Man, I love Apfelwein

mew said:

Would a food-grade bucket be able to keep enough oxygen out for four weeks?

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I'm wondering the same thing. I'm using an Ale Pail for my batch. Worse comes to worse, I transfer it to my glass primary in 2 weeks when it's finally free.

Ok. What do y'all prefer? Still or sparkling Apfelwein?

Thanks.

I will bottle mine next weekend. I'm going to prime some, and bottle some as is so we can try it both ways.

BrewStef said:

Ok. What do y'all prefer? Still or sparkling Apfelwein?

Thanks.

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Mine is sparkling only because I keg it and dispense it at 10 lb. PSI. After a week on gas it gets carbed.

I like it still and sparkling.

Hmm.

Cracked a bottle tonight to see if, perchance, it would be ready for Thanksgiving.

Nope.

I wasn't expecting it fully carbed, it's only been a week and a half, but it almost tastes a little watery. Not quite as much flavor as I recall when I bottled it. I expected it to be thin, but it's missing something.

I suspect that being cheap with the juice (trying to do this project for less than $10) might have been my downfall. I may also bump up the sugar a little bit (if I use brown sugar again), just to give a little more warmth. I'll give it more time, but I think next time I need to jack up the flavor a little bit more. Maybe a can of concentrate.

Luckily, it's easy as hell to make!

EDIT: I can feel this has some kick, though! It's good, I'm sure it will get better - but I can and will do better next time...

Properly chilled, it should be dry, light, & crisp. The second glass tastes better than the first, and by the third, you'll understand.

On a hot day, it's even better. When it gets cold, you can make a nice grog. Here's the recipe.

Take cup of Apfelwein in a small saucepan, add 2 oz. of Turbinado Sugar and 3 cloves and a 1/4 stick of cinnamon and bring to a boil. Take off heat and let steep for 30 minutes.

Add this mixture to a quart of Apfelwein and heat gently before serving in mugs.

For an added kick, add some spiced rum. Hmmm Good.

Winter is coming, you guys will be ready!

Doesn't boiling kill off the alcohol?

I guess the crispness was a little lacking, it tasted a little flat (even moreso then when I tasted it wholly still). It's still good, but again, I think I used a base apple juice that was inherently less flavorful that I should have (SWMBO bought some good natural juice a few weeks ago, and I could definately tell the difference).

Time to try, try again!

First , let me say that this is one loooong thread! I think we will see 20 pages soon.

Now, I just bottled both of mine. The "Ed's Original" recipe was a nice lite dry wine wine taste. Has a little fizz to it, but otherwise flat. It was nice after the first glass. Cold was better. The other one, "The_Bird" recipe was definitely sweeter and was very much like a light cider. That I have primed and awaiting carbonation. Now I have one sweet and one dry, something for everyone.


The only thing that I would consider changing would be to bump up the flavor slightly or adding another flavor component, like maybe a spiced apple, or caramel apple cider . Just to see how it would come out. But, being as cheap as it was to make, I will definitely make this a constant in the fridge.

Thanks Ed!

I bottle/kegged mine the other night. Ten 22 oz. bottles, five each carbed and uncarbed, combined with four gallons kegged, I should get a good feeling for what tastes best (for me).

Very excited about trying new things with this recipe considering how easy it is to make.

Thanks Ed.

todd_k said:

Doesn't boiling kill off the alcohol?

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I would think so, that's why the recipe calls for bringing only 1 cup to a boil, so you can disolve the sugar and allow the spices to steep in it for 30 minutes before adding it to a quart of Apfelwein that you gently heat to serving temp.

I see!

Let me ask you another question, since I have to transfer it over to the glass carboy at some point, should I allow more time than the 4 weeks for it to settle out again?

todd_k said:

I see!

Let me ask you another question, since I have to transfer it over to the glass carboy at some point, should I allow more time than the 4 weeks for it to settle out again?

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It's up to you. You can leave it there to age if you wish. I just kegged a batch that was in carboy over two months. You should be able to go up to 6 months without issue.

Ok, I'm going to bottle today. Questions is, does it matter if I keep the bottled wine in the frig or at room temp?

JnJ said:

Ok, I'm going to bottle today. Questions is, does it matter if I keep the bottled wine in the frig or at room temp?

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If you want to drink it, keep it in the fridge. Storing it at room temp should be fine.

I decided to join the bandwagon and give your recipe a go. It seemed almost too easy to make.

Thanks Ed!

Finally made it to Sam's Club for enough apple juice to start my own batch. My buckets and Better Bottle have been dormant since upgrading to a conical. I can't wait to put this recipe together tomorrow. Thanks, Ed, for the simplistic means of making a what oughta be a hell of a cider!

My wife loves hard cider, and she caught wind of this thread, and now I think I have no choice but to jump on board as well and make at least one batch of this. . .

Now, I'm planning on putting this on tap when it's done--and I like a little bubbly in it, so I was thinking of doing a small amount of force carbonation--question is, how many PSI?? I was thinking of holding it at 10 or 12 for a week or so.

I carb mine between 10 & 12 PSI as that is my dispensing pressure. It works great for me. It will be ready after a week.

I just kegged another batch today and brought a new keg online. SWMBO gives her approval. She's loving it on tap.

The Montrachet yeast by the way packs down nice and tight after 4 weeks. I can move the Better bottle to siphoning height without any disturbance of the yeast.

I'm on week three and I pulled off a sample. Getting a little sour apple flavor. Will this mellow out or is that how it's supposed to be?

Made mine today! I put 6 quarts into a pot and brought it to 150 degrees before dissolving the corn sugar in it. Dumped it into the carboy along with the other 4 gallons at room temp. Hoping to see airlock activity soon!

Well, Ed, I made mine today as well--wife more than happily went to the store and got the ingredients--
I followed your recipe with a small variance--
I used 5 gallons of apple cider instead of juice.

I also added 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon along with the 2 lbs of dextrose, dissolved everything in water, brought to a brief boil, and dumped in the carboy.

I also used the Montrachet yeast (it was a packet that was given to me by our LHBS).

I can't wait!!

olllllo said:

I'm on week three and I pulled off a sample. Getting a little sour apple flavor. Will this mellow out or is that how it's supposed to be?

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Oh yeah, I just put a keg online that was made October 5th and it's very smooth. Any time over 4 weeks just makes it better!

Yuri_Rage said:

Made mine today! I put 6 quarts into a pot and brought it to 150 degrees before dissolving the corn sugar in it. Dumped it into the carboy along with the other 4 gallons at room temp. Hoping to see airlock activity soon!

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I don't boil or heat anything, but in any event, you'll be waking up to blub blub.

Biermann said:

Well, Ed, I made mine today as well--wife more than happily went to the store and got the ingredients--
I followed your recipe with a small variance--
I used 5 gallons of apple cider instead of juice.

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Sounds interesting. Was your cider cloudy? Any preservatives or additives?

I'd love to hear how it turns out after 7 weeks.

EdWort said:

Sounds interesting. Was your cider cloudy? Any preservatives or additives?

I'd love to hear how it turns out after 7 weeks.

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My cider has been fermenting for a while and it is still quite cloudy, I don't know exactly how long but I would guess about 5 weeks so far. I sampled it and noted some harsh flavors. I'll have to let it finish to see.. I used 1 gallon cider and 1 pound sugar with nottingham yeast.

Kegged my first batch of Apfelwein after four weeks and I must say it is amazing! It is very clear and is the perfect balance of apple notes and dryness. Followed Ed's recipe to the letter, but used White House Apple Juice and only one pound of dextrose. Tomorrow, a new batch will be born Sometimes the simpliest recipe is all it takes to make something very tasty. Thanks Ed, I think SWMBO might actually like this one.

Todd said:

My cider has been fermenting for a while and it is still quite cloudy, I don't know exactly how long but I would guess about 5 weeks so far. I sampled it and noted some harsh flavors. I'll have to let it finish to see.. I used 1 gallon cider and 1 pound sugar with nottingham yeast.

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Wow. That's a big ratio for the sugar, 1 to 1.

I use 2 lbs to 5 gallons (which is 6.4 oz compared with your 16 oz.).

I also use apple juice instead of cider and Montrachet Wine Yeast.

My 5 gallons will cloud up for the first couple of weeks, but will clear up in week 3.

olllllo said:

I'm on week three and I pulled off a sample. Getting a little sour apple flavor. Will this mellow out or is that how it's supposed to be?

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Way to early. I just put a keg on tap that was started 10/05/06 and it's better than a 4 week batch, so patience (or having lots of batches to age) pays off.

vtbrew said:

Kegged my first batch of Apfelwein after four weeks and I must say it is amazing! It is very clear and is the perfect balance of apple notes and dryness. Followed Ed's recipe to the letter, but used White House Apple Juice and only one pound of dextrose. Tomorrow, a new batch will be born Sometimes the simpliest recipe is all it takes to make something very tasty. Thanks Ed, I think SWMBO might actually like this one.

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Cool. I'm glad you like it. Be sure to have some next summer when it's real hot out. It's real refreshing!

Oh, and by the way, Apfelwein is a great Hair of the Dog for the next day! Light, crisp, and at 8.5% it packs a wallop! Perfect for the morning after the Home Brew Club meetings.

EdWort said:

Sounds interesting. Was your cider cloudy? Any preservatives or additives?

I'd love to hear how it turns out after 7 weeks.

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No, it was clear, not cloudy, and no preservatives, although it was pasteurized. It is already fermenting wildly.

It should go pretty heavy for a few days as all that sugar gets eaten up.

I'm off to Munich tomorrow for 10 day, so I need to get another batch going before I go. I think I can fit the 10 minutes in there sometime between 6AM and 1 PM. I bought a bunch of Dextrose in 1 lb. bags, so there's no measuring for me anymore. The most time consuming item is heading to Costco or Sam's to get the juice. I think having a few carboys sitting around aging is a good thing.

OK, I'm not reading all 20 pages, but I have to ask a question or two. I have 5 gallons of apple juice, 1 3/4 lbs priming sugar, and 1/2lbs brown sugar mixed and bubbling away in the carboy. It has been in since the 18th, and still is fuming sulfur...

I know I have 3 + weeks, butI want to ask the questons now. I want to bottle, and no one seems to have asked the question about killing the yeasties, or potential bottle bombs or yeasties working on until the move it to a vinegar state.

Can anyone answer these?

It bubbles for a long time, so relax.

It smells like sulphur for a while, so relax.

It'll stop fermenting at some point, so relax.

Unless you have a sanitation issue, it'll stop pre-vinegar.

No need to kill the yeast.

I bottled mine and carbed half the bottles with carbtabs. I don't think you have to worry about killing the yeast, especially if you intend to bottle and carbonate.

Thanks Byrd and Lyon. I figured someone could answer this quickly.

And Byrd, I am relaxed...I am having a homebrew, just racked a cream ale for SWMBO, and was planning the next brew, when the question from SWMBO came up about bottling the appple for Christmas.....

She is more excited about this one than I am, and I am stoked.

Pirate Ale said:

She is more excited about this one than I am, and I am stoked.

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Ah, then life is good, eh?

When SWMBO is happy, EVERYBODY IS HAPPY!

I just popped open a 22 of apfelwein. After 2.5 reds and now this I might be a bit too happy. Probably will cork off the bottle after a glass, otherwise

EdWort said:

I'm off to Munich tomorrow for 10 day, so I need to get another batch going before I go.

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Trinken Sie Ein guten Bayerisches Bier Fuer mich, und haben Sie einen sicheren Flug!

I tasted some of my apfelwein as I was about to bottle it, but it tasted like pickles! Not vinegar, pickles. I did my primary for five days in an old pickle bucket because all my other fermenters were busy. I soaked the bucket in bleach overnight and then in water for a day before I used it. I thought that with such a long time in secondary and a short time in primary it would be okay. my question is this: will the pickle taste age out over the next few months, or is it there for good? I tasted it after about five days in the bottle and it was a little better, but still undrinkable. Did I waste this batch?