I have a question about the carbonating process (Sorry if it's already been answered... I couldn't seem to find the info)
When you say you add the extra sugar before bottling, like you would when carbonating beer, how exactly does that work? Do you add the sugar directly to the primary fermenter, or do you add a bit into each bottle?
Also, with the amount of sugar in the recipe that you add for carbonation, is there any risk of the bottles exploding from the pressure?
Thanks! Can't wait to try this out next week!
If you're going to bottle and carb the entire batch, use a carbonation calculator to figure out how much sugar you'll need to reach your desired level of carbonation. After the apfelwein has COMPLETELY fermented (confirmed by subsequent hydrometer readings that don't change, and for apfelwein should be below 1.000), rack it into your bottling bucket, melt the sugar into a little water and stir it in completely, and bottle as usual.
If fermentation was complete and you only add the amount of sugar from the calculator, there is no risk of bottle explosion. If you are worried you can bottle into plastic soda bottles, which allows you to monitor carbonation by squeezing the sides and let out pressure if you get nervous.
If you are only bottling part of the batch, it's about 3/4 tsp of sugar per bottle. It still helps to pre-dissolve the sugar in water and add that to the bottle.