Maple Wine

[Ittiz]

A couple years ago, when I first started tapping I didn't get much sap. So instead of making syrup I boiled it down to about 1/4th sugar and inoculated it with a wine making yeast. A year later I tried it out and in my opinion it made a pretty good wine. Has anyone else tried this, if so what was your results?

[stoneslabs]

sound nice, what is the alcohol content?

[Ittiz]

I didn't measure it with a hydrometer but I'd guess between 10% and 15%. Still had a bit of sweetness, but was much stronger than beer.

[sugaringcrazy]

I did about the same thing a couple years ago, but I just used the left over sweet from the last boil of the year. I took a wine hydrometer to measure sugar content, and then I added a champagne wine yeast. You need to have the right sugar content to make wine, and I wish I knew the brix number off the top of my head, but I would have to look it up again. I made a very delicious, mellow wine that had a hint of maple, and a noticeably high alcohol content compared to other "normal" wines. I'm excited to make some more, and I want to make it a more replicable process by just diluting water with syrup. I'm guessing grade b will make the best by adding the extra maple touch!

[Ittiz]

I was also thinking of just watering down maple syrup, but I'm not sure it'd be as good since you don't have the stuff you usually filter out of the syrup before you bottle it. I'm guessing it wouldn't quite be the same thing. I could try doing it any time I guess, just dilute some syrup, though I'd have to wait awhile to try it.

[rayi]

There is a man Jack Keller. Makes wine out of just about anything. One his website he must have hundreds of recipes. Also Winepres has a downloadable book with 2 or 3 hundred more. I make wine and beer when I have time when it's not maple season

[Mark]

I have a five gallon carboy fermenting for the last few months. It sure is taking a lot longer than the cherry wine. I put in two gallons of syrup and three gallons of water plus yeast starter. I am waiting to see if it still tastes like maple syrup when finished.