Plum Apple - Off Dry

started 9/19/2001
bottled 7/13/2003

Alcohol 11.5%
Initial SG 1.087
Final SG 0.992 - sweetened with some honey
pH ND TA ND

Tasting notes

7/1/2006 Clear golden amber color. Fresh fruity nose with aromas of apples and cinnamon. Smooth taste with mild apple and spice on the tongue. Good crisp acid at the end of a lingering finish. Drinking great right now. This was worth waiting for. It has smoothed out nicely and the astringent plum tannins are gone.

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9/19/2001

40 pounds of tart apples (picked in ND - variety unknown)
35 pounds sweet crab apples (picked in ND - variety unknown)

Apples were washed, and sliced into buckets of sulfited water.  The apple slices were ground with a kitchen aid grinding attachment (about 3 hours).

18.5 pounds of fresh picked ND small plums - very ripe were mashed by hand and the pits removed.

The apple and plum mash was divided into two primary fermentation vessels.  5 pounds of sugar was added to each vat.  Water was added to bring the volume to approximately 7 gallons in each vat (approx. 2.5 gallons each).  Pectinase was added.  The SG measures about 1.060 to 1.065.  Will measure it again tomorrow after some more sugar has been allowed to be extracted out of the fruit.

9/20/2001

After about 12 hours, the SG was measured again and it was the same.  Some of the must (about 1 pint + 1 pint water) was used to prepare a yeast starter with two packages of Red Star Premiere Cuvee yeast.  10 pounds of sugar (5 each) was added to the must and stirred in well.  After 12 hours, the SG was measured at 1.084 and 1.091 for the two batches. I'll use 1.087 as an average value. The yeast starter was divided and added to the must.

9/21/2001

Fermenting vigorously.

9/27/2001

The fermenting must was strained and the pulp pressed by hand into a large tub.  SG 1.046.  The wine was divided equally into 2 6.5 gallon carboys which were filled nearly to the top.

12/9/2001

Still bubbly, but looks like fermentation has finished.  SG 0.994.  Taste is a little light.

12/15/2001

Still small bubbles.  SG 0.998.  Racked into a demijohn which looks like about 10 gallons.  Another imperial gallon jug was filled and about a gallon of lees were discarded.  Taste is smoothing a little and the plum goes well as a backdrop to the apple.  This will be nice.

6/16/2002

Racked. SG 0.996. filled 2 5 gallon carboys, 1 imperial gallon and 1 2 liter bottle.

2/23/2003

SG about 0.992 – racked into large carboy.

7/6/2003

Filtered #2 into 6 gal and 5 gal carboys with 0.4g sulfite per gallon added. About 1/2-3/4 gallon short in the 5 gal carboy. Will bottle next weekend so should not be too bad. Flavor has mellowed nicely and the plum adds a very nice compliment to the apple.

7/13/2003

The 6 gallon carboy was filtered #3 with 1.2 g sulfite added. Bottled into 24 750 mL and 12 12 Oz bottles. The 4.5 gallon batch was sweetened with 12 oz honey, 4 g sorbate and 1 g sulfite added. Filtered through #3 but leaked a lot. The batch was filtered a second time with a fresh filter. Bottled into 19 750 mL and 8 12 oz bottles.