Suggestions for Newbie making High ABV Cider/Apple Wine

[hsammak]

Hey there! First post. Cut to the bottom if you don't want to read my ramblings -- I sum it up more succinctly.

Quarantine has me exploring, and after spending time indulging my favorite Springtime hobbies (fly fishing, fly tying, turkey hunting and morel picking), I'm venturing into uncharted territory -- brewing.

I live a ten minute drive from a farm stand with incredible (pasteurized yet additive free) cider. A two minute drive down the road from the farm stand, there's a home brew supply store. I think it's pretty obvious God wants me to put the two together. I also understand it's relatively easy for a newbie like me.

Anyhow, I now have 6 gallons of cider in the fridge and I'd like to turn it into a high ABV cider/wine. Because getting a little drunk. That said, I'm 28 and beyond the "hey let's get wasted" stage. I want to enjoy the product, I'm hoping to give some of it as gifts in the future and am genuinely interested in making something to be proud of. I understand that using a highly alcohol tolerant yeast, like a champagne yeast perhaps, will accomplish my ABV goals, but I'm concerned about a lack of complexity/over dryness.

The way I'm looking to tackle it is as follows: add the pectin stuff for clarity, add sugar and yeast nutrient, pitch a packet of champagne yeast, rack after primary fermentation completes, let the cider sit for a couple weeks, and rack again. I want to sweeten what I understand will be a very dry cider/wine at this point before I bottle it.

That's where I get confused: if I add the sodium metabisulfite to kill the yeast so I can add sugar without making bombs, will the sugar contaminate it without the yeast to eat it up? How can I sweeten it and keep it shelf stable? Do I just accept that I've made apple wine and let it mellow without sugar until I have grandchildren and they're of legal drinking age?

TL;DR If anyone has suggestions on how to turn 6 gallons of pasteurized, preservative free apple cider into a high ABV cider/apple wine that's not overly dry or will take a year to be drinkable, that would be excellent. If there is necessary gear beyond the funnel, carboy, stopper and airlock, please let me know. If you have any. recipes for something similar to what I'm aiming for, please let me know!

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

Hayden

 

[videojunkie1208]

Me? I'd make a Cyser. Add about 20 - 24 lbs of decent (can be clover) honey to your cider, add some pectinaise, Fermaid O, Go Ferm, 2 packs of either D47, (or my preference) EC1118, and let it rip.

If you follow TONSA 2.0, maintain your temperatures, and your sanitation - your primary fermentation takes about 4-5 weeks.

It's drinkable at that point. Better to rack it, add some sparkalloid, let it settle and age a bit (3-6 months or so).

If you're feeling froggy, you can add some spices or oak spirals to it at that point.

You're OG should be around 1.150 -1.160, and you'll wind up around 1.010 or so, and around 18% abv.

 

[videojunkie1208]

In case you are wondering, it looks like this:

(The hydrometer and glass is currently a cyser less than a month old, the carboy is a traditional from March.)