gobigred

Recipes 

My first post here on HomeBrewTalk. Just had some thoughts on this epic thread. When this thread started, I was 17 and a senior in high school. Since then I have taken up drinking, graduated from college, started working, started brewing, got married and I am finally about to bottle my first batch of Apfelwein. Cheers!

DarkBrood

Recipes 

Oy! Talk about a damn reality check.....I'm gettin' old...

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mikemet

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said to my friends last week....


man you look wasted... and your only on your first cup of apfelwein


That stuff is the bombdiddy

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Primary 1 > Funky Dunky w/ Lemon test
Primary 2 > Apfelwein
Primary 3 > Experimental Pale Ale

Bottled > Bellys Belgium-E, Brown Eye PA-E, Pale Ale-E, Guinness -biab, Apfelwein, Funky Dunky Blonde-biab

wuilliez

Recipes 

Just bottled this yesterday, and I can tell it's gonna be amazing. After sampling a glass it was very dry and had a minor sweetness in the background. I can't wait to see what it'll taste like a few months down the road.

EnjoyGoodBeer

Recipes 

Hellz yeah im doing this batch next week. Gonna try to let age for a year. But I know me gonna have to by a extra bucket for 2 batches cause I wont be able to wait till next season to share. Prost all!

JacktheKnife

Recipes 

Gentlemen,


After a long absence from the forum I wanted to get back into the brewing thing, specifically Apfelwein. I used to brew with LME but coming home from a 5 month stay in the hospital after my motorcycle wreck {2001}
I opened the 5 gallon buckets of LME to find an inch of white mold on top. I brewed with it and it gave you a buzz but tasted bad. So I started using DME. Then a 55 Lb sack of DME went up in price $35. - $40. over night and I figured my 57 cent, 6 3/4% alcohol homebrew now cost 93 cents, and I can buy a beer for 93 cents so rather than go back to LME I stopped brewing.

I always had a problem with drinking my homebrew before it was ready. From drinking out of the primary, to drinking out of the secondary, to drinking it before it was carbonated I rarely let it stay the required 3-4 months in the bottle before I drank it. Store bought beer is always ready so I just drank store bought beer. Also since I am a coon hunter I refused to spend all the cool weather, all coon hunting season in the kitchen slaving over a hot brew pot to save 15 cents on a 12 oz beer.
Then I got a new Doctor who told me: "Jack, your health depends on you not drinking beer." So everything went from bad to worse and I got even more depressed.

I thought about it and realized my Doctor being from India doesn't drink beer. I mean who ever heard of a beer made in India. Ever hear of 'Mahatma Beer'? How about 'Yogi Beer?' I realized I was worrying needlessly and I needed a beer so rather than brew beer with all the cooking and mess I thought I would just make Apfelwein. I still have my 3- 7 1/2 gallon primaries and my 3- 5 gallon secondaries and if the first few batches were made with no sugar there would be little waiting before I could drink it. Then a few batches with sugar and try to put them back to age. 22.5 gallons of 6- 6.5%, 15 gallons of 8.5% and the first batch being ready early because of being sugarless I can make another batch in the primaries.

I liked my old recipe for ale mein acht pfund hammerbier, 'Crystal Bisquet'.
I gave two bottles to a nurse at the Hospital and it got rave reports. {One of the few batches that had been in the bottle for 3-4 months} I like to brew and I like to drink beer. I like to coon hunt too so I will just have to work harder. I get a disability check Wednesday and I'll go buy apple juice and yeast and get started. Get my old brewing stuff down from the attic, my Hamilton Tavern apron from Lanark Scotland 1743, clean up all the gear and get busy. It's good to be back...


Jack the Knife
{Jack Hamilton}
and Dukedog
{Sandymay died last March}

BrewerBear

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Welcome back Jack. All things in moderation.

irchowi

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Started my batch on August 13 and it has been 6 weeks now. I am planning on bottling and letting it carb. Can I get some input on leaving it dry vs sweetening with apple concentrate?

Also when I rack the wine off of the lees, would it be a good idea to leave the lees in there and start a batch of skeeter pee right on top?

Tritonal

Recipes 

I started 5 gallons of this about 2 weeks ago, I've noticed there hasn't been any bubbling in the airlock for a good 4 days so I decided to check it out with the hydrometer and it is at 1.00 right now. Is that to quick or does that sound about right? I know the directions say it doesnt require racking to a secondary but would it hurt at all if I did rack it to a glass carboy?

Recluse

Recipes 

Main fermentation is probably done, but leave it in until it clears. Generally about 4 weeks, though I always leave it in for at least 8 weeks. No need for secondary, but it probably won't hurt. Then again, the yeasties are probably still gobbling up some of the byproducts and it is best to leave them to it until they pretty much all drop out.