Apple Wine

Please follow the Basic Steps in Fruit Winemaking instructions on our Resources Page.

 

Recipe Volume is 1 Gallon, multiply the ingredients (except the yeast) by the number of gallons you wish to make or based on the amount of fruit you have.

Note: 1 packet of yeast will effectively ferment up to 5 gallons.

 

APPLE WINE 

One Gallon:

Multiply all ingredients (except the yeast) by the number of gallons you want to make. 1 Packet of yeast will ferment up to 5 gallons of must.

 

Ingredients

10 - 12 lb. Apples

1 ¼ lb.  white granulated Sugar or until Specific Gravity is   1.085

Enough water to make 1 gallon

1 ½ tsp.  Acid Blend Powder

1  tsp.  Nutrient Powder

½ tsp.  Pectic Enzyme Powder

¼ tsp.  Tannin Powder

½ tsp.  Anti Oxidant Powder

2  Campden Tablets

Yeast Suggestions: Lalvin QA23, D 47 or Champagne Yeast

 

We suggest a Starting Specific Gravity of 1.085 for an 11% Alcohol by Volume Potential

Suggested Fruit Acid should be .5% to .6%

 

Method

Crush the apples, press and use the juice only.  If this is not possible, then remove the core and chop the fruit; place in straining bag in primary fermentor.

Add sugar to the desired specific gravity and water to make 1 gallon.

 

Crush campden tablets; add the Acid Blend, Nutrient, Pectic Enzyme, Tannin and Anti Oxidant to the must in the primary fermentor. Cover with lid. 

 

After 24 hours and when must is between 65-70 degrees F. add yeast. 

 

Ferment for 4 to 5 days or until Specific Gravity is 1.040 or less.  Strain out the fruit (if needed) and press lightly. 

Rack into gallon jug and attach fermentation lock.

 

Rack after the first week, then every 1-2 weeks as needed until there is no heavy sedimentation.

Rack every two months, until the wine is clear. 

 

 

Sweetening a wine

While there are some general rules regarding the sweetening of wine, the most important rule is to have a finished wine that you enjoy. Many wines will benefit from sweetening, however sweetness is always about personal taste, so we can only advise you on how sweet a wine should be, the final decision is yours.

Sweetening should always be done after the wine has fermented to dry. Then stabilize the wine by adding 3/4 teaspoon of Stabilizer (Potassium Sorbate) per gallon to prevent refermentation. Add the sweetener a day or more after adding the stabilizer.

There are several methods used to sweeten a wine, experiment and have fun.

 

Simple Sugar Syrup

Mix 2 parts sugar and 1 part water. Boil for 10-15 minutes until it

becomes syrupy. Cool and add to the wine to your taste.

 

Syrup or Concentrate

Frozen Concentrate juices or syrups may also be used to sweeten and enhance the flavor of a wine. For example frozen concentrated apple juice is an excellent sweetener for apple or pear wines. Experiment and get creative!

Always stop when you think it needs a little more. Sweetness emerges over time!

 

Recipe Variations

Caramel Apple: Add caramel flavored coffee syrup as sweetener

Spice: Add a little mulling spice to the simple sugar syrup

 

Bottling

Apple wine should have anti-oxidant added to it at bottling; add ½ tsp. per gallon.

 

Age 6 to 12 months.