We usually associate wine with grapes. And certainly not with apples. But to every wine lover’s delight, you can buy or even make something called apple wine. Apple Wine is juice for adults.
This one is delightful, and most of the time, you can’t even taste the alcohol in it. Because of this, it goes down smoothly and should be drunk carefully. This type of wine will get you drunk in the matter of an hour if you don’t pay close attention to the amount you consume.
How to Make Apple Wine at Home
This Apple recipe is straightforward, anyone can do it at home. We highly suggest trying it out if you have been a wine lover for quite some time because it will provide you with an experience you haven’t even thought of before.
Time Taken: 21 days
Ingredients:
- One gallon of apple juice
- 1 cup of sugar
- Yeast
- A funnel
- A balloon (you can use more if you want to, though)
Optional:
- Add Cinnamon sticks
- Add Raisins
- Cloves
- Brown sugar
How to Make:
Start by creating space in the container that has your apple juice. If you have it in the same bottle you have bought it in, then you will need to pour out about 2 cups. This is necessary so the other ingredients can fit in there. If you have another container that you would like to make your drink in, then you can skip this step and pour your apple juice into it, leaving room for the yeast and sugar.
Next, you need to take the funnel and pour the cup of sugar into this container. No, you can’t use any other sweetener in this case. Yeast feeds on the sugar during fermentation and makes alcohol that way. So if you don’t have a glucose-based sweetener, then you will have a problem.
But of course, you can even skip the sugar entirely by choosing an apple juice that is full of glucose. This way, you will end up with a drier wine, but that might be exactly what you like. Experiment with the amount of sugar to reach the desired taste.
Either way, let’s say that you add the sugar into the container. Good for you. Now you need to dissolve it. You can do that by shaking the bottle or by stirring the mixture. In the end, you have to end up with a clear beverage.
Once that’s done, you can grab the yeast. You can use bread or white wine yeast for this. Both work well, but the latter will make a much finer drink than if you use something intended for baking. Either way, you only need a small packet for this much wine. Pour it in through the funnel and put the lid or cap on the container. Then tilt upside down and sideways. Make sure you do this carefully and not vigorously.
At this point, you can add the cloves, add cinnamon sticks, and add raisins.
Then you need your balloon. You have to poke a couple of holes into it and stretch it over the mouth of the bottle or container. This needs to be done because gases will be made during the process of fermentation, and they need a way out. By using a balloon as an airlock, you can keep germs out and let the gases leave.
Although, if you want to do this regularly, then we highly suggest you buy an airlock, it costs around $2, and they work a lot better.
The final step is to add the mixture in a cold and dark place and wait. After about 21 days, your apple wine will be done and ready to drink.
Final Word: Apple Wine
Every wine lover should try making apple wine at least once. It’s a great drink, easy to create, and it’s an experience you have never had before. And it will be the product of your doings!
Grab the ingredients and get mixing. Once you’re done, bottoms up!
Have you tasted apple wine before? How was the experience? Tell us down in the comments below!