste of the alcohol is incredibly overpowering. But I do think that ought to go down.
However, should I just be patient, and it'll clear?

 

[dinnerstick]

Isn't that gonna be quite expensive?

i'll check, if it's 7 euros or something i'm happy to share. if it's 30 i will heard-heartedly rescind the offer!

 

[dinnerstick]

my ciders sometimes take 2 months to clear after they ferment out... but they always clear eventually