# my apple wine plan



## captwillie (May 7, 2012)

Chime in, my first time making wine. Last night I added Camden to 1.5gl raw cider, today I will add 1qt honey, dissolved in two quarts of water and 1/4tsp pectic enzyme then champaign yeast packet. Ow and 1/2gl leftover mulled cider to add. I will put all in a 5gl bucket with an air lock. How does this plan sound? I do have more honey.
Thanks Willie


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## jonathan (Nov 3, 2009)

I don't think you have enough honey or sugar in there.
3 1/2 lbs of honey per gallon makes a 12% wine.
Also, you might need to let it sit for a bit longer before adding the yeast or the Campden will kill it.
I usually add Campden and wine stabiliser (Potassium Sorbate) once fermentation is over.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Leave the water out or replace it with more cider would be better. Make sure you cider or mulled cider have no sorbates or sulfites added for preservatives. I would suggest lavlin kiv-1116 for yeast. Just about as high alcohol production as champgne yeast but it is drinkable faster.


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## jonathan (Nov 3, 2009)

When I use Campden tablets (sodium metabisulphite) it is to sterilise equipment or to kill off wild yeasts in a must made from chopped apples.
The must is generally left for 4 or 5 days before straining and getting the selected yeast and extra sugar added. Pure apple juice fermented would produce an alcoholic drink around 4% so extra sugar is needed to make a wine.


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## captwillie (May 7, 2012)

Thanks, I will put in two quarts of honey to keep the % up. 12% I would want for a minimum, so maybe some extra yeast food. I only have the 2gl total of fresh natural, no preservative cider including the mulling my wife did. I was going to use the water to blend in the honey and give me a little more product.
Thanks
Willie


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

captwillie said:


> Thanks, I will put in two quarts of honey to keep the % up. 12% I would want for a minimum, so maybe some extra yeast food. I only have the 2gl total of fresh natural, no preservative cider including the mulling my wife did. I was going to use the water to blend in the honey and give me a little more product.
> Thanks
> Willie


The fresh natural is great but I have made excellent cyser (mead from apple juice) out of Sams club juice with no preservative. Not advocating just saying if you want to fill that carboy, that is a way to do it. Another suggestion, if you have darkened burned honey from melting wax, use it in your mead. THE Carmelized portion won't ferment and adds complexity and sweetness which won't be there if you use a champagne yeast and you allow it to ferment out dry.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

I too would bypass on the water, and Vance's suggestion for the lalvin K1-V1116 is in my opinion spot on. However rather than just blindly adding honey by volume or weight I would Target a specific gravity (SG) 1116 yeast has an alcohol tolerance of 18% so it will finish in most meads. Say you wish to target an mead with 14% Alcohol by volume (ABV). Then set the SG at 1.095 Remember when making a cyser unlike a straight mead the apple juice or cider used has a sugar content of it's own. and that can vary greatly from brand to brand. I would also stem in the yeast nutrients. and keep my starting TA at about .50% as apple juice tends to increase acidity during the ferment. Additional acid blend can be added to taste prior to bottling. I would not get crazy with the sorbate just yet as in whites that are not back sweetened there is often no need for it. and why risk the bubble gum taste needlessly. fermentation is of no consequence until the wine is in the bottle, so potassium sorbate should not be considered until back sweetening and bottling are immanent.


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## flhultra (Jun 14, 2013)

wine hydrometer and test jar to start , knowing (SG) and very least potential alcohol to start.
great suggestions above and research a little more .


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