A friend gave me some half-boiled sap to start some maple wine.
Ok, Let's start at the beginning. Finished maple syrup is about 67% sugar.
SO2 levels after MLHi, I have been reading some past messages of this forum but still have some questions...
I use a 1:1 ratio with water giving me 33-34% sugar . SG is 1.125
Use a malic acid tolerant yeast , I use Lavin 71-B .Use a nutrient.
I've found the best way is to heat the whole thing up so it's giving off a bit of steam , Take a bowl of the must and when it's cooled to 90-100F cast in some yeast. Pour the rest of the must into a carboy and sprinkle in some yeast. Don't shake it, don't move it any more than you have to. Let the yeast float on top. Once the bowl of yeast is going gently pour it in and airlock it.
I only make 1 imperial gallon at a time , larger quanities might be harder to work with,
The heat from the must will help the yeast . Don't shake or stir .
I use a dark syrup and after a day or two a distinct line will form, dark on the bottom, straw coloured on the top and the line , over maybe a week , will move down the carboy.
Let it finish on it's own, around 14% will kill off the yeast , Mine takes about 3 months . Super sweet straw coloured dessert wine,
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