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Newbie - crab apple wine... HELP!!

Hi and let me thank everyone in advance who could offer any help on this subject. I have my first two gallons of wine cooking, they are apple and crab apple wines respectively. I am following the recipes I found in Terry Garey's 'the Joy of Home Winemaking' book. They were both started on

8/21/04, the apple is 8 pounds of shredded (tart) apple and the crab is 4 pounds of shredded crab apples. Then into each: 2 pounds sugar, 1 crushed Camden, 1 tsp yeast nutrient, 1/4 tsp tannin(wait 12 hours), 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme. After 24 more hours I added the pitchable liquid champagne wine yeast WLP715 on 8/23/04 1/2 of the bottle into each of the primaries. Apple PA 10 SG 1.075. Crab PA 12 SG 1.084.

Here's the question, today when I came home from work (8/25/04 5:30 ish), the apple is going like mad and the crab is still just sitting still. I've been stirring each mess 3x daily. Just took the SG of the crab again and it is 1.090 (but it is warmer tonight). So why is one working when it's neighbor is sitting idly by? Any thoughts???

Reply to
Ann Durham
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just be patience, sometimes it takes longer for some batches then others, I had an Apricot batch that didn't start till the third day to really start working. the fact that you can tell that it is warmer is a good sign though.

and this is a great place to get advice ,from some very helpful people.

Reply to
rick Cole

Ann,

The crabapple/apple wine I made a year ago took 2 weeks to fire up. I think I had too much sulfite in the must (when cleaning and cutting the apples I dipped them in a sulfite solution to keep them from browning before freezing them). Finally clueing into the problem, I aerated the must (stirred it like crazy) for awhile. I even needed to dilute the must with water (about 10%). After pitching the 3rd or 4th packet of yeast over that 2 week period it finally started. Also, you might want to use a little more pectic enzyme than the typical recipe calls for. I had haze problems that were a pain to clarify. All said and done, it's turned out very nice - ready for bottling. Hope this helps.

Jim

Reply to
glad heart

Thanks for the advice. I pitched a second round of yeast into the crab apple and it took off within 12 hours!!! I have really enjoyed this group and am reading daily (and learning lots!!!).

Racked for my first time on the apple. Anyone have any idea's if I can put the left overs on my compost pile?

Reply to
Ann Durham

Ann, by all means compost the pulp.

As for the difference in yeast activity, it is possible that you did not stir (shake) the pitchable yeast sufficiently before inoculation and most of the yeast went into the apple and very little went into the crabapple. Just a possibility....

Jack Keller, The Winemaking Home Page

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Reply to
Jack Keller

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