This is my first test making apple wine to see how well it would ferment. The ingredients for each bottle are listed below. This recipe contains only juice and the final result is slightly under 4% alcohol. Now that I have an idea how the yeast and nutrients performed my next test will aim for 13% alcohol.
The goal was to ferment to dryness with just juice. It got down to a final gravity of 1.0 so it would qualify as fully fermented even though there is potential to go lower.
The Original gravity was 1.03
Final Gravity was 1.0
For more details on the method check out my blog. The quick instructions are below.
After the ingredients are added cover the top with breathable paper as the yeast are multiplying , after 2-5 days add an airlock or loose cap with a plastic bag and elastic band. The wine should be fully brewed in 2-3 weeks. Leave in a warm, dark area until all bubbling stops.
This is my go to yeast. It ferments fast, clears quickly and creates little to no foam. This is very important when fermenting in a bottle as the foam will overflow otherwise.
Bottle 1
Apple juice + 1/16 tsp yeast (Red Star Premier Cuvee)
Bottle 2
Apple juice + 1/16 tsp yeast (Red Star Premier Cuvee)
1/2 cup black tea from one tea bag (for tannin)
1/8 tsp DAP (yeast energizer)
1/16 tsp yeast nutrient (B vitamins)
1/8 tsp bentonite
Results:
Bottle 1
It took an extra week to finish (around 3 weeks).It had a sulpher dioxide rotten egg smell that I noticed early on while brewing. When I poured it out to taste test it the same smell was evident. The taste was acrid and nasty. The yeast was stressed and didn't have enough nutrients to ferment properly. It was undrinkable and I poured it down the drain.
Bottle 2
It finished in around 2 weeks although I left both bottles for 3 weeks. The smell while fermenting was fairly plain without any unpleasant odors.
In a glass there is a reduced apple smell but I can detect a tiny hint of sulpher that is almost indetectable. The taste is like mild sour apple with some similarity to white wine. I'm quite pleased with the result and I think it has potential to make a decent apple wine if I keep fine tuning the ingredients. The flavor is mild and smooth, I'll have to see if this remains as I increase the alcohol level.
Final thoughts:
Apple juice must have added nutrients to ferment well. I am going to research more apple wine recipes to see what else might improve this type of wine.
The bentonite was probably unnecessary and I noticed cloudiness in bottle 2 when bottle 1 had already cleared a week earlier. I'm going to leave out the bentonite next time.
For my next batch I'm going to add more DAP and yeast nutrient and see if it will finish below 1.0 final gravity. I'll make two bottles, one with sugar and one with dextrose with a goal of 13% alcohol.
Overall I think apple wine has good potential as it's one of the cheapest juices available where I live and isn't from concentrate.
Please leave your thoughts and comments below. Cheers!