Maple Wine/Liquor

[woodey24]

Anybody every tried making any Maple Mead? Maple Liquor? Seems that it could be a good sugar source.

[Ghs57]

I wanted to try this, but my research suggested it did not have much flavor. What I did do last year was use syrup to raise the brix of some wild berry wine I was making. For a 3 gallon batch, it took about 2 quarts, plus some dextrose. How'd it come out, you ask? Meh.

Maybe someone has a better recipe than any I found.

[MISugarDaddy]

Maple Moon in Petoskey make maple flavored wine. Not sure of their phone number, but you might want to give them a call.
Gary

[woodey24]

Is that a brew pub? I am looking for small batch hobby recipes, grandpa recipes etc...

[medic5794]

I made maple wine last year (first time ever making any kind of wine) and the results were not so good. I would attempt it again now that I have more experience.

[Evets]

Last year I simply added syrup to vodka. I started with a standard bottle and added syrup until it tasted right, not too sweet. The syrup stays in solution, so once it's mixed in it stays mixed in. I suppose you could use Everclear instead of vodka if you want a bigger kick, or water it down, or use raw sap for less.

[MISugarDaddy]

Maple Moon is a sugarbush in Petoskey. They tap around 5,000 trees and have used syrup to flavor some varieties. Very nice owners who enjoy talking about their operation.
Gary

[wnybassman]

Two falls ago I made a 4 1/2 gallon batch of cider with 5 pints of syrup added to it, for the added sugar and flavor. Taste was amazing! Unfortunately, I guess it wasn't done when I jugged it up into 1 gallon jugs and ended up making 1 gallon bombs. Our root cellar has a nice apple/maple scent to it now though :D

[woodey24]

Plastic or glass jugs? Did the hydrometer show it was done? I imagine there was still yeast in it? Was there a reason you didn't make it last fall?

[wnybassman]

Plastic or glass jugs? Glass

Did the hydrometer show it was done? I forgot take a reading at the beginning. It sat for a good couple months with zero bubbles, so I thought it was done.

I imagine there was still yeast in it? Probably

Was there a reason you didn't make it last fall? For the second year in a row neighbors didn't have apples again due to late frost. I didn't feel like traveling again like the year before.

[woodey24]

Sorry for so many questions, I am new to the wine/liquor making hobby. I also have bees, so am interested in maybe making Mead. I was surprised that the pressure broke the glass, nature is amazing. With the yeast question I can't think of what else could have caused the expansion, next to freezing that would cause the glass to break. Thank you for responding, I have a coworker that makes the cider and has apples so could be a use of syrup.

[Evets]

Fermentation produces CO2, which builds up and creates pressure, like what causes a champagne cork to fly off. If there's enough in-fermented sugar left when you bottle, it just keeps building pressure til it blows up or runs out.

[woodey24]

I have a hydrometer that shows the ABV, if I check after fermentation period is supposed to be done and it sinks to the .99, is that mean the in-fermented pressure should be done?

[Bricklayer]

I've had a lot of success every year with making hard cider. We make about 250 gallons of apple cider every year and 15 gallons gets dedicated to hard cider.
Last year I experimented with syrup and honey.
Instead of adding cane sugar to the cider I added 1 gallon of syrup.
Not much change at all in flavour.
Same with the honey.
Then I did one batch my normal way with cane sugar let it sit in the carboy for 6 months to make sure it was done and no yeast left. Then I back sweetened it with maple syrup.
Huge difference. Had a maple taste. Was basically maple flavoured wine.
Not much apple taste.
This year I am going to take the sweet I have left over in the pans at the end of the year and experiment with that. Ferment it like I would the cider. Then back sweeten it with syrup or maple sugar.
I usually use champagne yeast for the ciders. So I will do the same with the sweet.
My friends dad always tells me that wine can be made from anything. As long as it's got sugar in it. And if you screw it up. Your left with a years supply of vinegar.

[CharlieVT]

Anybody every tried making any Maple Mead? Maple Liquor? Seems that it could be a good sugar source.

Browse around this site. These folks are in my neighborhood and I've sampled some of their stuff, maple liqueur, maple bourbon, etc.
You won't find any recipes but you may get some ideas.

http://www.saxtonsriverdistillery.com/

[The Sweet Spot]

It is hard to control the fermentation. Maple syrup has so much sugar that the yeast gets out of control. if you flash freeze it when it is done you have a chance to kill the fermentation process. Or you can do like I do and take your chances. It has lots of flavor and the alcohol content can get quite high. We have filed for our winery liscence and have been making maple wine and maple lacqure for about 6-7 years. Have fun and take your time, use champagne yeast and start small. Go 50/50 cut with h20 and always use a bubbler. Good luck

[nasion]

I started a batch of maple wine last year. I used about 1.75 gallons of syrup for a 5 gallon batch of wine. It had quite a lot of residual sugar left once the yeast was done which is fine by me - I like sweet drinks. Still aging, but I plan to crack open a bottle on the first boil of 2018. Might be another month here in the U.P. of Michigan though... being patient is hard, maybe I'll call it when I tap the trees! It had a great flavor when I bottled it and showed promise, just needed to simmer down a bit (going on 8 months aging now). No bottle bombs, stored in a cool basement.

This was my first wine and I've gotten quite a lot of experience since. I'm planning another straight maple wine this year, as well as maple-honey mead using honey from my dead beehives, and maybe a maple wine with hints of blueberry. Something like alcoholic pancakes!

[woodsy]

I've been home brewing beer and mead for a few years now and decided to try Maple Wine with some of this years syrup.
In order to be considered mead I think it should be at least 50 % honey.
I didn't have to buy anything for the now 4 gal batch, started with 3.5 gals, added some more syrup and water to up the ABV
enough to hopefully end up with some residual sweetness/maple flavor. Had wine yeast on hand.
Had some honey leftover from last years harvest so added that and a qt of blueberries from the freezer that we picked here last summer.
The blueberries should add some acidity .

4 gal. batch Maple Wine:
1 gal. maple syrup
1 pint of basswood honey
1 qt blueberries
1 package 71b yeast
Water to make 4 gallons + a little extra for loss when going into secondary fermentation .
I got a 1.105 reading on the hydrometer initially but added more syrup so maybe went higher.

Stir or shake all well to aerate , pitch yeast, be patient. I put a cover on the 5 gal pail with airlock
and about 30 hrs later it started burping a little. It started out a liitle on the cold side for the yeast but maintaining mid to high 60s now, going real good, whole house
smells like a brewery.
Took the cover off and replaced with a clean towel for ease of access
as it should be stirred lightly couple times a day if you can to help the gas escape. This is only done
during the fist week or two when fermentation is robust. Also been adding yeast energizer and nutrients daily, also only done
for the first 4-5 days.
Thats it except for transferring to secondary in a month or more, should be ready enough for next years sugarin operation.

[BRL]

Sounds great woodsy! Please let us know how it comes out!

[Obidiah]

I add 1/2 gallon of maple syrup along with 4 pounds of dark brown sugar to 5 gallon batches of homemade apple cider. I achieve 9-11% alcohol content on a delicious dry wine.

[achesser]

I just started a 10 gallon batch. I took sweet left in the evaporator and added some syrup to it to get the sugar high enough. I wonder if any maple flavor would be left if it was distilled after fermentation?

[BlueberryHill]

I did the same thing as you achesser, and it came out really great and there is a hint of maple for sure. That was 3 years ago. The last 2 years, I tried it again and both times it failed to ferment completely. Just yesterday I started my 4th year attempt. I started out this time with some yeast nutrient added to give they yeast a kick start. Hopefully it'll do the trick and come out like my 1st (lucky) batch.

[achesser]

I have some yeast nutrient but did not think to put any in for some reason. I suppose I could take the air lock off and sprinkle some in. It is bubbling slowly now.

[woodsy]

My maple wine is already 1/2 way fermented after 5 days. Started at 1.105 on the hydrometer and
its at 1.050 this morning.
Been dropping about 20 points a day. Really vigorous fermentation.
Adding some yeast energizer and nutrients daily plus stirring the gas out, only a 1/8 tsp of each daily.
I suspect the maple syrup has a decent amount of minerals so not sure if adding nutrients is necessary
but had some on hand.
Its good to mix/dissolve any additions with a little water before adding to the must because if
you just sprinkle it in it creates a lot of foaming.

[Kawierider]

I have made three batches of the “maple wine”. The third, last years batch has been the best so far. I label them “maples mark” and “sugarbush surprise” (tm pending)

Biggest problem has been what to call it: no honey so it’s not a mead: no grapes so it’s not wine: no distillation (yet) so it’s not vodka.

I’ve done it two ways: the first was boiled to the SG I wanted and fermented. I used two different yeasts (lalvin 1087 and d47). The 1087 brew turned out like a sweet Riesling with more body and a deeper flavor. The d47 brew seemed to get pectin haze for some reason. It’s undrinkable: but I may distill it just to see what it ends up like.

The third batch was boiled all the way to syrup then mixed with raw boiled sap until my s.g was reached. I step fed until the i was at 20% abv. Then added another stage to get enough sweetness to balance it out. It was HOT while young, but aged out to a very sweet dessert wine. Lots of bourbon character, and Smokey character, and a lot of sweetness. After one year of aging, the burn is gone. Very well received by my (possibly too polite friends). A very cultured co worker said it was very much like a sherry.

I can post better notes if anyone is interested.

[nasion]

I have made three batches of the “maple wine”. The third, last years batch has been the best so far. I label them “maples mark” and “sugarbush surprise” (tm pending)

Biggest problem has been what to call it: no honey so it’s not a mead: no grapes so it’s not wine: no distillation (yet) so it’s not vodka.

I’ve done it two ways: the first was boiled to the SG I wanted and fermented. I used two different yeasts (lalvin 1087 and d47). The 1087 brew turned out like a sweet Riesling with more body and a deeper flavor. The d47 brew seemed to get pectin haze for some reason. It’s undrinkable: but I may distill it just to see what it ends up like.

The third batch was boiled all the way to syrup then mixed with raw boiled sap until my s.g was reached. I step fed until the i was at 20% abv. Then added another stage to get enough sweetness to balance it out. It was HOT while young, but aged out to a very sweet dessert wine. Lots of bourbon character, and Smokey character, and a lot of sweetness. After one year of aging, the burn is gone. Very well received by my (possibly too polite friends). A very cultured co worker said it was very much like a sherry.

I can post better notes if anyone is interested.

Dang, unlucky with the d47. My first batch of maple wine I used d47 with fully boiled syrup and it turned out great, just finished up it's mandatory year of aging and it turned out a lot like you described. Did you use pectic enzyme to take down the haze at all? Had a lot of heat going into the bottles, but it mellowed out significantly and is a great desert wine. Still has enough maple character that when I tried it with friends they all wanted more... and pancakes. Probably a bit on the sweeter side than I had intended, though I can claim it as a rookie mistake since it was my first homebrew!

Love your names by the way. I went with The Sugar Shack Special for mine.

18496

[Kevinco]

I have not tried a a wine yet but I did make Bourbon. Bought a 5 litre oak barrel. Bought 5 litres of corn " Moonshine". Bourbon is 51% corn in first use white oak barrels. Filled the barrel with shine for 8 months. Tapped it for deer season and Christmas with excellent reviews. Next was 4 months of 2016 syrup. Came out great.
Feb 2017 filled the barrel with the cheapest Rye whiskey I could find. Let the barrel do it's magic again and pulled it after 10 months for Christmas. This batch came out fantastic. 3 fingers, 2 ice cubes equals a happy hobbyist. Next,
Filled with 2017 syrup. Tasting good after 2 months. The final batch will be vinegar made from homemade pear cider 3 years ago. Tough being patient, but it pays off. There are charts showing how many months in smaller barrels equal years in a 55 gal barrel.
After visiting Wayne Gretzky's distillery in Niagara on the Lake in Canada I am working on a Maple Whiskey Cream Liquor. I am on my 3rd test run, and am getting close to a final recipe.

[red dorakeen]

Kevinco,

A popular thing in craft beers is aging a good imperial stout in a bourbon/maple barrel.

Maybe that would be a good next step for your barrel.

[Brandy Brook Maple Farm]

We make traditional wine in sweet or dry by fermenting exclusively with our very own maple syrup at Brandy Brook Maple Farm & Olde Tyme Winery. Currently, we have 14 varieties, but five are sold out until 2017 vintage is mature. Among those in stock are Red Rasperry, Apple, Blackberry, Concord, Rose, St. Pepin, Kaleidoscope (a fruit red), and Blueberry. Strawberry Rhubarb will be introduced for the first time near Mother's Day. Maple based wines are unique in both their taste and scent, with the integrity of the real fruit and grapes we use coming through in the wine. Maple based alcohols are starting to gain popularity in the marketplace. It is a great value added endeavor for our mid-size family maple farm
We are open by appointment. Cheers!