Quarantine Wine

[Tommy T.]

Okay... I started this topic for myself and anyone else interested to continue this discussion. It appears there is some interest, experimentation and eagerness to learn what works best, what works at all and what to avoid?

Cheers!

Edit: Please note, fellow members, that this topic is wine, not whine! There is a difference....

Edited June 10, 2020 by Tommy T.

[GeoffH]

36 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Edit: Please note, fellow members that this topic is wine, not whine! There is a difference....

 

Got it!  You're talking about WINE software which is used under the LINUX operating system to run Windows programs 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_(software)

[Tommy T.]

4 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

 

Got it!  You're talking about WINE software which is used under the LINUX operating system to run Windows programs 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_(software)

Geoff.....

[jimeve]

I got my Hydrometer, airlock, Champagne yeast, sterilizing powder from Lazada or shopee. can't remember which.

I have just been using store bought apple juice 100% no added sugar or other additives.

[insite]

Good topic - is it limited to wine ?

There is quiet a trend currently in the UK for Craft Gins and as I am partial to a G&T myself I thought that an attempt at this would be my next challenge

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-gin

[Tommy T.]

3 hours ago, insite said:

Good topic - is it limited to wine ?

There is quiet a trend currently in the UK for Craft Gins and as I am partial to a G&T myself I thought that an attempt at this would be my next challenge

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-gin

Of course not! Gin and wine are related, right? I'd be interested to learn that too, if it is palatable... but we don't have a bathtub!

[insite]

Great - I dont think you need a bath tub - just some kitchen space - I will not distil but use vodka as the base and then infuse juniper and various other flavours 

 

[Jack D]

14 hours ago, jimeve said:

apple juice

Somehow, 'apple juice' reminded me of 'applejack.'

Applejack can be made at home with a little bit of effort and a lot of patience. Applejack is a fermented and later distilled apple cider.

Ingredients

5 gallons of fresh apple juice with no preservatives or added sugar

5 pounds of brown sugar

A packet of brewer’s yeast

A sealable five-gallon container

A fermenting airlock

A large pan

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Applejack

Instructions (are in 'spoiler') 

Spoiler

(1) Sterilize all of your equipment. Since the fermentation process for applejack requires activating the proper bacteria, you want to make sure that only those bacteria are in the mixture. Therefore, you want to sterilize all of your equipment, especially the five-gallon container.[1]Instructi

You can use an iodine solution, known as an iodophor, to sterilize everything. The solution is readily available from most home brewing outlets.[2]

(2) Heat one gallon of apple cider over medium heat. You want to make sure that all of the apple cider you use is free of preservatives and has no sugar added, especially since you will add your own sugar. Pour the first gallon of apple cider into the large pan and heat over medium heat.[3]

(3) Add all five pounds of brown sugar. Once the gallon of apple cider reaches approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit, begin stirring in all five pounds of brown sugar. Keep stirring in the sugar until all five pounds have fully dissolved in the apple cider.[4]

(4) Stir in the packet of brewer’s yeast. Once all of the sugar has been stirred into the gallon of cider, you also want to add the packet of brewer’s yeast. If the apple cider has reach over approximately 115-120 degrees Fahrenheit, then let it cool to this temperature before added the yeast.[5]

Temperatures over 130 degrees Fahrenheit will kill the yeast instead of activating it, and temperatures under 105 degrees Fahrenheit won’t activate the yeast at all, so it’s very important to add with the cider in the correct temperature window.[6]

Follow the directions on your particular packet of brewer’s yeast for the amount of time the yeast should be kept at the activation temperature.

(5) Remove the cider from the heat source. Once you’ve added the yeast at the proper activation temperature and kept if there for the correct amount of time, you can remove the cider from the heat source. It needs to cool enough so that you can add it to the airtight five-gallon container without causing pressure issues as it cools.[7]

Since the cider wasn’t overheated to begin with, this will only need to cool for five-to-ten minutes.

(6) Add the other four gallons of apple cider to the five-gallon container. While waiting for the yeast and brown sugar cider to cool, you can add the rest of the apple cider to the sterilized five-gallon container.[8]

Only add a little bit of the fourth gallon because the additions to the heated cider will result in a bit more than five total gallons, and you don’t want to overflow the container.

If you have a five-gallon container meant for brewing, that’s great. If you don’t, you can even use a five-gallon water jug. However, you have to make sure that you still have the cap if you use a water jug, and you have to make sure that it seals properly.[9]

(7) Add the rest of the cider to the container. Once the heated cider has cooled for ten minutes, you can add it to the rest of the apple cider in the five-gallon container. Then add a bit more of the final gallon of cider, but not all of it. The five-gallon container should still have several inches of room left at the top of it.

As the yeast feeds on the sugar in the mixture, it will foam and create pressure. If the container is too full, then you can end up with a mess on your hands.[10]

(8) Seal the container with the lid/cap with the brewer’s airlock attached. A brewer’s airlock is a device that allows pressure to escape the container without allowing any outside air in. Attach the airlock to the cap by following the instructions for the specific unit you purchased.

You’ll easily be able to find the device at the same home brewer’s store where you found your yeast.

The airlock will also require about an ounce of water inside it. This allow the gas to escape up through the water without allowing any outside air to pass down in.[11]

(9) Store in a cool, dark place for 6-10 days. You now want to allow the applejack to ferment for a minimum of six days. However, the longer you allow the yeast to feed, the higher the alcohol content of the applejack will be.[12] Closer to ten days is going to give the applejack more bite.

Especially if you’re using a clear water jug, you want to store the container in a dark place because too much sunlight can kill the yeast.

Give the container a tap once a day. You don’t want to shake it hard—just give it a tap or a rattle to send any gas in the liquid up to the surface to vent to keep from building too much pressure.[13]

(10) Sterilize the apple cider containers and hose. Once you’ve waited your six-to-ten days for the yeast to do its job, it’s time to bottle the applejack. Begin by sterilizing the original gallon jugs in which your apple cider came. You can sterilize them with the same iodophor as the larger container. You also want to sterilize the small hose or piece of tubing you have to move the applejack.

(11) Siphon the applejack between the containers. You will see a layer of sediment from the yeast at the bottom of the larger container. Insert the sterilized tube to a level just above the sediment so you won’t get any of it, and siphon the applejack out of the five-gallon container and into the smaller, sterilized one-gallon containers.

Make sure that you still have the caps in order to seal the one-gallon containers.

Realistically, you can simply refrigerate the mixture at this point to kill the yeast, and you’ll have an apple wine that is in the neighborhood of 40 proof—20% alcohol. However, you can freeze off some of the water in the current mixture to increase the alcohol content further and possibly even double it.[14]

(12) Freeze the applejack. Once you have all of the applejack sealed in the smaller containers, freeze them. You want the contents of each container to be frozen solid before moving on to the next step.[15]

(13) Separate the applejack from the water. After you have frozen the containers solid, open them, tip them upside down and let them drip into mason jars. Since water freezes at a much lower temperature than alcohol, the liquid that drips into the jars will be concentrated applejack as it separates from the still frozen water above.[16] You will fill several jars as the content continues to melt and release more alcohol.

You will visibly see the frozen portion losing its caramel color as the alcohol drains and leaves behind the ice.

The process can take an hour and a half or two hours, so be patient.

If you truly want to separate the water out as much as possible, then pour the contents of the jars back into the jugs once you’ve dumped out the melted water and freeze them again. After two or three times through the distillation process, you’ll notice that the contents don’t freeze at all. Your applejack will be closer to 80 proof—40% alcohol—when this happens.[17]

(14) Enjoy responsibly. Once you have removed much of the water and impurities from your applejack, it is ready to drink. Always enjoy in moderation!

 

 

[jimeve]

1 hour ago, Jack D said:

Somehow, 'apple juice' reminded me of 'applejack.'

Applejack can be made at home with a little bit of effort and a lot of patience. Applejack is a fermented and later distilled apple cider.

Ingredients

5 gallons of fresh apple juice with no preservatives or added sugar

5 pounds of brown sugar

A packet of brewer’s yeast

A sealable five-gallon container

A fermenting airlock

A large pan

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Applejack

Instructions (are in 'spoiler') 

  Hide contents

 

 

Apple jack is freezing the juice.  # 15.... Apple wine is just fermenting the juice. Would like to have a bash on making the 'Apple Jack'

 

[insite]

Jim - how many uses do you get from the flip tops before the need to change the gaskets ?