Anyone try Sturm?

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Thomasaug

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I just returned from a trip to Austria and Italy. In Austria, it is Sturm season. Sturm is a young austrian wine that is fermented only slightly and is therefore very sweet. I doubt it has much of an alcohol content to it and is slightly sparkling.

Although it doesn't pack quite the alcoholic punch of wine, it is awfully delicious. I haven't tried brewing wine yet, but have extensive beer brewing experience.

Has anyone tried to brew Sturm?

I was thinking about it during my vacation and trying to conceive ways to do so sucessfully. Here is what I thought might work...

Brew a batch of wine but throw in some Campden Tabs a few days into the process, killing off the yeast. However, then it wouldn't be sparkling.

Any ideas or suggestions? I don't have kegging equipment and it is not feasible for me at this time (really small apartment).

Thanks.
 
Still sweet and 'slightly sparkling' sounds to me like a beer yeast used on a wine must and then no degassing is done... sound about right?

Try using a beer yeast only good for up to 8 or 9% abv. And then ferment it on the cold side to trap some CO2.

Good luck!
 
I love eiswein, don't love the price. How about this for the sturm, try fermenting as normal but then add campden and sorbate after 2-3 days to kill yeast and stabilize it. Next keg it and force carbonate it in a keg. Next use a beer gun or counter pressure filler and bottle it. That should work, at least I'm 99% sure it will work. What do others think ?
 
I love eiswein, don't love the price. How about this for the sturm, try fermenting as normal but then add campden and sorbate after 2-3 days to kill yeast and stabilize it. Next keg it and force carbonate it in a keg. Next use a beer gun or counter pressure filler and bottle it. That should work, at least I'm 99% sure it will work. What do others think ?

I don't think that will work- sorbate and campden don't kill yeast although sorbate inhibits yeast reproduction so in an already clear wine it should keep fermentation from restarting. Since the yeast don't need to reproduce at day 3-5 of fermentation, then the sorbate won't do anything except provide a weird taste.

I've never had sturm, but I used to live in Germany where we had federwasser at this time of year. It's a fermenting wine, drank at about day 5 I think. It's sweet and bubbly because it's still fermenting when consumed. It doesn't keep, as then it's "wine" when it's finished.

In order to make/drink this, I would just make three gallons and then stick it in the fridge on day 5 (or whenever it was about 3-5% ABV) and keg it then or pour into pitchers.
 
Yooper said:
I don't think that will work- sorbate and campden don't kill yeast although sorbate inhibits yeast reproduction so in an already clear wine it should keep fermentation from restarting. Since the yeast don't need to reproduce at day 3-5 of fermentation, then the sorbate won't do anything except provide a weird taste.

I've never had sturm, but I used to live in Germany where we had federwasser at this time of year. It's a fermenting wine, drank at about day 5 I think. It's sweet and bubbly because it's still fermenting when consumed. It doesn't keep, as then it's "wine" when it's finished.

In order to make/drink this, I would just make three gallons and then stick it in the fridge on day 5 (or whenever it was about 3-5% ABV) and keg it then or pour into pitchers.

There was that 1% .... Yooper has waaaaayyyy more expierence with wine than I so I believe she is right. Just a question to the op .... Did you search te Internet not hbt but the web itself for how to make sturm ? I would have to think there must be something out there on making this.
 
Thanks for your replies. Federweisser is effectively the German version of Sturm, from what I've gathered. While you are stating that it doesn't keep, and is really a seasonal treat as a result, you can find it in bottles (though expensive), so I wonder how the manufacturers effectively do it.

Is it possible to kill the yeast and have a flat version, or simply carbonate it with a keg (though I don't have the capacity to do so)?

I tried searching the web, but not extensively. Haven't found many results but will try using the German term and see if I find anything (and will keep you all posted).

Thanks.
 
What about quick pasteurize and bottle carb?

Could check out this product called E-Z Caps, online WWW.E-Z-CAPS.COM or on eBay...it essentially has you making wine in 2L bottle (OR 3L if has correct size for cap) with a plastic screw on cap with a gasket which has a hole in it that extends into cap...acting as pressure relief valve. Minimal investment, comes with their own blend of yeast. My son and his friends use it about once a month and their girlfriends adore it...guys will never admit it. Makes a quick sparkling cider, wine, etc. I think the boys have at least four kits.

Might work for you, plus it may be a fun stocking stuffer. * no affiliation*
 
I think sara is right Alot of cider guys bottle carb then pasturize it to kill of the yeast leaving you with a nice sparkling carbonated and slightly sweet cider.
I'm sure thats how the comercail versions do it as thats how the comercail cider brewers do it

Those E-Z cap things are AMAZING sara, great for playing around and experementing with different juices.
 
huntingohio said:
I think sara is right Alot of cider guys bottle carb then pasturize it to kill of the yeast leaving you with a nice sparkling carbonated and slightly sweet cider.
I'm sure thats how the comercail versions do it as thats how the comercail cider brewers do it

Those E-Z cap things are AMAZING sara, great for playing around and experementing with different juices.

I own a set of E-Z caps myself! They are fun.
 
I just returned from a trip to Austria and Italy. In Austria, it is Sturm season. Sturm is a young austrian wine that is fermented only slightly and is therefore very sweet. I doubt it has much of an alcohol content to it and is slightly sparkling.

Although it doesn't pack quite the alcoholic punch of wine, it is awfully delicious. I haven't tried brewing wine yet, but have extensive beer brewing experience.

Has anyone tried to brew Sturm?

I was thinking about it during my vacation and trying to conceive ways to do so sucessfully. Here is what I thought might work...

Brew a batch of wine but throw in some Campden Tabs a few days into the process, killing off the yeast. However, then it wouldn't be sparkling.

Any ideas or suggestions? I don't have kegging equipment and it is not feasible for me at this time (really small apartment).

Thanks.

I just returned from a trip to Austria and Italy. In Austria, it is Sturm season. Sturm is a young austrian wine that is fermented only slightly and is therefore very sweet. I doubt it has much of an alcohol content to it and is slightly sparkling.

Although it doesn't pack quite the alcoholic punch of wine, it is awfully delicious. I haven't tried brewing wine yet, but have extensive beer brewing experience.

Has anyone tried to brew Sturm?

I was thinking about it during my vacation and trying to conceive ways to do so sucessfully. Here is what I thought might work...

Brew a batch of wine but throw in some Campden Tabs a few days into the process, killing off the yeast. However, then it wouldn't be sparkling.

Any ideas or suggestions? I don't have kegging equipment and it is not feasible for me at this time (really small apartment).

Thanks.

Hi,

I just made it very successfully using a set of e-z-caps though I got them through hone brewing caps in Europe.

I bought a couple of litres of Merlot grape juice from Waitrose and just over 125g of sugar. Though with hindsight, I could reduce the sugar to make it less sweet. Basically I used the turbo apple cider recipe and yeast that came with the caps. The brew started bubbling after 12 hours and I left it for just under four days. It is super fizzy though and it is best not to fill it to the bream. It tastes like the real thing and more alcoholic than I thought. Didnt measure the alcohol content.
 
Federweisser is a seasonal thing and it is actively fermenting when sold and drunk. If you want it sweet, you drink it fast. You want it dry, you wait a few days. They are sold in bottles that allow the active fermentation to degas, as they are sold during active fermentation.

You want to replicate it, then add yeast to the grape juice, wait a few days and enjoy!
 

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