How to Brew (Yes, Brew) Maple

Maple brew (or maple wine, as some people call it) is nothing new. After all, mead (honey wine) has been around for ages, and some beer recipes have been known to use maple syrup. And as midlife-crisis men start brewing things left and right, it was only a matter of time for maple sap to be added to the mix. So, how do you make your own maple brew? You follow these instructions.

Step #1

Start with 10 gallons of maple sap and reduce them into one gallon, which will be a lot thicker and a lot more sugary. A triple hydrometer could help you check the sugar content. If it reads the 1.100 mark or somewhere near it, you’re good. But you can also just play it by ear if you don’t have this gadget.

Step #2

Let the reduced syrup cool down to room temp. This could take a while, so in the meantime, sanitize the gallon-sized glass jug that where you will store your brew. You can do this with home-brew sanitizer or some good-old vodka. Don’t forget to sanitize a wine lock and a stopper.

Step #3

When your syrup water is at room temp and your jug is sanitized, pour the former into the latter and throw in a little packet of red wine yeast and use the stopper and wine lock to seal the jug. Store it somewhere dark where the temperature steadily remains 60-70 degrees and set a calendar reminder to two months from now. During this time, the liquid will bubble a little and eventually settle down.

Step #4

After your two months of waiting are over, pour your brew (minus the sediments) into a different (also sanitized) container. Your new wine should be clear, but if it isn’t, pop over at the local homebrew shop and get some hot wine finings mix. Pour it into your brew and let it sit for a week. After that, the remaining sediments should sink and you should be able to pour the clear liquid into a different, final vessel. Bottle this baby up and let it age, or just start drinking. The drink should have a smooth texture, a sweet maple taste, and about %20 alcohol volume.