For about a year now, I've been enjoying (what I find to be) some curiously tasty wine made from Langer's frozen apple juice concentrate. I find it at my local Safeway grocery store. Being frozen, it has no sorbates or benzoates, but it's got ascorbic acid, which turns out be a bit of a help.
What makes the taste "curious" is that I don't fully reconstitute the concentrate with water, allowing the higher sugar percentage to contribute to the total desired start SG. By doing this, I also raise the amount of natural apple flavor above that which would normally be present in a starting apple must.
The result is a strong-tasting wine (my family calls it "hooch"), with much body and plenty of natural tannin. More importantly, because the juice has already been filtered before concentration, clarification is rapid. About 2 months after fermentation slows, the wine has only a vague haze, and the lees are firm (when EC-1118 is used).
Typically, I make a gallon at a time, thus:
- 4 Langer's frozen apple concentrate bottles
- 2.1 liters bottled spring water
- 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 tsp EC-1118 dry yeast
This liquor will have a SG of 1.115, which the yeast can handle, but will produce a high-alcohol wine, If this is objectionable, only add 0.5 to 1 cups of sugar. Fermentation to SG=1.000 will take roughly 10-12 days, largely due to the presence of the ascorbic acid. Daily stirring will assist in degassing the must during primary fermentation.
Naturally, one can wait a reasonable 6 months for more complete clarification, but I've been surprised by the flavor of the result when enjoyed prior to that time.
Marshall