Apfelwine questions ?????

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GIusedtoBe

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I'm not a big wine/mead/anything other than beer drinker but I started a carboy w/ Edwort's apfelwine and I have a few questions:

Is it better carbonated or not?

If you bottle carbonate, is there a lot of sediment?

Has anyone ever filtered this stuff and then force carbed and then bottled it like commercial operations would? I'm going to give some away as gifts and the non homebrewer types might not like the sediment.

How long does this stuff need to age to be at its best?

Thanks,
Al
 
GIusedtoBe said:
I'm not a big wine/mead/anything other than beer drinker but I started a carboy w/ Edwort's apfelwine and I have a few questions:

Is it better carbonated or not?

If you bottle carbonate, is there a lot of sediment?

Has anyone ever filtered this stuff and then force carbed and then bottled it like commercial operations would? I'm going to give some away as gifts and the non homebrewer types might not like the sediment.

How long does this stuff need to age to be at its best?

Thanks,
Al

I have every intention of using a yeast killer to drop all yeast out and force carb in my keg. Be aware, that by default it is very very dry, which doesn't taste all that good for some people.

I sweetened mine up by putting a can of AJ concentrate in to get it to ferment a little more and bring back some residual sweetness.
 
jezter6 said:
Be aware, that by default it is very very dry, which doesn't taste all that good for some people.

Ahh yes, but some of those folks don't follow the three glass rule. :D

It is a very dry drink, but there are loads of folks who do like it just the way it is, crisp, dry, & refreshing. It gets much better with a little age on it, like 6 months.

Then again there are folks who do like to sweeten theirs, so to each their own. Either way, it's a tasty drink, but be sure to follow the general warnings listed in the first post of the Apfelwein thread.
 
Is it better carbonated or not?
I have had it both ways. Flat is more like wine. I carb most of mine.

If you bottle carbonate, is there a lot of sediment?
I bottle carb. there is a thin, compacted layer of sediment on the bottom, but not much.

Has anyone ever filtered this stuff and then force carbed and then bottled it like commercial operations would? I'm going to give some away as gifts and the non homebrewer types might not like the sediment.
I have no idea,

How long does this stuff need to age to be at its best?
Edwort says it's real good after 6 months
 
god.. 6 months is soooo long to wait! I dont understand how some of you guys have that much patience!
 
aekdbbop said:
god.. 6 months is soooo long to wait! I dont understand how some of you guys have that much patience!

I'm betting you don't make a lot of wine:D
 
aekdbbop said:
god.. 6 months is soooo long to wait! I dont understand how some of you guys have that much patience!

It comes from knowing things get better with time.

And, if you keep stuff on hand, you only have to be patient once. :)


TL
 
The only way to let it go 6 months is to make another batch right now, that way you're busy on the other batch and can let the rest sit for a bit.

Hell, make 2 batches right now, because you know it won't last.
 
but for the first time, try it EdWort's way. You will not be disappointed.

After experimenting once, I'm back to doing it EdWort's way. Carbonated in the bottle, its great and it keeps SWMBO happy with my beer brewing. At my local BJ's I can get 1.5 gallons of apple juice for $3.69 and with yeast & corn sugar, you're talking $12 -13 for close to 5 gallons of smooth, tasty, potent stuff.

Just my $.02
 
wilsonwj said:
Instead of Corn sugar as an ingredient can you use Dry Malt Extract?

What say you?

- WW

I've been wondering the exact same thing. If one were to use an ale yeast there would be some sweetness left and it could be carbonated naturally. The proteins would also allow for a smoother drink. I just don't know it the combination of apple and malt will taste good or bad.
 
I have heard of people adding D/LME to cider and it apparently does make for a smoother drink. I can't remember where I've seen it though.

What other yeasts work well? I don't think I can get the montrachet...
 
I agree with vtchuck. Do it Edword's way the first time. I made a few test batches right in the Kroger apple juice bottles with stoppers and airlocks. Bottle priming with more apple juice and with priming sugar were the best. Honey didn't have the same champagne like fizz. My small test batches never lasted more than 3 weeks in the bottles.
 
I drank my last one last night. It was in a smaller bottle than the rest and tasted way better. It dawned on me that this bottle was a lot more carb'ed than the rest. Moral: carb it a lot.
 
mew said:
I've been wondering the exact same thing. If one were to use an ale yeast there would be some sweetness left and it could be carbonated naturally. The proteins would also allow for a smoother drink. I just don't know it the combination of apple and malt will taste good or bad.

I bet it tastes something like a mildy candied apple, and there's nothing wrong with that.


TL
 
mew said:
I've been wondering the exact same thing. If one were to use an ale yeast there would be some sweetness left and it could be carbonated naturally. The proteins would also allow for a smoother drink. I just don't know it the combination of apple and malt will taste good or bad.

We're planning on using a Belgian strain for our next batch. Probably Saison or Roselayre.

I've toyed with the idea of using Lambic, but we're thinking it would just be easy to sour using acid instead of using such a slow moving yeast strain.
 
Carb like beer = gooooood!

Add Splend to some of the bottles when bottling to taste the difference--I liked it this way MUCH better. Made it more of a cider than wine, though.

The best ones for my palate were:

4 gallons juice
4 cans frozen concentrate
2 lbs corn sugar
Montrachet yeast
yeast nutrient

Was about 1 1/2 months to be ready to bottle

Bottles with 2 1/2 tsps Splenda in 22 oz. 3/5 cup corn sugar to batch to carb

Here is a thread on this topic and yeasts for it....


https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=29003
 
Is it better carbonated or not?

I like it better carbed.

If you bottle carbonate, is there a lot of sediment?

I force carb.

Has anyone ever filtered this stuff and then force carbed and then bottled it like commercial operations would? I'm going to give some away as gifts and the non homebrewer types might not like the sediment.


I bottle my force carbed stuff for friends and competitions and it is crystal clear.

How long does this stuff need to age to be at its best?

My 8 month old batch is the best so far.
 
Ed I have a question for you.
Do you know what the calories would be per pint of this stuff?

I'm on a hard core diet right now (have amarathon in 23 days) so I have to watch what I eat and drink. The problem is I just can't stop drinking this stuff.
 
FSR402 said:
Ed I have a question for you.
Do you know what the calories would be per pint of this stuff?

I'm on a hard core diet right now (have amarathon in 23 days) so I have to watch what I eat and drink. The problem is I just can't stop drinking this stuff.

I'm guessing it would be 200 or so. It may taste light, but it's not.
 
FSR402 said:
Ed I have a question for you.
Do you know what the calories would be per pint of this stuff?

I'm on a hard core diet right now (have amarathon in 23 days) so I have to watch what I eat and drink. The problem is I just can't stop drinking this stuff.

You can actually get a good approximation of this doing some math. You need to read the label of the apple juice and find out how many calories are in it, then figure look and see how much sugar is in the juice (there are 4 calories per gram of sugar) multiply the numer of grams of sugar in the juice by 4 and subtract that from the calorie count of the apple juice as a whole, those are your base calories, you will have at least that many calories in every glass, plus additional calories from whatever sugar does not ferment out of the wine. You figure this out by taking Og and Fg readings and get the % alcohol by weight and then calculate calories for the alcohol 7 calories per gram of alcohol and add those back to the origional count. You are going to have to standardize your measurements, and I did a horrible job explaining this without the proper formulas, but it can be done.
 
I started my first batch of apfelwine on Thursday. Today, it's got a hefty layer of foamy stuff, and the foamy stuff has filled the bung and is bubbling. I used half unfiltered organic apple juice from our trees (which I filtered slightly with cheesecloth, but it's unpasturized), and half organic bottled Old Orchard. Is it okay that it's bubbling/foaming like crazy? Is it about to blow off the bung? ;) I'm new at home brewing...thanks!
 
I know I'm posting in an "old thread" but it's one of the more frequently referenced ones (for good reason, I gather - that's why I'm here...). I'm going to start a batch of this (maybe two given a good price on apple juice) pretty soon here, but I had one question:

For carbing (I'm kegging, but it would hold for bottles, too) how many volumes do any of you shoot for? I'm guessing higher, maybe something around 3 (mew said to "carb it a lot")? Any input or advice? [FWIW, I'm not dead-set on carbonation, just collecting information - it might be a good idea to do one still and one carbonated...]

I've heard people say it's best carbonated like champagne, but that's 5-ish volumes (too high for beer bottles), and I'm not going that high... unless someone can be persuasive!

And folks like this fairly warm, right? Maybe serve it at high 40s F? :mug:

EDIT: I'd still love feedback, but this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/apfelwein-how-much-carbonation-237880/#post2811740 says around 3 volumes is good two posts indicate that, with 5-ish volumes making it not-so-good (Arneba28 says 5+ volumes tastes like "really really bad champagne).
 
Reviving an old thread to add a few questions:

1) I know people say you can make this in a 5 gal carboy, as the wine yeast doesn't give a big krausen. Is there any downside to using a larger 6.5 gal carboy?
2) What temp is best for ferment? I can let sit in my house where ambient will be 75 or lower, or put it in my fermentation fridge if necessary.
3) I plan to serve it at a party in ~3 months. Do I leave it in "primary" that whole time, or should I pull it off to age after fermentation is complete (say, 1 month).
4) I can cold crash to reduce sediment for the transfer to "secondary" (which would likely be a corny keg). Will the apfelwein continue to generate sediment after that, necessitating me to push it to another keg before carbonating and serving? Or should I be fine with again in my serving container?
5) Do people use gelatin for fining, or will that screw this up?

Thanks, all. Hoping for this to be a big hit at my O'fest party, and perhaps even be something my non-beer-drinking wife will enjoy.
 
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