Two apple trees at the dacha are a reason for thinking about what to do with the harvest.
Twenty or thirty kilograms of apples are enough for jam, jam and juice to provide a family of four with apple blanks for the autumn-winter season.
What to do with the rest of the apples? The variety “White filling” gives, on average, 70-100 kg of apples per season, “Antonovka” - up to 150 kg.
At the same time, the shelf life of apple jam and juice is small, but a good quality wine the older the better. Apples are not grapes, but among fruit crops their biochemical composition is considered one of the best materials for winemaking. If you have your own wine materials, apple wine is a good way to process the harvest. This does not require special equipment - just a few bottles of large volume, complete with water valves. In extreme cases, you can do with ordinary medical gloves. Well, and of course, it is necessary to arm yourself with the knowledge of the basics of home fruit winemaking.
Non-pressed apple wine - basic technological principles
A good homemade wine must first be thought out, and we must begin with an assessment of the fruit material. Among the many varieties of apples, some have a sweet taste, others - sour, and others - slightly tart (wild varieties). These nuances are important for the compilation of a bouquet of the future wine, the further order of work depends on them. Proper preparation of the taste of wine begins at the stage of collecting and sorting the fruit. Wine from one variety of apples often loses in taste to wines in which several varieties are used for cooking.
To make a wort from sour apples, water must be added to neutralize the acid. To increase the volume of the wort from apples with a lower juice content, water refilling is also required. But the juice diluted with water will not give a good, rich taste and flavor to the wine. What can be done in this case? Preparing the fruit for cooking wort (or pulp), select apples of several varieties that meet the following criteria: Sugar content - in sweet apples there is a richer flavor;
Acid content - too acidic varieties with an acidity level above 1.4% negatively affect the fermentation process, and from the acidic wort, vinegar can be obtained instead of wine. The rate of acid is 0.8%.
Juice - it is clear that the amount of future wine depends on the amount of natural juice. Juiciness, to some extent, depends on the degree of maturity, and it, in turn, affects the content of sugar and acid. It turns out a vicious circle. True, there are varieties that have a denser and less succulent flesh. For such fruits, the method of obtaining juice by preliminary fermentation is the best option.
The tartness of taste - although this quality is least characteristic of apples, but in winter and wild varieties, a tart taste is still present. The characteristic astringent taste indicates the presence of tannin in the fruit - a substance that is necessary for clarifying wine, increasing its shelf life and durability.
All stages of apple wine preparation consist of:
• collecting and sorting fruits,
• receiving juice or wine materials,
• cooking the wort,
• its fermentation,
• direct fermentation,
• removal from sediment, clarification and tanning,
• extracts, overflows and subsequent maintenance during storage.
The most time-consuming process is considered by many to get juice. On the one hand, squeezing the juice does not present any difficulties in the presence of a press and juicer. But if there is no electricity at the dacha for objective reasons, the press and juicer will not help, and in this case, the preparation of wine from apples without pressing, from the mash is the only way out. To do this, the collected and sorted fruits are cut, after which they are placed in a large container and poured with sugar. That is, instead of juice, pulp is prepared, as is the case with berry wine, from which squeezing juice is difficult. This method of obtaining apple juice is beneficial, because in the process of making wine all the fruit material is used. It should be noted that after picking apples, they do not need to be washed. On the surface of the fruit live “wild yeast”, which will begin the process of making wine. But it is advisable to pick apples in dry and sunny weather so that the fruits do not have drops of dew or rain. If the apples are harvested from the ground, they should be wiped with a dry cloth.
For faster juice production, cut apples finely, at the same time removing the pith from the pits, cutting out damage from the fetus (rot, scab, wormholes). After cutting, pieces of fruit are poured with sugar and left to imitate - at this stage, the yeast on the surface of the fruit begins to work, speeding up the separation of juice, without which it is still impossible to start cooking wine. Otherwise, you have to refill water in the pulp, that is, dilute natural juice, which of course worsens the quality of the future wine.
When the pulp becomes friable, soft, and it will be easy to knead and compact, it must be transferred to the bottle, add the right amount of sugar. Stir sugar until dissolved. Install a water seal and place the bottle where there is no direct sunlight, drafts, and the constant natural temperature of the air during the entire fermentation period will be 18-23 ° C. Fill the bottle in 3/4 volume, leaving free space for the foam, which will rise on the surface in the phase of the most active fermentation - in the first 7-10 days.
The next fermentation phase is more moderate. At this time, less foam forms on the surface of the bottle, with smaller bubbles, and inside the bottle it becomes noticeable as the solid particles of the fruit begin to gradually separate from the fermented juice. About a month later, at the bottom of the bottle, the thick layer will begin to settle and a quiet fermentation phase will begin, after which the wine yeast, having completed its work, will gradually begin to settle to the bottom, on the surface of the thick residue remaining in the bottle with the wort. Yeast, processed sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, will already lack oxygen, nutrition, and they will gradually die off. At this time, the wine must be poured to the bitterness resulting from the collapse of the fungus is not transferred to the future wine. It is important not to miss this moment to remove the thick of the bottle, along with the dying fungi. Of course, it is much easier to squeeze pulp than juice from fresh apples, but this somewhat slows down the fermentation of wine. Pour the wine through a gauze filter. Prepare a clean and dry bucket, place a filter on it and pour the contents of the bottle. The sediment remaining in gauze can be squeezed into a bucket, but only if the gauze is folded in several layers to prevent solid particles from seeping through it. Then the bottle must be thoroughly washed, dried and the future wine returned to it. At this point, it is desirable to add sugar, if you plan to prepare a strong or dessert wine, as for such varieties of sugar should be made in parts. In addition, the addition of sugar again activates fermentation, which can be caused by the removal of pulp. If the fermentation of the wort stops, there is always the risk of infecting it with acetic bacteria.
Now come to the issue of sugar and wine yeast. This topic is very voluminous, and the role of sugar in the activity of yeast can be discussed for a very long time. Therefore, we remember only the most important theses.
Yeast is a living microorganism, therefore, they behave accordingly, although not consciously, obeying instincts. When they settle in favorable conditions, where there is food, air, they have enough energy and temperature - comfortable, microorganisms begin to multiply. Like all living things on the planet, yeast needs to create the conditions for healthy competition. That is, if sugar is in abundance for a certain number of microorganisms, then they will behave very sluggishly - why hurry if there is enough for everyone? If you pour out all the sugar at once, the yeast will lazily doze, and the alcohol will not start to form soon.
The strength of the wine depends on the amount of sugar, and the rate of its introduction depends on the desired strength of the wine. To the sugar contained in the juice of the fruit, add 20 g each, to increase the strength by one degree. For example, for a wine of 18% strength, you need to add 180 grams of sugar per liter of wort. That is, it is necessary to pour 1.8 kg onto 10 l of wort. We divide this amount into 2-3 parts so that the yeast works better. Sugar should be added as the fermentation process slows down, after about 7-10 days. The intensity of fermentation will depend on the temperature. The critical temperature at which the yeast slows down - 14 ° C. If the wort is randomly cooled to this temperature, then the situation can still be rectified - just the wine will ferment longer. It will not be possible to save the wine if the temperature drops to 8 ° C. In the same way, the process slows down as the temperature rises. Only 2 ° C above 23 ° C significantly reduce the activity of the yeast, and at higher values the yeast dies.
About yeast. For wine, it is better to buy special wine yeast, or use cooked sourdough: pour 200 g of raisins with warm water (0.5-0.7 l), and leave it warm for 3-5 days. A sourdough jar should be tied with a double layer of gauze to provide air access and, at the same time, block access to foreign bacteria. To prepare the leaven, you can use raspberries and strawberries, last year's jam. You can not use bakery yeast.
Good news: for apple wine, you can not add yeast, because for the beginning of fermentation, they often have enough of those that live on the surface of the fruit. Of course, if the pulp stands still, does not bubble, and the wine material does not exude a characteristic odor, then the addition of yeast is still necessary.
After precipitation to the bottom of the sediment and in the absence of visible bubbles of carbon dioxide in the bottle, fermentation can be considered complete. Young wine needs to be poured again to remove suspended solids. At the same time, after removal from the sediment, the tanning is performed. Tannic acid is added to the young wine to improve its quality. After taniing wine is poured again, if necessary, sweeten and clean the bottle in a cool room for maturation, during which the care and monitoring of young wine continues.
Apple wine of good quality can be obtained in 3.5-4 months after stopping fermentation.
1. Dry wine from apples without pressing
Composition:
- Apples, sour (forest or carrion) 6.3 kg
- Sugar 1.15 kg
Cooking Technology:
Fruits are harvested and prepared by cutting into small cubes or thin slices, removing the damaged parts, peduncles and the core. After they are poured with sugar and left in a non-oxidizing container for imitation. The bucket is covered with a towel. After the appearance of the characteristic sour smell, the pulp is crushed with a blender or kneaded to a puree mass. In a clean bottle (10 l) shift pulp. The bottle is set for fermentation at 18-23 ° C. A rubber medical glove with a punctured finger is worn on the neck. In the process of fermentation, it will be inflated, and a signal about the end of fermentation will be its deflated or, even, the neck pulled inwards, the form.
After that, the wine is removed from the sediment. Insert the hose into the neck, lowering its end 2 cm above the thick level, and insert the other end into a clean dish. Pump the wine, creating a vacuum in the hose.
Wash and dry the bottle (wine storage utensils must be sterile). Pour the wine into the bottle, and transfer it to a cool place. After two weeks, repeat the overflow. Pour the wine into bottles and seal it.
2. Wine from apples without juice - cider
Composition:
Apples:
- sour 2 kg
- sweet 8 kg
- tart 2 kg
- Sugar 2.3 kg
Cooking:
Preparation of the fruit and the whole process of making wine before the last removal from the sediment are identical to the technology of recipe No. 1. Before bottling the wine, add 10% sugar from the total volume and dissolve it. Cider should be poured into bottles of champagne, not topping up to the edge of the neck 7-8 cm. Cork tightly stoppered and secure the cork with wire or twine. Store at a temperature not higher than 14 ° C, in a horizontal position.
3. Strong table wine from apples without spinning
Composition:
- Sweet and sour apples (good, garden variety) 12.5 kg
- Sugar 2.2 kg
Preparation Procedure:
The preparation of raw materials and pulp exactly coincides with the description of recipe No. 1, until the moment of the first removal from the sediment, but at the same time half of the sugar is initially taken. After filtering the wort, after 21 - 30 days from the beginning of fermentation, the second part of sugar is added, the wine is poured into the bottle, sealed, and fermentation continues until it stops completely and precipitation occurs. Then again the process repeats: lightening, aging and pouring, bottling and storage.
4. Strong blended wine from apples without juice
Composition:
- Sweet apples 13 kg
- Sugar 750g
- Tannic acid 1.5 g
- Wine stone 1.0 g
- Pear wine, semi-sweet 0.7 l
Work Order:
Preparation of wine is made in full accordance with previous recipes. Then, the fermented pulp with sugar and tartar is placed in a bottle and closed with a water seal. After fermentation and filtration, the wine is clarified by adding diluted tannic acid. Again removed from the sediment, pouring into a clean container, and blended with pear wine. After mixing the young apple and pear wine, the bottle is moved to a cool place for storage. If necessary, repeated removal from the sediment and pouring the wine. After 3 months, the wine is poured into prepared containers.
5. Dessert wine from apples without spin
Composition:
- Apple pulp 11.5 kg
- Sugar 2.3 kg
- Tannin 1.2 g
- Tartaric acid 5 g
Preparation Procedure:
Fermented pulp, in which 800 g of sugar and tartar have already been added, are transferred to a prepared bottle (15 l). The rest of the sugar is added in the fermentation process in equal parts: after the removal of the thick (after 3 weeks), and after another 10 days. After fermentation, the wine is removed from the sediment, and a solution of tannin is added. After waiting for clarification, the wine is again removed from the sediment and poured. After 2 months of wine, sweeten if necessary, withstand another 1-1.5 months and bottled.
6. Liquor wine from apples without juice
Composition:
- Ripe sweet apples 9 kg
- Sugar 5.6 kg
- Wine stone 8 g
- Acid tanning 2.5 g
Cooking:
Half of the required amount of sugar is added to the finished wine after clarification with tannin. Sugar dissolves in a small amount of heated wine and is added to the total mass, in the form of syrup. Liquor wine is stirred and kept in the bottle until the formation of a bouquet, not less than 60 days, then poured into bottles and sealed.
Wine from apples without juice - tips and tricks
- The average sugar content of apples is about 10%, that is, about 100 g of fruit sugar per 1 kg of apple pulp. This indicator is used to obtain wine from apples without pressing the desired strength.
- The greatest amount of tannin is found in apples of winter varieties and in forest (wild) fruits.
- From the fruit drop and unripe apples you get a sour wine with a rough taste, but dry and table wines are suitable for culinary use - for sauces, marinades.
- Sour apples contain up to 2%. Such acidity is not suitable for making wort, and in order not to add water, use a mixture of apples, sour and sweet varieties, in a 1: 2 ratio.
- If there is a lack of tannin in apples, add oak leaves or bark to the pulp (20g per liter of wort).
