New to Cider, Too many Ideas....help

Hello all, usually thinking about beer. Occasionally mead. And now for first time thinking...."I could buy a gallon of apple cider and make hard cider." Then another thought crossed my mind. "What's apfelwein? And how is it different that cider?" I'm sure there is something in the cider forum over the last 6 years with the same thoughts.
But help a man out! I thought some yeast and some 'cold pasteurized' gallon of cider I could try making a cider and figure it out from there. If I like it, I may have to go bigger. But right now, I'm thinking Nottingham yeast. I have .5 gallon growlers, but thinking doing it in the gallon plastic jug it came in. I like the apple character in it. I like to know it's apple. Not a dry white wine. And I'm guessing apfelwein is just a 'heartier' cider. Wife bought a pear wine. Very sweet. but good. So I guess that's what I pictured an apfelwein as. bigger cider.

Thanks for any help or insight. I've been snooping around the cider forum for about 3 weeks now trying to get some insight. Still questions.

Recipe wise there isn't much difference between cider and apfelwein.
The main difference I can see is apfelwein has a higher alcohol content.

So... That's what I thought. Probably boosting the alcohol with more juice or sugar?? Also, what about just doing the cider with Nottingham yeast and the just the cider I have? Or should I try some sugar to go with it and what about pectin or anything like that?

You could do just the cider and yeast you have and do a gallon batch with nothing else. A simple cider is pretty simple don't over think it. Just know that you won't have a very good tasting cider for a couple months this way, be patient.

Don't worry about the pectins unless your juice has been boiled it will clear up with time and racking with Nottingham.

Unless you want to age it for months before it's drinkable, don't add sugar. The natural sugars in the apple juice will suffice just fine.

Definately try at least one batch without any added sugar. It won't require as much ageing and it will be faster to ferment too.

Today I just started a batch of cider and Notty yeast only. SG of 1.061. Looking forward to a fairly quick drinking cider. My last two batches are aging out now and have yet to have any taste other than from the gravity check. Good luck!

Thanks everybody. Just decided to do it last Sunday (Oct. 28). Been fermenting the whole time at around 68 F. I had poured a little off the top of gallon jug of apple cider. Let everything get to room temp. before pitching the Notty. Rehydrated the Notty. Poured a little of the cider in after about 20 minutes of rehydrating it. Waited another 15 minutes before pitching. Ferment has kind of slowed, but still going. I've kind of noticed some clearing of it. I'm figuring maybe be ready for Thanksgiving at this rate.
Kind of mad though. Just wanted to take a hydrometer reading. Tore through house looking for it. I knew it had broken a few months ago. I asked wife. She said it broke. I said I know. I thought I bought a new one. She said nope. so I have time to get a new one. Check hydrometer every 3 days for while to see when it slows considerably. Most likely will bottle condition or something.

Still no hydrometer. But cider is tasting dandy. Loving it. Now regretting I only did 1 gallon. I keep coming back to the cider forum and now thinking. "Well, I could bottle a few bottles. Save ~24 fl. oz. to partially freeze for applejack." Cider is sweet and has a lot of apple in it. I'm very excited. thinking of carbing it in bottle. But I'm thinking, since no hydrometer measurements. I might save myself a headache by not carbing. Just going to bottle. It seems it'd naturally carbonate. This whole 1 gallon cider thing was just an experiment for me anyway to see if in future I should be making 5 gallons. When bottle, I'll sanitize a plastic milk jug or some plastic thing. Freeze for an hour to two (I'll be watching it for it to turn slushy!) Then take it out and bottle it.