Spiced Apple Wine Recipe - How to Make Apple Pie Wine at Home!

[@georgecolby7488]

I know I've said this before, but imma say it again: I recommend trying an apple wine where you boil down the juice to raise gravity instead of using sugar. I tried it and LOVED the way it tasted. The concentrated apple flavor is really nice. With the spices here it would be a bit of a waste because the extra apple flavor probably wouldn't come through. Regardless, love your videos, you guys are awesome!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We can try that at some point.

[@roytelling6540]

kiitos! Never thought about that, you will need more apple juice but I think you would have a stronger apple flavours

[@zyffyr]

A much easier way to get the same effect would be to use some frozen apple juice concentrate.

[@georgecolby7488]

@@zyffyr as long as there aren't any preservatives. I make my own apple juice from my trees, no pesticides or additives, so I prefer to boil concentrate.

[@danielplumley2649]

@@georgecolby7488 I just recently used frozen concentrate for an apple wine. Turned out well. Most frozen concentrates don’t have anything added to them. Of course, a homemade apple juice from your own apples would be better!

[@wesp3779]

Bottling spiced metheglin, drinking your easy grape juice wine, making spiced apple wine…pretty sure I just rewatched the sugar calculations five times bc I keep getting metheglin brain or grape wine brain or Hendricks kilju brain…omgoodness I just spit out cider when Brian said otherwise know as WUS 🤣 love you guys so much and no it’s not your brews talking

[@alexlarsen6413]

Made this exact thing 3 months ago, did not put any pectic enzymes beforehand or clearing agents afterwards, it's been in bottles for a month now and it's perfectly clear, whiskey color. In fact, it cleared out within a week after I racked it and degassed it. So, just wait...it probably will clear out. I popped a bottle open as I was watching this, it is amazing! More apple pie due to those spices but I don't mind at all. :))

[@kylejackson0801]

I would love it if you guys made a video on brewing Ethiopian Tej!!!!!

[@shauncarr1957]

I make strawberry wine it turns out so good when you put strawberries in primary and secondary

[@inferialy]

Hi Derica and Brian, Your mate from Australia here. Actually brewing a batch of apple cider at the moment myself. A bit off topic, but an idea for a future video for you here: Yesterday I was a farmer's market and bough some lovely mead from this lady who has her own apiary. We were chatting and she told me an interesting technique in her brewing I have not considered before: when she brews her mead she uses 4 different yeasts all in one batch. She claims that 4 different colonies in one brew provide a better rounded and interesting flavour. And her mead is actually really nice. Will probably test this theory in my next brew myself. Keep up your good works, your videos rock.

[@johnaldrich249]

I used "mulling" spices from World Market to make a spiced cider. Ended up back sweetening using honey (3 cups, approximately in over 5 gallons.) I left the spices in the fermented cider for 3 days and the spices really stand out, in a GOOD way!

[@Malphazar]

I put a 1/3 piece of a cotton ball in the top of my airlock and it keeps the fruitflys out and still lets it outgas, really try it works wonders

[@jasonellis3379]

Thank you! Been tired of buying cheap vodka for my airlock.

[@fabiolindquist1555]

I made an Apple Wine with this same yeast, and lots of spices (cinammon, clove, cardamom, star anis and ginger), turned Very good

[@m4a44]

Ha! I did something like this a year and a half ago. Main differences were I did 2 cloves, and some brown sugar (with 71B). The aging reeaally helped mellow out the spices side of it for mine. I call it an Apple Pie Wine. And then my one buddy suggested trying to infuse some butter taste to it (to get it even closer to the name) by fat washing some butter in a spirit and adding that...

[@BernardMiller-u4t]

Twaaak your packet! That and the proverbial red bucket of sanitation. I love y’all’s euphemisms. Thank you from North Carolina.

[@Magpyro]

I tried this! I know you recommend following a known recipe when new, but I tweaked it to fit my situation(metric). I ended up with a gently spiced 11.5% wine with a nice full mouth feel.

[@davidking4416]

I'm a little late to this game apparently. Just started some of this for my first brew. I was going to do y'alls mead but saw this and couldn't resist!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You’re not late… today was just your day to start.

[@Alf_4]

if I'm not mistaken starsan's main ingredient is phosphoric acid (E338) which is a common food acid in commercially produced foods and drinks including a well known soda from atlanta that comes in a red can

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yup!

[@1radarghost]

Just had to stop by and say you guys have inspired me to try making my own wine and mead. I just finished putting this one in a gallon bottle. Thanks for getting me going on this.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Awesome! Happy to help.

[@westsolon7480]

Oh my word🤣 You people are just entertaining Truly enjoy the content But the dialog betwixt you is absolutely hilarious “begeesus” shake it baby, don’t break it 🤣

[@danielinfalt3983]

Made this recipe for my first wine. I just finished bottling it and it tastes amazing.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Awesome! Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

[@jasonwood9520]

i love that i come home to this video with these exact ingredients to do this very thing!

[@tromboneman3037]

This recipe is going to be my first attempt at homebrewing! I did half the volume and added some orange zest so we'll see how it turns out.

[@dakotagreen1573]

I've been watching all of your old videos, and we just put this together tonight but in a 2 gallon batch! Hopefully it turns out as good as the Acerglyn did!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Awesome! Thanks for watching.

[@davidmathieson8661]

currently waiting the delivery of some yeast for about 10 gallon of apple wine, aiming for 5 gallon of about 12% and 5 gallon of 15-16%. not spicing mine as my partner is allergic to cinnamon and ginger. have you ever used malic acid in your apple brews,? I find it makes apple brews more of a crisp apple flavour

[@jaydeeao]

I recently did this and it stalled. I tried to get it "unstuck", but it just wouldn't go. So I just called it and put it in conditioning. It's sweeter than I would like it and the AVB is lower than I'd like it/expected it to be @ 8%.....but it tastes pretty good. I actually now have an apple Cider mead going and so far everything is going amazingly. I'm excited gor this one to finish.

[@toddpearce4594]

Hey Derica and Brian! I want to thank y’all for all the work you put into your videos to explain how to make these products! I started my first batch last Saturday 11/4, using Publix Premium apple juice, 1.2 lbs of sugar, 1 clove, 8 all spice berries and 1 cinnamon stick and about a gram of Fermaid O. OG was a little lower than y’all’s at 1.900, but should still yield around 12% if it goes to 1.000. I also ended up using Lalvin D47, but should be ok because it has a 14% tolerance. I am looking forward to it finishing fermenting in a few weeks and then conditioning it for a few more and hope it is ready in time to enjoy for Christmas! Thanks again for all of the advice and inspiring us viewers to make our own! Cheers!

[@AKshooter100]

This is my favorite recipe. I've made it several times, also i have used other juices like cranberry.

[@jacobgibson5852]

Thank you guys I been watching for few day and it helped me a lot

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

When placing an airlock I always remember my science teacher in school telling us about Louis Pasteur’s glass flasks still being clear to this day thanks to the principles of both pasteurising AND the airlock. I have a happy little weird scientist moment and might mumble ‘thanks Louis’ every once in a brew. Methinks it’s high time I started a spiced apple wine. Holiday drinking comes to mind. Thank you for the idea! The other fermenter is destined for strawberry wine. I’ve got lots sinning in my freezer and they’re begging to be used. 😊

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

@@TigerPat_9180 - Thanks! Things just were very busy. Some times I wish I could cram 36 hours into a 24 hour day! Hope you’re doing well & having fun brewing. I certainly am!

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

@@TigerPat_9180 - Love the fact that you give away the excess produce from your garden. Squash are wonderful! If I could successfully separate off part of my garden for a vegetable patch I’d probably do the same. Unfortunately I have an Amstaff and a Chihuahua who both love fruit and veggies… and are great at cooperating to break into any enclosure I’ve built so far. As I rent I need permission to build anything that’s more permanent than chickenwire and a few poles hewn into the dirt so… no veggie patch anymore. I share my wines, ciders and meads instead and receive bumper crops of fruit and veggies in exchange (all on a totally voluntary basis, I never expect anything back). My baking goes the same route a lot of the time as well… with similar results. Which reminds me that I bottled some blueberry mead and some lilac mead two days ago. My new neighbour hasn’t tasted them yet. Sharing and giving away is fun! I’m glad you think so too!

[@ImpersoNation11]

Brilliant, informative as usual. You can also use glycerin in the airlock, especially if you're bulk aging your wine, as it will never evaporate. You can also suspend a clove in the glycerin to repel any bugs. It's 100% safe and is sometimes used to backsweeten. Keep up the good work 👍🏻.

[@ashcreekAER]

I gotta do this. Just started a batch of mandarin orange mead because your recent video and was thinking about what to do next.

[@SingPsalms]

Just made a 2-gallon batch tonight! followed your recipe exactly with the same ingredients, even with Costco Apple Juice. Ended up with a 1.110 gravity on the nose! wish me luck!

[@SingPsalms]

Update: turned out amazing, and tastes great! I will absolutely be making this a few times a year! Highly recommend!

[@jongrnl]

We’re making this right now and plan to do the first racking tonight assuming it’s done (95% sure it is). However we’re putting the spices in secondary because this is our second brew and we’re hoping the high ABV protects us from some newby mistakes. With that said, I tasted it last week and it tasted like a candy apple. Even with out spices it’s one of the best things I’ve ever had!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Awesome! Happy Brewing!

[@workwillfreeyou]

Where do you find the glass bottles?

[@bearclaw5141]

I started an Apple Grape Wine back in February and it's fully done fermenting, and I'm going to experiment with different flavors in conditioning phase. I started with a 3/1 ratio of Apple juice to Grape juice (concord). It's a Great starting blend. It still has the Apple bite to it, but I'm going to try and mellow out the sharpness of the Apple. Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you two for having such a wonderful channel which is very helpful and easy to follow.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Happy to help!

[@kevinpetersen9807]

Hello Derica and Brian, I really appreciate your videos! I am new to brewing, having tried canning and pickling. I made the "Basic Mead" May 28th 2022 and the "Apple spice wine" June 8th which brings me to my predicament ; I assembled 3.68lbs sugar with 1.050 apple juice, 8 all spice, 1 clove, 2 grams red star classic with 2 grams Ferm Go and pitched wet. 24 hours later I added 1.5 ferm O... after that I realized my mistake was three times over from the recipe of 545 grams sugar(1669g) . Since I have gassing through the airlock I can assume that fermentation has begun(9days). Essentially I have to let time go by before checking the gravity?, O yeah, the SG was so far down on the bulb it was off the scale, I heard some talk on your videos about dividing and refermenting. So my question is to wait until after fermentation? Divide to three and add water, cause i feel like adding more apple juice/? Do I shake to help split the ingredients? Do I wait to see if the yeast comes back or re-pitch the yeast? Can I save it ? or do I need to pitch it? All information would be helpful. You'll be happy to hear since that I have two more ferments; another apple spice wine; 545g sugar, 3qt apple juice, 8 all spice, 1 clove, 1 cinnamon stick, 1.108 SG, 2 g fermo and 6g go ferm with 5g red star classic, pitched wet. Capsicumel mead; 5 jalapenos 8.9oz, rasins 3.8oz, honey 3.5lbs, twinings black tea 1cup, 1.150 SG, 1g ferm start, 17ml distilled water and 5g red star classic, wet pitch. I saw mentioned you were a little high on FG so I adjusted the yeast? Did I mention I was grateful to you guys for all the information and effort your put into your channel! Thanks again, I have no way to repay you other than gratitude. Sincerely, Kevin

[@PeterVenkman760]

I made some on April 4th. Still bubbling away. Thank you guys for the inspiration!

[@LoreExplore369]

Love these vids! One tip that ive found is vegetable glycerin is great for your airlock! Cheers!

[@elricthebald]

Had a few blowouts in the last years. Almost all were apple related. My yeast usually feels very happy with apple.

[@ethanmichalski3820]

Imma try making a chocolate strawberry mead soon ,do yall have any recommendations?

[@not-on-pizza]

This is making me wonder what other spices you could add to a spiced brew, and the effects that that might have. I've been eyeing your Spiced Metheglin recipe with interest, with a view of making something that tastes similar to a spiced rum. I know that I was considering fennel at one point. Might also consider vanilla (although maybe not with apple). Also, liking the new plan of splitting two-part brews more evenly. Feels more manageable to watch that way.

[@thestarnerd7172]

I have a weird question if found and removed can you reuse spices?

[@sarzootashoota351]

I added 2 cloves to my spiced maple syrup wine in primary and left the spices in for a month and take it from me, Brian is right here. 1 gallon needs 1 clove. Unless you are trying to make a mouth numbing clove wine, resist the urge to put 2.

[@justtoobefrank7720]

Can't wait for the next video! Awsome work!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Thanks!

[@knightmare1015]

Very nice. This would make a great Christmas wine. I usually use just 2 cups of white table sugar and 1 tablespoon of McCormick's Apple Pie Spice. Very delicious after racking and aging for 2 to 3 weeks.

[@earlg1094]

I find ginger in cider gives a good spice

[@allthingsbethie]

Do you have a place you can direct me to, to learn about the gravities and how you came up with the calculation for the sugar?

[@seanm2680]

Hi Derica and Brian, I started this exact recipe back in June and I have some really nice bottles of wine! They finished just in time for my in-laws to come up and try it! It turned out great! 😋 Thank you so much! Just started a new batch today!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

That is awesome!

[@keithmcauslan943]

I just bottle my Alpine (Hot apple toddy mix) mulling spice wine this week end.

[@davidking4416]

So I started a 1 gallon batch of this 9 days ago, and had an OG of 1.112. A few days ago I noticed my airlock activity had just about stopped. I was curious to see what was going on inside (it's my first brew!) so I decided to take a reading on it to see where I was. My yeast (I used D47 because it came with a kit i bought) powered through that 1.112 all the way down to 0.996! Is that normal for 9 days?! It is still pretty hazy (I know it may not clear much, apples and spices and all that jazz) so I replaced the airlock and swirled a little to degas some. I DID, however, pour a little into a glass to give it a try. Absolutely amazing for being so young. Anyway, I cannot wait to get this bottled and aged a little bit. Maybe by Christmas time I'll have a nice, spiced apple wine to share!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yup, it can happen. The idea that fermentation takes weeks or months is not all that accurate.

[@edwardsmallwood1201]

I wanted to try this recipe, but didn’t have that juice around, so I decided to experiment. I used an unfiltered shelf stable apple juice, specifically Signature Farms Honey Crisp apple cider blend, and Lalvin EC-1118 yeast because I had them both on hand. Everything else was the same. After fermentation and conditioning, it was definitely not clear, but I didn’t expect it to be. It looked pretty much like the juice that went in. Surprise! If I took my specific gravity readings correctly, and did the math right, it was about 14% abv! Yeah, it has a kick! It’s very dry, but it really has an apple flavor to it. My opinion: Yeah, it’s good! Someone else should try it!

[@terrycuyler5659]

On alcohol and star San in the airlock. I once used Listerine mouthwash (I don’t recommend that) and have accidentally gotten mouthful of starsan water while (which is quite sour ) cleaning my siphon tubes.

[@frankfreeman2012]

Have you tried a cistelle

[@johnjohnson4816]

I made a wine inspired by this exact recipe, I think I just upped the abv and used the beast. Turned out great wish I would've saved a bottle. What are your thoughts on luta kviek. I've used voss for a simple cider low abv a lawnmower cider type deal. But I'm wondering if the attributes of lutra kviek would be beneficial to some country wines. It has an alcohol tolerance of 15 percent and is a Norwegian farmhouse strain. It says it loves higher heat and blows through sugar quickly.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We have not even looked into it yet.

[@rockm6772]

Hey I used Costco apple juice as well! Hard to believe I haven’t brewed since last year around this time. Going to try glass gallon jugs of “cider” from sprouts, kings, or Whole Foods, method this year to save some sanitizing. Was thinking of making it a little stronger since you have said in the past that at a certain point it becomes a wine. Well looks like this came out just in time… although it looks like you posted this three months ago lol… I wanted to age for a good three months for the holidays… but running out of time.. should have checked back sooner!

[@tomtroop6012]

Awesome vivdeo, thanks for sharing. One question; You added 2 grams of fermaid o in one-gallon juice. I am brewing five gallons, so I decided to add 10 grams of fermaid o. Is that right or too much? Thanks again. Tom

[@CitySteadingBrews]

That is correct.

[@macharkness7823]

What!? Why would you leave me on a cliff hanger!?!? By the way I appreciate the extra content!! It was a pleasant surprise

[@lane6523]

Looks amazing. I have so many things I want to try now!

[@chrisschmalhofer4348]

Making this for Thanksgiving!

[@kirtgunnard6155]

I have a few meads going currently, and I have noticed that none of them has a Kruesan line. My brews are a little different than yours in that my temps are between 67 and 70 degrees. Is this an issue if they do not create a Kruesan? I assume its ok because my Hydrometer tells me they have reached zero and after waiting another week they have stayed the same, I have then racked them to a conditioning vessel and tasted them and other than they are extremely young have not detected off flavors of any kind. Have you ever had a brew not Kruesan, and does it to your knowledge have any effect on the final product?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Not all brews will form a krausen line. It is nothing to worry about as you checked everything else and there are no signs of an issue. It is more common in beer making.

[@kirtgunnard6155]

@@CitySteadingBrews Thank you again for your help and the wisdom you guys/gals share. I am relatively new to brewing and have been greatly helped by your channel. SPGR is the way. I wish I had found you sooner, I would have saved a whole lot of money and time.

[@warshrimp6097]

Really glad you started to make a couple of videos fermenting with sugar rather than honey!

[@warshrimp6097]

Also, I am trying your Mojito Kilju later this summer. Meanwhile, perhaps you could consider a follow up with a Piña colada Kilju? :)

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Sounds good! We will add it to the list. :)

[@draumpje]

Well… i was planning to start on a mead But seeing my package of honey is delayed , spiced apple wine it is 🤷‍♀️ I have been wanting to start brewing on and of for years now You guys gave me that last little push to kick myself in gear So thanks you two for being unequivocally you 😘

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You can do it!

[@draumpje]

@@CitySteadingBrews there is a gallon jug with a waterlock on in telling me te same ;) Now for the waiting game Monday i’ll have the honey and i will do that mead

[@snowman4385]

hi brian and derika.the yeast i have on hand is SO-4 and lalvin EC-1118,will one of theses work ? if so,which will give highest ABV.......thanks for your time and help.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Either will work, EC-1118 has higher potential alcohol, but... without the sugars, it won't go that high. SO4 might be better, to be honest, but I don't recall the final ABV of this.

[@trudithomas6753]

I have just followed this recipe to the letter and found my abv was matching yours....a miracle since I am using UK measurements! But to my horror I added bread yeast instead of brewing yeast , just grabbed the wrong one from the fridge. I know from watching (nearly) all your videos that this is not a catastrophe but will it make the finished result cloudy?

[@busterkoala5906]

Have you tried using simple syrup as your fermentable sugars? I've found it gives a much higher gravity reading than granular sugar. My hypothesis is you're getting way more of the sugar dissolved and it's just a more accurate reading since my gravity readings used to be way lower than what I could reasonably expect. Avoids the issues with pouring in granular sugar and you can adjust the liquid volume and viscosity. Very easy to make at home and very customisable, and in my experience far more wieldy than granular sugar or honey

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Simple syrup is actually just sugar and water… so when you mix in granulated sugar into water you are making simple syrup.

[@melanies.8929]

@@CitySteadingBrews hi! i saw another comment under this video saying they boiled down the apple juice before brewing. i wonder, could you make a small batch of simple syrup with sugar and apple juice? also, if you steep the spices in the syrup, will it prevent the spice issue you had in this video? thanks so much! 😁

[@eroggero]

So giving this a try, I made some muscadine wine a few months ago, back sweeten it a bit to much.lesson learned. Question on this do you stir it every day like I did for that wine or just let it sit? Thank you

[@CitySteadingBrews]

I used to swirl it all the time but pretty much just let it sit now.

[@MrCopyFox]

Sir. I already made my wine 1 year ago i dont even remember.now i found my home made wine 3 bottle in my cabinet. Drink it and it feels great. The main question. After i open the bottle. I put it back to to the cabinet and still drink it again and again for almost 1 month.. But i see other video about wine. the wine should had been bad after 1-3 days after opening. How to know the wine is bad or ruin. And how long after open bottle home made wine can last?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Good question! Your wine should be fine as long as it has a limited exposure to oxygen. Lighter wines will tend to spoil faster than darker wines. Fortified wines will last the longest. That said, most sources suggest drinking the bottle within a week. If you can limit the amount of oxygen and get a good seal on your bottle and store it in a dark place with a constant temperature, the longer they should last. Even with all that, as long as it still tastes good then you should be fine.

[@MrCopyFox]

Very satisfying answer. Always love how you explained in the video and even at comment section, most of the time always try to give the best answer for every questions cameby. I still dont know what is called ruin/bad wine, never seen or taste one before.. So ill drink till i feel the taste became stale/bad/smelly then ill throw it away. 😄. My wine was made purely because i watched your video and at certain point ill belief i can do the same. And it happened. Im not a good drinker. But inside im very satisfied by the process of making wine and the result.

[@jelton52]

Have you tested the difference of white sugar and raw or turbanado sugar? Is there a difference in flavor? I am assuming that the gravity will be the same but will the flavor be different.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

There is a slight difference. The only real change is a bit more molasses but only trace amounts really.

[@shanedraper240692]

In the UK we seem to only be able to get cloudy apple juice that's not from concentrate, it tastes amazing and natural but would it be ok for this? And would it clear?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It would be lovely for this and I don't know if it would clear. You might need to use Pectic Enzyme to aid with clearing.

[@drakesairguns7848]

so i was thinking about how we sanitize everything we brew with, and this crossed my mind. how do we know the sugar, spices or fruits don't have any bad wild yeast or microbes that would normally ruin a brew?

[@Shotbytomas]

I can't get this yeast where I live... Is there any other yeast I could use to get similar results? Thanks!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You can use any wine yeast really, but there will be subtle differences.

[@Silverholic]

Why have you switched to Red Star yeast? Does it perform better? I am still using Lalvin yeasts and never really had an urge to change.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We bought a bunch of it and have just been using it up. Also, people ask about different yeasts all the time so we like to have experience with them as well.

[@OcVdub90]

Is that sugar amount only for one gal? Or the same amount for any gal amount. Would you need to add that to every gal of juice?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You need to make a batch based on volume so if you make two gallons for example, double everything but the yeast.

[@OcVdub90]

Thank you. I actually started it and did everything you guys did minus the allspice berries and yeast nutrient. It has started giving off the rotten egg smell slightly, is this salvageable? I started on the 18th of November

[@ryanmallory4888]

Do you have to fill the hydrometer tube all the way up?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It has to float.

[@ryanmallory4888]

@@CitySteadingBrews that is what I thought. It just needs to float. Thanks for the great content b

[@keeganscertifiedluvvr]

Hi, I am from the Philippines! Fermaid O is not available in our country. Are there any alternatives I can use? Or at least a way to have something similar to Fermaid O? Have a good day, y'all!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You can try boiling a few tablespoons of yeast. That's not exactly the same but can be used as a nutrient too.

[@gagebutters1631]

Im doing a 4 gal version of this recipe. Would you times all the spices by 4? Even the cloves?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yes.

[@gagebutters1631]

Thank you and thank you for the quick reply.

[@johnp.2267]

As a non-fan of apple products, I still wanted to make fruit wine, so I tried the dreaded (DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN!) peach. 1.130 OG, 1.000 FG, using Lalvin 71b (Feed The BEAST!). Approximately 17.3% alcohol, when it finished. 1 year later, and the brown sugar I used mellowed nicely, making the wine taste like a type of peach melba. If you two ever come across an apple brew recipe that doesn't taste like Mott's apple juice (the sweet apple mouth-coating variety), I might give an apple brew a try. Here's hoping.

[@charlesdevier8203]

I believe that the best tasting wine that I have sampled was a peach wine, that I brewed 50 years ago.

[@daonewbt]

Can I use Fleischmann's ActiveDry Yeast on this recipe or is it a must I use wine yeast? keep up the great work

[@CitySteadingBrews]

While you can theoretically use any yeast to ferment. Each is unique and different and will impart different flavors, sometimes subtly. For this.... I believe you could use bread yeast and it would be fine. I do prefer wine yeast though as it's more predictable.

[@jimpiunti]

I can't be the only one who noticed... "Nothing that ends with an -ite or an -ate..." "From concentr-ate... Totally ok..." 😂🤣

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Ha ha. You know what we intended. ;P

[@jimpiunti]

@@CitySteadingBrews - Yeah, but would *you* have passed that up? Lol

[@Shotbytomas]

Hi! I have a 12 litres batch of spiced apple wine. Used ec-1118 yeast. It is still fermenting after 15 days. There is still quite good activity in the airlock. Temperature is steady 23-24 Celsius. Is it normal that primary fermentation takes so long?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It’s not unheard of. Nothing to worry about at all.

[@coreyconnette2641]

This is begging to be oaked! Sounds amazing!

[@Kelly-ml5tl]

Do you ever do wild fermentation in your ciders or beers?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We have done many wild fermentations mostly with mead and wine. Cider wouldn't be much different as the process is nearly the same as wine, simply brewed for a lower final ABV. Some of my favorite commercial beers are wild ferments. Due to their unpredictable nature, we don't do many wild ferments as we strive to have our recipes be as easily reproduced by our audience as possible.

[@VroomvroomNY]

Can you add the spices after the primary fermentation?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yes you can

[@Gwygojyn931]

Is it possible to use ground spices so they remain in it?

[@Gwygojyn931]

I mean it I know it’s possible, but would it interfere with the yeast?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Ground spices will overpower it quickly, can interfere with the yeast and make a mess :)

[@Gwygojyn931]

Thank you! Gonna just scratch that idea off the list, lol.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Lol

[@laci8886]

Hey Guys! I am new to all this, so I would like to ask if I can use fibrous apple juice for making apple wine?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yes :)

[@laci8886]

@@CitySteadingBrews Thank you for the answer, I really appreciate it!

[@nancyonisko9346]

Can I make it from fresh apples? I have a small orchard but lots of apples. New subscriber (age 67) in La Salle, MI.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Absolutely!

[@katiebowman2270]

Been watching your videos religiously for a few weeks now. Just wanted to make sure as I'm trying to start my first brew in a couple weeks. If the amount of sugars exceed the tolerance of the yeast, will this make the result sweeter?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yes, unless the conditions are favorable enough that the yeasts go beyond their tolerance. Also, if you exceed the sugar amount too much you can stress your yeasts. That is why in our newer videos we tend to plan the brew to go dry and then back sweeten to taste. The choice ultimately is yours.

[@katiebowman2270]

@@CitySteadingBrews So when you back sweeten, would youneed to pasteurize to prevent risking fermentation from starting back up? Is there a way to safely do this without souvide equipment?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Sure! We just like the emersion heater as it keeps the temperature steady. Here is a pasteurization method without utilizing sous vide. kzbin.info/www/bejne/imrZqIifl66Mm5o

[@jamesvaughn1354]

My honey blueberry ale I had put blow off tude on it for week. In fact it blow the top off my 5 gallon forminter that was fun

[@jesse9616]

Hey guys! I've watched a ton of your videos and finally have my first question for you. Last night I started the brew for this recipe (spiced apple wine). Today the brew is very active and has a strong sulfur smell. The Internet has mixed guidance ranging from there's no issue to act now or your batch will be ruined. What are your thoughts? Am I safe or do I need to take some action? I used a whole packet of Fleischmans yeast in a gallon container with a starting gravity of 1.110.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It's normally a result of not enough aeration at creation. It normally ages out in time.

[@jesse9616]

@@CitySteadingBrews thanks! Is it too late to aerate it now since I'm still within 24 hours? I thought I shook the bejesus out of it, but apparently not!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Should be fine.

[@coltonmcquarrie5558]

Hey Brian and Derica. I really love you guys episode's. Very helpful educational. So if I may ask: what kind of yeast would you suggest using for a sweet apple raspberry wine? And what do you guys prefer your original and final gravity for a SWEET apple raspberry wine? I'm asking cuz I want to make easily drinkable SWEET apple raspberry wine. And when I say sweet I mean sweet where it balances the ethanol taste. I wanna make alot in time for the Minnesota renaissance festival. For my first batch I'm in the middle of I used some fresh juiced honeycrisp apples and 2 12 oz concentrated frozen apple raspberry juice by old orchard and followed the instructions on it put 3 lbs sugar and well... bread yeast since it's an experiment and so far taste great not done yet tho. Didn't get an og for it tho. This is only a 1 gallon experiment obviously Any advice or tips and or your preferences would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Sweetness is very much a person judgment call. That said, we suggest you use enough fermentable sugars to reach your target ABV (as long as that target isn’t too high) then back sweeten to your personal liking. As far as yeast selection goes, something that has your preferred ABV tolerance and offers fruity esters should work great.

[@coltonmcquarrie5558]

@@CitySteadingBrews thanks guys I appreciate your advice

[@shannoncraig509]

I make a similar recipe but use 2 lbs of honey and McCormick apple pie spice mix.

[@sarzootashoota351]

See this is smart. Do you have any issues removing the powdered spices at the end?? Or is it pretty easy to just rack them off?.

[@shannoncraig509]

@@sarzootashoota351 The spice will stay in suspension mostly and I rack off any that doesn't. The finished product isn't crystal clear but is almost completely clear and taste great.

[@jayvandenburgh855]

I could use a bit of advice. While I anxiously wait for some of my brewing equipment to arrive that I just ordered, I'm adding recipes that interest me the most in the app Brewfather. I've already added your Blueberry Mead with no issues. But this recipe for the Spiced Apple Pie Wine... I've run into a snag with the program. It wants the fermentable listed by weight rather than volume. Since you were aiming for a specific gravity, you calculated the need to add an additional 1.2 lbs of sugar. (Actually lost me on the math with how you calculated this btw!) You also wanted to leave a bit more headroom just in case it really went wild on fermentation. So... how can I get a rough guestimate of the weight of the juice you used? Since you didn't use the whole bottle?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Convert the weight to volume. Normally google fu can tell you x cups is x grams.

[@jayvandenburgh855]

It's not the conversion I'm having an issue with. I know you made this wine over a year ago, but I'm trying to figure out how much of the gallon of juice you actually did use...or a rough guestimate. On a personal note, I've nerve damage. My already horrible handwriting has been made exponentially worse with hand tremors. This is why I've chosen to use a program like Brewfather to add recipes to. If it wasn't for that issue, I'd just follow along with your video, while taking notes in a standard notebook.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Well.. the idea was to cook it down to a certain gravity. So there is no measurement of volume or weight. Probably about a gallon, so probably 8 lbs. I cannot say for sure because the method used is applicable for any volume.

[@jayvandenburgh855]

understood! this will be a big help!@@CitySteadingBrews

[@chrisschmalhofer4348]

Is it bad that whenever Brian says they’re going to “take a reading”, I flash to a certain scene in Spaceballs where Barf is praying very loudly and quickly?

[@dennisjeffrey5453]

Do you think these recipes would be good with a pressed apple cider?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Absolutely!

[@aqhan]

I had to stop giving sample to my wife if it's an active fermentation. Her ulcers flare up and she has very serious pains for some time after. I seem to have an asbestos lined stomach, at most I need a bathroom break.

[@jeremy-ez6nd]

if it stalls early what happens...??? can it not sit for secondary if it stalls at say 1.030...???

[@CitySteadingBrews]

If you rack it… you are actually removing viable yeast and nutrients for those yeast. So if it’s stalled, racking is the last thing you want to do. Usually adding some yeast hulls and a good mix works for us. If not, adding a stronger yeast should work. That’s all assuming it’s a stall and not just hitting the alcohol tolerance of the yeast you used.

[@jeffreywoita408]

So, because of "supply issues" I can't get whole cinnamon sticks in my area. Can ground cinnamon be used? If so, how much?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You can use ground but it is more than likely to cause a mess. It is also nearly impossible to get out to avoid over extraction. That said, perhaps a teaspoon to be safe?

[@jeffreywoita408]

I made a quart batch to experiment, used 1/2 teaspoon or less. Will report results in a few weeks or so. Thanks!

[@kevind1470]

HI DERICA and BRIAN my name is KEVIN I am a member of your paid channel I injoy your channel so much DERICA HAD SAID IT WOULD VERY GOOD AS A MEED and I get that that would de very nice and I have come up with a idea a 1/2 meed and 2/2 wine 😂 if that makes eney sense can you use 1/2 sugar and 1/2 honey to give it that nice honey flavor she was talking about so please let me know what you think about it thank you 😊

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Or just make it a mead…. Why use half honey half sugar?

[@kevind1470]

@CitySteadingBrews because I would like it to have that nice honey taste and a higher alcohol than mead so what do you think

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Mead can have whatever abv you want, just like wine. Point being you don’t need the sugar… unless I don’t understand your question. As for what I think of mixing? I don't see the point. You're losing honey flavor, and gaining nothing with sugar. Either use all sugar, and use adjuncts for flavor, or use all honey and add honey character. Mixing is just less of either.

[@kevind1470]

@CitySteadingBrews o OK 👍 I did not know mead could have the same alcohol level as sugar I don't know very much about mead but on the plus side I live in OHIO right now in Amish community so you know what that means thar are Apple archery every wear and fresh squeeze apple juice streat out the press thank you for your help going to make some spiced apple mead I will tell you how it comes out

[@joeanzo5]

Question for you guys I'm attempting to make a apple pie cyser, added 2lbs of honey about 1/2 lbs of brown sugar and used apple cider, gravity came out to 1.110 added yest checked it this morning and the foam is over flowing but also turned to a jelly like consistency (just the foam) any idea what's going on? Any help would be appreciated

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Did you add any clearing agents?

[@joeanzo5]

@CitySteadingBrews nope only day 1 into fermentation from.what I read seems like it's krausen

[@stevemartin6578]

Next time you measure out your fermaid, could you give us the measurement in tsp as well? My scale is not that accurate depending it's mood and how breezy it is in the kitchen. 😁 BTW I LOVE the channel, You guys are doing wonders for hesitant brewers like myself.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You really want to do it by weight. I bought a small scale just for those types of measurements. Two grams is a precise thing, but some fraction of a tsp really isn’t and could lead to either too much or too little and it does matter.

[@brandonsmith5743]

When i used 1/8 tsp fermaod o it removed all foam, then i added 18% champaigne yeast for my 1G spiced apple wine. Seams to be circulating and little foam on top, i degased for first 3 days. Is it normal

[@CitySteadingBrews]

From what you told me it seems fine.

[@nicholaskarako5701]

The semantics that defines a brew as wine, cider/hard cider etc. If your brew taste good and if it has alcohol in it. It's all joy juice unless you over indulge so drink responsibility.

[@jameswatters9592]

simples, made with apples its cider, made with pears its perry, made with grapes or grape juice in its wine

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Not so simple. What is a 4% blueberry? Or a 18% apple?