Apple Wine

started 10/14/2000
bottled 5/5/2002

Alcohol ~12%
Initial SG 1.090 (adjusted)
Final SG 0.995 sweetened to 1.005
pH 3.55 TA 1.04

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10/13/2000

18.8 pounds tart apples from ND
26 pounds large sweet crabapples
Washed, stems removed, rinsed with sulfite solution and placed in bags into the freezer.

10/14/2000 Apples were thawed and crushed with a wine bottle in a bucket. 2.5 g potassium metabisulifite in 1/5 liter solution was sprinkled on the apples throughout the crushing. Placed in primary. 1 lb bananas were sliced thin and simmered in 1/2 gallon water for 30 minutes and then strained into the primary. An additional 3 gallons of water with 10 pounds of sugar dissolved in it were added. It is anticipated that 1.5 gallons of juice will come from the fruit. 1 tsp tannin, 5 tsp of yeast energizer nutrient were added. 50 drops pectic enzyme added.

10/15/2000 SG measured at 1.090. TA 6.2 g/L. Yeast starter (Red Star Flor Sherry yeast) was pitched. I don’t think flor yeast is the right kind. Make sure to keep anaerobic later. A package of champagne yeast was hydrated and stirred into the must.

10/16/2000 Fermenting well. Apple cap has risen. Lots of foaming.

10/22/2000 Strained must and squeezed pulp. Filled a 6.5 gal carboy to the top!!! SG measures 1.028.

11/2/2000 SG measures 1.000. Taste is nice apple flavor. A little harsh. Not much alcohol taste. Nice tartness. 30 Oz of sugar was dissolved to about 1 Liter in hot water. A liter of wine was taken out of the carboy. The dissolved sugar was added. Not cool enough – the wine bubbled out of the top of the carboy as the CO2 was rapidly evolved from the warm sugar solution hitting it. After subsiding, the wine was stirred. SG measured at 1.010 (see note below). About 1/2 of the liter of wine was added back in to the carboy to top up. Live and learn. The wine has a slight pink hue to it.

12/27/2000 Racked to a 6 gal carboy and a 2 L plastic bottle. 2.4 g potassium metabisulfite added to the carboy. SG measured at 0.996. Acid measured at 1-1.1 g/L

3/25/2001 Racked SG 0.996, pH 3.51, TA 1.08. Tastes nice. Placed into the cold room. Not quite clear.

5/27/2001 Racked SG 0.995, pH 3.55, TA 1.04. alcohol probably ~12%

11/18/2001 Filtered through #2 pads. Taste is nice, but I think it needs a little sweetening. 6g potassium sorbate, 3 grams bisulfite and ~250 g of sugar syrup added.

1/26/2002 SG 0.999. Taste is smoothing out some. Needs some more sweetening to be really palatable. 8 Oz (~226 g) of honey was dissolved in some of the wine. 2 g sulfite added. This was stirred back into the wine.

1/27/2002 Filtered through #3 fine filter pads and bottled. SG 1.005. 25 750 mL bottles and 9 12 oz beer bottles were filled.

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Note:
Ok. Let's see if I get this right. Could someone check my
calculations.
If I take 3.5 gallons of SG 1.090 this is 22 brix or 22% sugar and an
additional 3 gallons from the apples with approx 8% sugar taking Jack's
low number then I should be able to calculate as follows.
3.5 gallons is 53.9% of the total solution so diluting 22% 3.5 gallons
to 6.5 gallons should give:
.539*.22*100 = 11.9% sugar contributed
Add in the 8% from the 3 gallons
3 gallons is 46.1% of total diluted to 6.5 gallons
.461*.08*100 = 3.7% sugar contributed
So, 11.9+3.7 = 15.6% total sugar in the must which would give around
8.5% alcohol.
Does this look right?
If so, I need to raise the brix by 3.2 to get 10.5% alcohol. My
calculations say I need an additional 30 oz or so of sugar - almost 2
pounds.