Apfelwein fermenting

Hey there! I just made my first batch yesterday. Currently it is fermenting in my bucket, and I intend to move it two a glass carboy to age a bit prior to bottling. How long should I keep it in the glass carboy? I would like to bottle by May unless you guys recommend not to.

I just tapped my first apfelwein and I had it in the primary for 6 months with no negative effects. The reports I've read said it gets better with age, but is definitely drinkable at 6 weeks. Bottling in May seems definitely do-able. It'll be ~3 months by then, and ~1 month carbing in the bottle should make it nearly ideal. So, that said, when it hits FG consistently, you can put it in your carboy, but you definitely do not need to.

libeerty said:

I just tapped my first apfelwein and I had it in the primary for 6 months with no negative effects. The reports I've read said it gets better with age, but is definitely drinkable at 6 weeks. Bottling in May seems definitely do-able. It'll be ~3 months by then, and ~1 month carbing in the bottle should make it nearly ideal. So, that said, when it hits FG consistently, you can put it in your carboy, but you definitely do not need to.

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+1

By may it'll be good to go.

Should I just leave it in the plastic bucket the entire time without racking to secondary?

Ballew said:

Should I just leave it in the plastic bucket the entire time without racking to secondary?

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I would! Use the carboy as a primary for something else!

Thanks for the help guys!

At what temp is everyone fermenting at? Also will there still be enough yeast at 6 months if i want it to be sparkling?

bchurch said:

At what temp is everyone fermenting at? Also will there still be enough yeast at 6 months if i want it to be sparkling?

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EdWort ferments at ~70 if I remember correctly, and I have my second pint of apfelwein in hand and I'm too tired to check though. I just did mine at room temperature, which actually varied quite a bit, probably ~70 at the beginning, but then more like ~62 and I am very happy with it.

Not sure about yeasties at 6 months. If it was any earlier than 6 months, I'd say it's good to go, but that is kind of the cutoff point where you have to at least begin thinking about adding some more yeast. I also force carb, so I have no experience here.

Ballew said:

Should I just leave it in the plastic bucket the entire time without racking to secondary?

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I'd be more inclined to move it to the carboy if you are going to let it sit a few months. Less air space and more entertaining to watch.

As for bottle priming you should be ok but at that time so much yeast will have fallen out of suspension you will find it takes a LONG time for your bottles to carb up.

Inner10 said:

I'd be more inclined to move it to the carboy if you are going to let it sit a few months. Less air space and more entertaining to watch.

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Airspace is not a problem in a primary because CO2 forms a blanket above the fermenting alcohol and below the oxygen.

Thanks for the info, I will probably let it sit for 3 or 4 months and then bottle condition for awhile. That is of course assuming fg is stable.