🍏 Homemade Extra Dry Orchard White Wine (~11–12% ABV)
If you prefer crisp, refreshing white wine, this orchard recipe is perfect. Using apples and pears as the base, you can produce a clean, extra dry wine that’s diabetic-friendly (no residual sugar) and ready to enjoy within months. The key technique here is the split sugar strategy, which keeps the yeast healthy and ensures a smooth fermentation.
🍷 Ingredients (1 Gallon / 4.5 Litres)
- 2.5–3 kg apples and pears (ripe, cores out, skins on)
- 650 g white sugar (split across two stages)
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 Campden tablet (optional)
- 1 sachet of white wine yeast (QA23, EC-1118, or V1116 recommended)
- Water to make 4.5 L
🥄 Method
Step 1 — Primary Fermentation (Days 0–7)
- Chop and lightly crush the apples and pears into a sterilised fermenting bucket.
- Dissolve 450 g sugar in hot water, pour over the fruit. Top up with cold water to ~3.5 L.
- Stir in pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, and Campden tablet if using. Cover and leave 12–24 hours.
- Take a hydrometer reading. Target OG: 1.060–1.065.
- Pitch yeast, cover loosely, and stir daily with a stirring spoon for 5–7 days.
👉 Checkpoint: When SG drops to 1.020–1.030, strain fruit and move liquid to a demijohn.
Step 2 — Secondary Fermentation (Week 1+)
- Dissolve the remaining 200 g sugar in cooled water. Add this to the strained liquid in the demijohn.
- Top up to 4.5 L with water.
- Check hydrometer again. Target OG: 1.080–1.085.
- Fit airlock & bung and allow fermentation to finish.
👉 Final Gravity (FG): 0.995–0.990 for an extra dry white wine at 11–12% ABV.
Step 3 — Clearing & Bottling
- Rack off sediment every 2–3 months until the wine is clear.
- Bottle using bottling equipment & caps when stable and bright.
Ageing: Drinkable within 6 months, though it improves with 9+ months of patience.
💡 Tips for Success
- Extra dry finish: Let fermentation go all the way down — no back-sweetening.
- Use clean, ripe fruit: Bruised fruit adds off-flavours.
- Hydrometer is your best friend: Ensures you hit the right balance of sugar and ABV.
- Keep it cool: White wines ferment best at steady, moderate temperatures.
- Drink young or aged: Crisp and fresh early on, but gains body with time.
🍷 Final Thoughts
This extra dry white is perfect for those who prefer crisp wines with no sweetness — ideal if you’re making wine for diabetic-friendly drinking. Using apples and pears straight from the garden, you’ll capture a fresh orchard flavour in every bottle. With the split sugar method, fermentation is steady, reliable, and stress-free.
Related Guides & Recipes
👉 How to make homemade mixed orchard red wine