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Homemade apple wine has a rich taste – subtle fruity notes are revealed gradually. At the same time, the amber-clear drink has a beneficial effect on the body. In today’s article, you will learn how to make apple wine at home.
The benefits of homemade apple wine
You can dilute your homemade wine collection with a low-alcohol apple drink. The average strength of the product is only 10%. Depending on the recipe and preparation technology, the drink can be sweet, semi-sweet, fortified and dry.
Health benefits of homemade apple wine include:
- removal of nervous tension and physical fatigue;
- stimulation of the digestive tract;
- normalization of blood pressure;
- reducing the likelihood of thrombosis;
- normalization of the hormonal background during nervous stress, neurosis and depressive states;
- acceleration of fat processing;
- reducing the risk of developing tumor-like formations of unclear or malignant origin.
Homemade apple wine has a beneficial effect on the body
It is no secret that any alcoholic drink improves mood, distracts from problems and various troubles. Apple wine is often used in cosmetology for the manufacture of anti-aging masks. A couple of drops of amber liquid help strengthen hair follicles. Hair becomes soft and silky.
What apples to use
What varieties of apples are used to make an alcoholic drink? For the manufacture of homemade cider or table wine, it is recommended to take autumn sweet and sour varieties. From juicy late autumn and winter fruits, you can make sweet or semi-sweet wine.
To prepare a fortified drink, it is better to take an Antonovka ordinary apple. Add astringency will help wild varieties of fruit crops. But you can diversify the taste with the help of various additives. Most often, lemon juice, citrus zest, cinnamon, mint, blackthorn, raisins, chokeberry and so on are used.
Video “Homemade apple wine”
This video provides a step-by-step master class on how to make a low-alcohol drink at home.
Homemade Apple Wine Recipes
Consider the most popular recipes for making homemade apple wine.
Traditional recipe
To prepare the drink, you will need 20 kg of ripe juicy apples and granulated sugar. The amount of sugar is determined by the volume of juice. The consumption of granulated sugar per 1 liter of juice can vary from 150 to 400 g.
Homemade apple wine is made from sweet and sour juicy fruits.
Getting juice
The first step is getting apple juice. The easiest way is to use an electric juicer. In the absence of a household appliance in the house, you can use a regular kitchen grater. Fruit puree is squeezed through several layers of gauze.
Juice settling
The finished juice is poured into a deep container and covered with gauze. On average, the juice settling stage takes 2,5–3,5 days. When a pulp of apple pulp or a thin layer of peel forms on the surface, the product is ready for further procedures.
The first day of the settled juice should be thoroughly mixed every 8 hours. When stirring the mass, the yeast is evenly distributed.
The formed layer of pulp is removed. As soon as the juice gives the first hiss, you can proceed to the next step. In this case, the drink should emit a characteristic alcohol smell.
Adding sugar
Many novice winemakers do not know how to correctly calculate the required sugar rate. For example, the use of a sweet variety of apples implies a small amount of sugar – no more than 150 g per 1 liter of juice. If you plan to make dessert wine, the amount of sugar can be increased to 200 g per 1 liter of juice. At a high concentration of sugar product, the fermentation process stops.
The introduction of sugar occurs in several passes:
- After removing the resulting pulp – 100 g per 1 liter.
- After 5 days from removing the pulp – 50-100 g per 1 liter.
- After 10 days from the first addition – 30-80 g per 1 liter.
Fermentation process
Now the drink can be poured into an airtight container. The filling level of the container should be no more than 4/5 of the total volume.
A water seal is required to remove the carbon dioxide released during the fermentation process. You can buy a water seal in any store with a large selection of various kitchen accessories and appliances. Alternatively, a small diameter hose or a rubber glove pierced with a needle can be used.
The optimum air temperature in the room where the wine container is located is +18…+25 °C. The duration of the stage is from 30 to 60 days. Sediment formation, a deflated glove and the absence of bubbles are signs of the end of the fermentation process.
Maturation of wine
The ripened drink is poured into a glass bottle treated with boiling water. In this case, the sediment should not fall into a new container. The drink is allowed to brew well. Drinking wine is recommended after 2-4 months from the moment of its infusion.
homemade cider
We take 3 kg of sour apples and 6 kg of sweet ones. Squeeze out the juice and set aside to infuse for 24 hours.
The juice that has settled in a dark place is poured into a container for fermentation. The fermentation procedure takes 3 to 5 weeks. At the end of this stage, the drink is poured into glass bottles, corked tightly and let it brew for 3-4 months. The recommended room temperature should be between +6 and +12 °C.
The main difference between cider and wine is the absence of sugar. If the drink is too sour or tart, a little filtered water is added at the stage of fermentation.
Cider is made from sweet and sour apples.
carbonated cider
Carbonated cider has an interesting taste. The settled juice is allowed to go through the fermentation stage. Then sugar is poured into glass or plastic bottles (10 g per 1 liter) and the wine is poured without sediment. The container should have about 5 cm of free space – to release carbon dioxide.
Bottles tightly closed with nylon caps are moved to a dark place. The fermentation period lasts 10-14 days. Ready carbonated cider is stored in the refrigerator or any other cool place.
Cider with lemon
Apple-lemon cider has a pleasant aroma. To prepare an alcoholic drink, 8 kg of sour apples, 2 kg of granulated sugar and 2 medium-sized lemons are required.
Apple slices, lemon zest and sugar are poured into 10 liters of purified drinking water. The container is covered with gauze and the mass is infused for 7-10 days. The infused drink is filtered, bottled and tightly corked.
Dried apple wine
You can make wine not only from fresh, but also from dried apples. 1 kg of drying is poured with warm water. After 12 hours, the liquid is drained, the apples are dried and chopped with a blender. 1,5 kg of sugar and boiled water are added to the mass.
In a separate container, warm water, 1,5 kg of granulated sugar and 20 g of yeast are mixed. When the yeast and sugar dissolve, the components from the two containers are mixed, filtered and sent for fermentation. After 14 days, the young wine is re-filtered, bottled and cooled.
Dried apples can be used to make an alcoholic drink.
Fortified wine
Fortified wine can be prepared according to the traditional recipe described above by adding 100 g of pitted dark raisins to apples. At the end of the fermentation stage, the drink is filtered and 200 ml of vodka are added.
The finished drink is sent for storage in a cool basement or in a refrigerator.
spiced wine
Adding cinnamon will give the wine a spicy note. For 4 kg of apples peeled and cut into slices, you need 40 g of cinnamon and 4 liters of water. The mass is boiled over low heat until the fruits are soft. Then the mixture is cooled, thoroughly rubbed through a sieve and sent for settling. After 3 days, the pulp is removed, 700-800 g of sugar are added and put on fermentation. After about a week, the water seal is removed and the drink is kept for another 7–10 days.
Adding cinnamon will give the drink a spicy note.
Wine from apples and chokeberry
Apple-rowan wine is prepared by analogy with the traditional recipe. All preparation steps are identical. The difference is the composition. So, for 2,5 kg of apples, you will need 5 kg of overripe chokeberry, 1,5 kg of granulated sugar and 1 liter of filtered water.
A few storage tips
Wine should be stored in a cool room, while the bottles should be horizontal. Instead of plastic or metal twists, it is better to use wine peels.
The optimum air temperature for storing apple wine should be between +6…+16 °C. Bottles must not be moved or shaken.
Homemade apple wine is characterized by a pleasant aroma and amazing taste with subtle fruity notes. The drink does not cause strong alcohol intoxication and has a beneficial effect on the general condition of a person.