Author: Matt Del Fiacco

Many brewers tend to have multiple brewing related side interests, whether that’s fermenting foods, running barrel projects, or dedicating fermentor space to sour beer production. I’m personally a fan of making cider and have often pondered the different variations I can concoct, as well as how much alcohol I can pack into a batch.

Apple Wine, or Apfelwein as the Germans call it, has a higher ABV than cider that, which is accomplished by incorporating sugars along with apple juice, that produces a drink with more wine-like characteristics. This is contrary to something like ice cider where the juice is concentrated to a higher sugar content through freezing before being fermented. And unlike many modern cider counterparts, apple wine is typically quite dry with low astringency and a lighter body.

I had the opportunity to participate in a fairly large group cider buy last year, which left me with a bit more juice to play with than usual. Perfect opportunity to make a tasty batch of apple wine!

| Making Apple Wine |

I make apple wine using a similar process to how I make mead, one initial key being to keep the yeast as happy and healthy as possible, while the focus post-fermentation is all about profile refinement and accentuating desirable characteristics.

Apple Wine

Recipe Details Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV 5 gal 0 min 0.0 IBUs 8.5 SRM 1.092 1.003 11.9 % Actuals 1.092 0.994 13.2 % Fermentables Name Amount % Apple Juice 43.5 lbs 91.58 Corn Sugar (Dextrose) 4 lbs 8.42 Miscs Name Amount min Type Yeast Nutrient 2.00 g 3 days Primary Other Potassium Sorbate 7.00 g 0 min Secondary Other Wine Tannin 3.00 g 0 min Secondary Water Agent Apple Juice Concentrate 12.00 oz 0 min Bottling Flavor Acid Blend 16.00 g 5 min Bottling Other Yeast Name Lab Attenuation Temperature Lalvin EC-1118 (EC-1118) Lallemand - Lalvin 75% 45°F - 95°F Download Download this recipe's BeerXML file

PROCESS

I started off by rehdyrating a pack of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast in warm water, to which I added 6 grams of Go-Ferm .

I then combined the dextrose with 1 gallon of the apple juice in a pot and gently warmed it to fully dissolve the sugar.

This sweet solution was then added along with the 4 remaining gallons of the juice and yeast nutrient to a sanitized fermentation bucket.

A hydrometer measurement of the well mixed solution showed it was sitting at respectable 1.092 OG.

At this point, I pitched the yeast then left the apple wine to ferment in my basement, which maintains a fairly steady 58°F/14°C.

After 24 hours of fermentation, I removed the CO2 from solution using a degassing wand, a process I repeated 4 more times over the following week.

The apple wine was left alone for 3 weeks before I racked it off the lees into a sanitized and CO2 purged keg. Following 2 months of aging, I took a hydrometer measurement indicating the apple wine had fermented all the way down to 0.994 FG, resulting in a warming 13.13% ABV.

I then dissolved the potassium sorbate in a small sample of the apple wine before adding it back to the full batch.

Following a 24 hour wait to allow the sorbate to do its thing, it was time to do some blending. I grabbed a few samples of the apple wine and began playing around with different amounts of acid blend, wine tannin, and apple juice concentrate. When I achieved my preferred semi-dry profile, I scaled up the amounts of each additive and added them to the full batch.

The apple wine was left for another week under just enough CO2 pressure to keep the lid sealed without carbonating, then it was ready to drink!

| IMPRESSIONS |

The idea that apple wine is an acquired taste isn’t terribly uncommon, though I’ve not personally found this to be true in my experience. While it is certainly unique, I truly feel a well-balanced apple wine can be very accessible. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing this particular batch of apple wine with wine lovers and beer nerds alike, and while it isn’t for everyone, most were pleasantly surprised.

My goal when making apple wine is to retain enough apple flavor without having it come across as a standard cider that happens to have more alcohol. The center of the venn diagram for cider and wine characteristics is precisely where a good apple wine should sit. Like many of the people I shared this apple wine with, I perceived it as being reminiscent of a semi-dry white wine with light astringency and a noticeable yet subtle apple character. The tart notes contributed by the acid blend seemed to make the flavor a bit more lively, and while I enjoy the still version, a touch of carbonation might provide an interesting dimension.

Overall, I’m really happy with how this apple wine turned out and could easily blow through this keg in no time with the help of friends and family. However, I’m decided to let a good portion of it continue aging and can’t wait to see how it develops over time!

If you have thoughts about this recipe or experience making apple wine yourself, please feel free to share in the comments section below!

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