newbie to forum, love making wine etc. Apfelwein?

[Liah]

I've made 27 various batches so far, (my first batch was in sept. 2006) another 50 recipies at least i would love to make. Apfelwein sounds very interesting. I have 5 gallons of cider waiting for me...would this be good for apfelwein or should I do an apple cider wine? I've been on my own without input from other winemakers. Any suggestions?

[BigKahuna]

Hey Welcome!

Sounds like you're well on your way! Apfelwein is a great simple drink that almost promises good results...and if you don't like it...you're out what....20 bucks? GO FOR IT!

[T-rags]

I've been reading this forum so long I wanted to chime in and encourage you to make Apfelwein ... but then I remembered I haven't made it yet myself. But still, I think you should make Apfelwein.

[Liah]

i have three empty carboys and 5 full ones right now. in the brew 2-5 gal. batches strawberry, 5 gal. banana, 6 gal. potato, 5 gal. mountain ash.
recently bottled and resting, gallons of peach, yum!, raspberry, strawberry, and mountain ash.
I need to do something with the cider before it goes bad.
if aj is better i will buy some.

[gratus fermentatio]

Liah: I think Ed Wort's apfelwein recipe is the easiest & most goof-proof recipe I've ever made. Once you make the orig. recipe, (and maybe before) you'll be formulating alternate recipes, using it as a base, in your head. I'm curious as to just where you procured your ash berries. Did you grow them or is there an actual supplier out there somewhere? Regards, GF.

[T-rags]

I asked the question about using cider, and cider should be fine. Some folks said you don't need to use "expensive" cider and just apple juice would be fine. But The cider I got was cheap anyway. I think you should go ahead and try it with your cider.

[wreckinball9]

i feel like it is a waste to use cider in apfelwein since you wont be tasting the fresh apple taste when it is done fermenting. i strongly urge you to make a hard cider with fresh pressed cider, using an ale yeast like safale s 04 or us-05, or even better sweet mead yeast. you can still boost the abv with sugar but you will at least retain some of the cider flavor.

you can use crappy store bought AJ from concentrate to make apfelwein since either way most of the apple flavor will be gone it and will be like a dry white wine, so to me using good cider for apfelwein is a waste.

[T-rags]

That's a good point. If this is your only access to fresh cider, you could make a cider with an ale yeast and then do apple wine with something store bought later. I think you get the picture.

[eyeball-shifter]

I made Apfelwine and cyser and cider. I prefer using the s-04 yeast the best for a slightly sweeter and more apple flavor. I did not like the champaign yeast used in Apfelwine. I also prefer boosting mine with a little brown sugar and honey.

[Liah]

I have mtn ash trees in my yard and they produced so well last fall. so i found recipies and came up with my own
10-07-08
5# cleaned berries I mashed berries in bag and it seems bitter
3# sugar-regular store bought
3-46 ounce white grape juice
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp. peptic enzyme
2 tsp nutrient
2 campden tablets
1/2 tsp tannin
3-46 oz. juice bottles water
sg to 1.095
yeast -Montrachet made yeast starter of course (pitched 24 hours later)
started with 2-2 gal. primaries, and siphoned into 5 gal carboy, and topped up with boiled white grape juice.

another batch
10-24-08
3-old orchard white grape frozen
2-64 oz. apple juice
8 cups of chopped raisins from my banana wine
yeast- cote des blancs
sg 1.095
same as above except I squeezed berries with my hands in bag.

dont know if this will be a good wine or not. just couldn't see all those berries going to the birds!