How to clear cloudy apfelwein?

So, decided to use cloudy unfiltered apple juice for this batch. I thought gelatin might clear it up like it does with my beers, but I was wrong. Is there anything I can do at this point to get it to clear up?

Thanks.

Wait.

In time it will clear. Trust me the wait will be worth it. I think AW is vile before the 7 month mark when it starts to become drinkable. 1yr, is really when it gets good.

Just give it the time it needs and it will clear on its own.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

Wait.

In time it will clear. Trust me the wait will be worth it. I think AW is vile before the 7 month mark when it starts to become drinkable. 1yr, is really when it gets good.

Just give it the time it needs and it will clear on its own.

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+1 on giving time

I didn't know naturally cloudy juice would clear over time. Last batch was with filtered juice, and the yeast settled out after about a month and it looked and tasted like a great dry white wine.

i recommend waiting. but if your in a hurry (which i DONT recommend) you could crash cool it. stick it in a fridge for a week.

my first batch is still cloudy ~6 months. i think if the apple juice you use is cloudy, then the apfelwein will be too. i made sure to get clear juice after the first batch.

I'm starting to think pectic enzyme might clear it. Has anyone tried that? I'm not a wine guy, but I would guess most of the haze is due to pectin, so it only makes sense that adding pectic enzyme (this is the same as pectinase right?) would cleave the pectin and eliminate the haze.

Filter it through your liver.

I used tree top cider with mine and it turned out very clear after about 4 months. I just left it alone. I could literally see through the carboy. Very nice

Benjibbad said:

I used tree top cider with mine and it turned out very clear after about 4 months. I just left it alone. I could literally see through the carboy. Very nice

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Was it still in the primary, or had you racked to a secondary?

Thanks!

-Moe

Patience, patience patience......A lot of people think apfelwein is some quick drink...but my experience was that it was nearly 6 months before mine dropped clear and still was like rocket fuel that no one would touch til it was a year old.

Time is your friend!

Moe said:

Was it still in the primary, or had you racked to a secondary?

Thanks!

-Moe

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I left it in primary. I had a recent taste and no off flavors were noted, just smooth appley goodness

Revvy,

I'm assuming you used unfiltered juice? I'm going on day 40 for mine and I'd love to hear the pros vs. cons for bottling while still cloudy. Is it just appearance? I find it hard to imagine that the taste could be compromised if I didn't wait.

I know time is my friend, but I'm just wondering what the real benefit is of waiting 6 months for it to clear vs. bottling after I've hit my FG range. I'd love everyone else's input as well.

Revvy said:

Patience, patience patience......A lot of people think apfelwein is some quick drink...but my experience was that it was nearly 6 months before mine dropped clear and still was like rocket fuel that no one would touch til it was a year old.

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I've got two different batches of this, about 4 weeks apart. Its amazing the difference in color from when its fermenting vs the one that is a month old. I agree that time seems to be clearing it.

Is everyone raking after a month or so? Or do I just leave it on the yeast for 6 months and bottle? I didn't know if leaving it on the yeast would hurt it.

Just my two cents...

I used unfiltered the FIRST go round - it dropped clear in thirty days - followed all other directions exactly, except I used white sugar.

However, since it was my first wine to bottle, I added campden and sorbate and an f-pack when racking to a secondary, and it cloudied up again. Took an additional 2 months to clear the second time!!

Second batch is taking much longer....we're in the 3rd month in the primary with it. On it's way to being clear, but these things do take time.

Pectic enzyme can't hurt the wine, but unfiltered cider can drop clear, no problem.

arturo7 said:

Filter it through your liver.

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MAJOR lolz I will also try this on my cloudy cherry apfelwein

I simply used tree top apple juice, let it sit in primary for 6 months, now it's been bottled for 2 more months. Tastes really great when it's chilled (but not too cold). Waiting for summer to see how the 1yr mark treats it.

Oh yeah, it was perfectly clear after about 2 months in primary.