Got a 5 gallon bucket of apple wine I will be bottling in the next couple days. Prof on this stuff got to be over 40. Gallon of apples 3-1/2 gallons of water 10 lbs of sugar and 3 packs of red star in the blue pack.
How I do it is about as simple as can be done. 5 gallon bucket a bubbler and the right yeast to yield the prof your looking for. I hear grapes that a much finer touch than I have. I pretty much stick with apples, pears and peach's.
About 2/3 gallon of fresh cider, 1/2lb brown sugar, 1/2lb white sugar, 1 pack of yeast. Bubbling like crazy...air lock letting loose about every 10 seconds. This was taken about an hour after adding the yeast. Stopped foaming by the next morning and really lightened up in color. After about a week I'll get it off the yeast and let it mellow until Christmas. http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/index.php?threads/what-have-we-here.952/
Here is a dumb question. Is wine yeast different from the standard baking yeast? I have plenty of that.
Yes and no. Funny answer right. Wine yeast can usually tolerate a higher amount of alcohol than beer or baking yeast. You really have to look at each yeast variety and there are many. A distillers yeast can get a batch up to the 22% or 44 Proof mark provided it sees enough sugar content.
There is a few now claiming 28 percent in 14 days.....Yeast has come a long ways I like the red star in the blue pack. http://www.ebay.com/itm/231080020291?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
I try to stay away from the stuff that can really tolerate high levels of alcohol and especially from using refined white sugar in the mix. Ideally the only sugar you want in the process is that from the fruit.
I wonder if you have to use activated charcoal to filter the result of using that yeast, some distillers yeasts require filtering of the resultant liquid. ETA: I used the yellow pack for the three wines I have aging.
The yeast I'm using can tolerate up to 18%, but I don't really give it enough sugar to get that high. I'm not sure what this batch is going to do, but that's half the fun. Alcohol, of course, is the other half of the fun
I filter through a wire screen and kitchen towel. Think I might try a coffee filter but probably to fine.
I start with half the sugar and feed the other half ever couple day or so. (After the first 10-14 days)
I'm going to hit mine with a little more sugar too. Got plenty in there now judging by the bubbles so I'm going to wait till that calms down a bit.
I like to see bubbles at 15 seconds or less. I will shake it a little and wait a couple hours then get a count. I normally will go one cup in about two cups of hot tap water. That normally will jump it back into the 15 second rule, or less.
Yes I tried it once to. Was hoping this was a little thinner, but probably come to the same conclusion again.
