Man, I love Apfelwein

Williams 728
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uglygoat said:
i finally bottled this stuff after about two months of fermentation.

for the record, apfelwein kicked my arse hard yesterday... :tank:
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Yah! It doesn't take much to messed up. Its kind of dangerous when you think about it because the ABV is subtle. Wait until its cold an bubbley and your dying of thirst!

Glug, glug, glug..... :drunk:
 
So my first batch is done. It's ok. With all the hype I was expecting it to be a bit better. So far I've followed the 10 glass rule (oh wait...), and I'm still on the fence.

Regardless, I'm forging ahead with a new batch. This time it's:

5 gal. Apple Juice (from Sam's Club)
2 cans frozen Apple juice concentrate
2 lbs Dextrose
1 packet Cotes Des Blanc yeast
1/2 tsp yeast nutrients.
OG 1.069

When the alcohol level get's high enough, I'm considering dangling a couple pieces of cinnamon in the carboy for a week and then removing it.

We'll see how this one goes.
 
Paperface said:
So my first batch is done. It's ok. With all the hype I was expecting it to be a bit better. So far I've followed the 10 glass rule (oh wait...), and I'm still on the fence.

Regardless, I'm forging ahead with a new batch. This time it's:

5 gal. Apple Juice (from Sam's Club)
2 cans frozen Apple juice concentrate
2 lbs Dextrose
1 packet Cotes Des Blanc yeast
1/2 tsp yeast nutrients.
OG 1.069

When the alcohol level get's high enough, I'm considering dangling a couple pieces of cinnamon in the carboy for a week and then removing it.

We'll see how this one goes.
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Hey - Yeast Nutrients should be 1/2 tsp per Gal. NOT 1/2 Tsp.

How old is your Apfelwein? Higher gravity stuff will take longer to mellow. Let it sit for awhile. No need to hurry through it all especially if gets better with age.

I did something similar with 1 can concentrate per gal of juice and pitched Cote Des Blancs. The taste is alot less drier. I used no dextrose though. I forgot to get OG & FG. The apfelwein was quite nice when racking to the 2ndary and raspberry & strawberry apfelwein was quite good at bottling yesterday. I added the fruit as I split the batch going to the 2ndaries.
 
seems my apflewien finally took off and its bubbling like crazy!! around 34 bubbs a min as of yesterday! what is the usual ferment time?
 
Few questions:

1. How hot can you ferment this stuff at without getting any funky flavors?
2. Would bottling it in plastic bottles be OK?
3. All I've got to brew in is one big bucket with a spigot on the bottom. Would it be OK to ferment it in that and then directly pour it from that into bottles.
4. I like wine good and dry but my in-laws like it MUCH sweeter. What would be a good way of back sweetening a few bottles for them while keeping the bulk of it dry?
5. Would priming with one can of concentrate/5 gallons be OK?
 
Bosh said:
Few questions:

1. How hot can you ferment this stuff at without getting any funky flavors?
2. Would bottling it in plastic bottles be OK?
3. All I've got to brew in is one big bucket with a spigot on the bottom. Would it be OK to ferment it in that and then directly pour it from that into bottles.
4. I like wine good and dry but my in-laws like it MUCH sweeter. What would be a good way of back sweetening a few bottles for them while keeping the bulk of it dry?
5. Would priming with one can of concentrate/5 gallons be OK?
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1. I've gone as high as 74-75 degrees.
2. Should be OK, if they can handle pressure.
3. Yep.
4. Sweeten individual bottles or add some Sprite to their glass.
5. Don't know. You can prime with 3/4 of corn sugar for 5 gallons.
 
EdWort said:
1. I've gone as high as 74-75 degrees.
2. Should be OK, if they can handle pressure.
3. Yep.
4. Sweeten individual bottles or add some Sprite to their glass.
5. Don't know. You can prime with 3/4 of corn sugar for 5 gallons.
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Sprite! That'd be perfect, thanks.


As far as temp goes I looked up info on the strains of yeast I have access to and it said they can ferment at as high as 95 degrees, but I don't think that would be a good idea. I can probably keep the temp down to 75 without too much trouble since it doesn't get THAT hot in Korea. Just get a giant kimchi fermenting bucket with water in it to put the fermenter in I'd imagine.

Will definately give this a shot...
 
Schlenkerla said:
Hey - Yeast Nutrients should be 1/2 tsp per Gal. NOT 1/2 Tsp.
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haha, whoops. As a side note, dont add yeast nutrients to a furiously bubbling carboy - it will bubble over :eek: ha ha

How old is your Apfelwein? Higher gravity stuff will take longer to mellow. Let it sit for awhile. No need to hurry through it all especially if gets better with age.
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About a month in the bottle. I'm not saying I dislike it at all, just that my expectations were set too high. A zillion and a half posts will do that.
 
mine had bubbled up threw the airlock i think i need a blow off tube for this stuff!(i filled my better bottle completly full on accident lol)
 
I searched this thread but couldn't find anything on this...

Has anyone tried this using grapejuice? Guess at that point it wouldn't be apfelwein anymore but I'm just curious if you can use ANY natural fruit juice to make the same thing...

BTW, mine's been in the fermenter for 3 weeks now and I pulled a SG sample yesterday. Boy it already has some kick and you can smell the alcohol. Very dry already as mentioned. SG was right around 1.013 so I've got a ways to go yet..
 
i know this has to have been answered in this monster thread but i have to ask...

with the dry Montrachet yeast... can i drop it in or do i have to do something else?
 
i boiled 2 pints of water, cooled it to 80 degrees, and then mixed in the yeast to hydrate it. then, i poured it into the mixture to ferment!
 
JayMckeever said:
i boiled 2 pints of water, cooled it to 80 degrees, and then mixed in the yeast to hydrate it. then, i poured it into the mixture to ferment!
Click to expand...


ooohhh swweeet! thanks :D
 
jjasghar said:
i know this has to have been answered in this monster thread but i have to ask...

with the dry Montrachet yeast... can i drop it in or do i have to do something else?
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I just poured mine in like stated in the original recipe. Fermentation started in less than 24 hours.
 
Reidman said:
Has anyone tried this using grapejuice? Guess at that point it wouldn't be apfelwein anymore but I'm just curious if you can use ANY natural fruit juice to make the same thing..
Click to expand...
Check the Welch's grape wine thread.
 
Well Ed, you can add another 10 gallons to the tally as I just finished my batches started in early March. One was done with Cotes Des Blanc to test side by side. Really not sure which I like better as they are both great! So good I'm starting my next 5 in the next day or two and will keep this consistantly fermenting/aging.

Thanks Ed!
 
...but I had to stop reading after the first 27 pages. But I have a couple questions and I'm sorry if they have already been anwsered or asked.

1.) What can I do so that this is on the sweet side? I have purchased 1lb of Lactose and will mix it in when I bottle if that will help.

2.) Also do you think that if I add 2 cans of apple juice concentrate with the 6gallons of apple juice that would help?

3.) I have a 6.5 gallon carboy, will I be fine using 2lbs of corn sugar and the single packet of yeast if I use 6 gallons of Apple Juice?

Thanks in advance, and I'm sorry if these questions have been asked or anwsered.
 
HarvInSTL said:
...but I had to stop reading after the first 27 pages. But I have a couple questions and I'm sorry if they have already been anwsered or asked.

1.) What can I do so that this is on the sweet side? I have purchased 1lb of Lactose and will mix it in when I bottle if that will help.

2.) Also do you think that if I add 2 cans of apple juice concentrate with the 6gallons of apple juice that would help?

3.) I have a 6.5 gallon carboy, will I be fine using 2lbs of corn sugar and the single packet of yeast if I use 6 gallons of Apple Juice?

Thanks in advance, and I'm sorry if these questions have been asked or anwsered.
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1. Add the same # of cans of concentrate as juice. Sweeter still, don't add sugar and let it be just hard apple cider. The ABV goes down, obviously.

2. Refer to answer 1.

3. I am going to try this: 4 gallons juice, 4 cans concentratem 1 lb. corn sugar, Cotes De Blanc yeast. Should be a little sweeter and still pack a punch. Yes, 1 pack is enough. 6 galloons of juice is going to be too much in a 6.5 carboy and you are going to lose some through the blow-off tube you are going to have to use.
 
well I am about 11 days in with my first batch everything looks ok......but.......by watching the fermentation taking place I noticed that in my 5 gallon carboy that it is only fermenting on 1 side of the carboy, I can see on the right side C02 bubbles loading up creating the white foam but on the left side there are bubbles but they are few and far between, I realize this probably means nothing just wondering if this has happened to anyone else, oh and I am getting a big build-up of yeast cake on the bottom I am using L-1118.:confused:
 
buckeyemike75 said:
...by watching the fermentation taking place I noticed that in my 5 gallon carboy that it is only fermenting on 1 side of the carboy...
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I'd bet money that your carboy isnt exactly level. The bubbles go straight up, so if the carboy is tilted even slighty, they would come up on one side.
 
Paperface said:
I'd bet money that your carboy isnt exactly level. The bubbles go straight up, so if the carboy is tilted even slighty, they would come up on one side.
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I've had three carboys going at one time, and all of them have bubbles going up the sides 360 degrees, not just one side.
 
I've got the bubbles forming up the one side of the carboy. The airlock activity is going strong. My carboy probably is not quite level, but I'm not too worried about it.
 
Only out laziness I thought of this. Ed, would you consider making a Apfelwein FAQ? I have a few questions like how dry does this typically ferment? I'm not into wine too much, I enjoy them somewhat dry, but 1/2 the reds I try are too dry. I have no idea how 0.999 tastes. I'm sure there are a bunch of other questions that people might have, and like me are way too lazy to read through all 100+ pages of the thread. Since you're the one typically answering the questions, you'd probably know the questions that get asked the most!

Just a thought.......and if you could give any insight to my specific question above I'd apperciate it!

Thanks!
:mug:
 
Ok, I know RDWHAHB :D but I started my Apfelwein last evening. The only thing I did different was I added yeast nutrient.

Today it's not bubbling and has formed this white foam on the top. I was under the impression this didn't form any foam or krausen. I assume everything is OK?

Here are some pictures:

1000441va1.jpg


1000442mw2.jpg


Thanks :mug:
 
mine looked just like that too hopleaf.. .then it got a wee bit cloudy, then it cleared up.

now it's in the bottles, crystal clear and like rocket fuel in terms of kicking my arse and head in when i drink more than 22oz in a sitting.... gah!!! :fro:
 
uglygoat said:
mine looked just like that too hopleaf.. .then it got a wee bit cloudy, then it cleared up.

now it's in the bottles, crystal clear and like rocket fuel in terms of kicking my arse and head in when i drink more than 22oz in a sitting.... gah!!! :fro:
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Sweet, I figured as much but glad to hear it :rockin: Thanks
 
mine has a head to it, i filled the better bottle all about half way up the neck thinkin it would be ok and it bubbled up threw the airlock and was spurting out the top, now its calmed down a bit but there is still a thick foam in the head space of the neck, im sure its due to the small space and all the bubbles coming up
 
uwmgdman said:
Only out laziness I thought of this. Ed, would you consider making a Apfelwein FAQ? I have a few questions like how dry does this typically ferment? I'm not into wine too much, I enjoy them somewhat dry, but 1/2 the reds I try are too dry. I have no idea how 0.999 tastes. I'm sure there are a bunch of other questions that people might have, and like me are way too lazy to read through all 100+ pages of the thread. Since you're the one typically answering the questions, you'd probably know the questions that get asked the most!

Just a thought.......and if you could give any insight to my specific question above I'd apperciate it!/quote]

Not a bad idea. I'll have to takle it next week. I'm busy this weekend at the Texas Eggfest cooking BBQ and drinking my Haus Pale Ale :rockin:

I can't tell you what .999 tastes like. It's not sweet, but it tastes just like German Apfelwein if you ever have had that. Perhaps someone can describe it. I've had dry red wine before, and you cannot compare this to it.
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took a hydro reading today. It read 1.006, down a couple points from 2 weeks ago. So hopefully in another couple weeks I can bottle this sucker. I can say it's very very light and not alcoholic at all. I can't wait to bottle and carb it..oh and I used the original recipe..no sense fooling around with perfection, right Ed:D


Dan
 
Willsellout said:
oh and I used the original recipe..no sense fooling around with perfection, right Ed:D
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Yep, it's the way I make it and it's as close to the real thing from Germany (but with a bigger kick).

I can understand folks tweaking it to make it their own or perhaps they just don't have all the ingredients.

In the end, it's some tasty stuff that brain dead simple to make. :tank:
 
cnbudz said:
My first batch is finally ready! Tried some last night and I have to say it's pretty tasty. I'm carbing half and leaving the rest as is to see which way I prefer it.
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Yah! When its cold and bubbley its very crisp and clean. Ed's 3 glass rule really applies. Drink one or two wait, have a third. Shazam it hits you. Its tastey, drink the first few with caution.

Make sure to have smokes, munchies or whatever before you tear into them. You could down several quickly, hit Wal-mart, then at check-out you figure, "F*ck I'm pretty buzzed!!"

:rockin:
 
Mine is finally starting to settle down a little. It smells pretty good. I will be interested to see how it turns out my house has definitely been on the hot side.
 
vtchuck said:
Shades of Don Ho!

Five weeks in the carboy and I still have "Tiny Bubbles"

Trying to be patient..... RDWHAHB ... RDWHAHB ... RDWHAHB
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My first batch fermented a little colder than Ed specifies. It took forever to totally stop bubbling. At about 7 weeks I gave the carboy a really hard swirl to get all the yeast back into suspension. Then, it took about a week to completely settle back down. At the end of that week, fermentation completely stopped.

If it starts to clear pretty good but just won't fully stop bubbling, you could try this. Worked for me. Good luck.
 
DNisich said:
My first batch fermented a little colder than Ed specifies. It took forever to totally stop bubbling. At about 7 weeks I gave the carboy a really hard swirl to get all the yeast back into suspension. Then, it took about a week to completely settle back down. At the end of that week, fermentation completely stopped.

If it starts to clear pretty good but just won't fully stop bubbling, you could try this. Worked for me. Good luck.
Click to expand...


Not a bad idea... Mine took 12 weeks so don't fret about the wait. Mine fermented 53-57'F. I was pretty patient. I could have done the swirl thing to speed it up. I just let it go until it was 1.000 or less in FG.

Batch number two ~ 6 weeks at 65'F.

:tank:
 
It's official, I'm buying a new carboy dedicated to Apfelwein. I made Ed's original recipe with Cotes de Blanc yeast. I was hooked after one glass. It is dangerous having this on tap. I just hope my current keg can last 6 weeks for my next batch to finish.

I tried mixing the Apfelwein with several different sweeteners to see how it tastes. I tried 7-up, sugar and apple juice and I decided that I like it best with no sweetener at all. I prefer to drink it one the rocks.



apfelwein1a.jpg
apfelwein2a.jpg
 
I just bottled 3 gallons tonight and shared a bottle with 4 other people the group was split on whether or not they liked it, but I did and I have all the bottles so thats all that matters. :mug: :drunk:
 
How long did your fermentation for your batch with cote des blancs last? Mine took ten weeks to stop bubbling and my temp. was about 68 F the whole time. I think I'll try lalvin 71b next time.
 

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