Man, I love Apfelwein

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NHowell16 said:
I have a question about the carbonating process (Sorry if it's already been answered... I couldn't seem to find the info)

When you say you add the extra sugar before bottling, like you would when carbonating beer, how exactly does that work? Do you add the sugar directly to the primary fermenter, or do you add a bit into each bottle?

Also, with the amount of sugar in the recipe that you add for carbonation, is there any risk of the bottles exploding from the pressure?

Thanks! Can't wait to try this out next week!
Click to expand...

If you're going to bottle and carb the entire batch, use a carbonation calculator to figure out how much sugar you'll need to reach your desired level of carbonation. After the apfelwein has COMPLETELY fermented (confirmed by subsequent hydrometer readings that don't change, and for apfelwein should be below 1.000), rack it into your bottling bucket, melt the sugar into a little water and stir it in completely, and bottle as usual.

If fermentation was complete and you only add the amount of sugar from the calculator, there is no risk of bottle explosion. If you are worried you can bottle into plastic soda bottles, which allows you to monitor carbonation by squeezing the sides and let out pressure if you get nervous.

If you are only bottling part of the batch, it's about 3/4 tsp of sugar per bottle. It still helps to pre-dissolve the sugar in water and add that to the bottle.
 
rideincircles said:
I ended up starting my first batch of apfelwein on Sunday. I ended up 7 ounces short on sugar at 25 ounces and also boiled 3 cinnamon sticks and a clove and added to primary.

Should I add the extra 7 ounces of sugar? I won't be able to hit the brew store until Saturday if so. How will 7 ounces of sugar short affect this? I'm assuming less alcohol content.

I didn't check my gravity either. Not terribly concerned at this point, but I am guessing I am a point or two below 1.066 to start.
Click to expand...

I use table sugar. No ned for a trip to the brew store, dissolves just fine.
 
The usual scenario with bottling 5 gallons (at least with beer) would be to boil 2 cups of water with 5 oz of corn sugar (dextrose or priming sugar) for 5 minutes, then add that to a bottling bucket and transfer the primary fermenter into the bottling bucket so that it mixes. Then bottle. If no bottling bucket, I would add it to the primary fermenter then stir and bottle.

Still wondering on my question of whether I should add the 7 ounces of corn sugar a week after fermentation starts. How it would be affected if I do or don't.

Had my window open for a while.

So just add 7 ounces of table sugar and all is good is what it sounds like.
 
I know this has been asked, but I couldn't find anything specific to my situation. I have two kegs of apfelwein for a party I am having in two weeks. (also three kegs beer) I think the apfelwein would go over better with the masses if it were sweetened. I like the idea of using concentrate to get a little more apple flavor. 1) How much concentrate would I use for a 5 gal. batch? 2) Would I have to kill off the yeast? (been aging for 6 months).

Also has anyone tried cinnamon sticks? Is it too late in the game to add them to the keg and leave in?
 
KENZ said:
I know this has been asked, but I couldn't find anything specific to my situation. I have two kegs of apfelwein for a party I am having in two weeks. (also three kegs beer) I think the apfelwein would go over better with the masses if it were sweetened. I like the idea of using concentrate to get a little more apple flavor. 1) How much concentrate would I use for a 5 gal. batch? 2) Would I have to kill off the yeast? (been aging for 6 months).

Also has anyone tried cinnamon sticks? Is it too late in the game to add them to the keg and leave in?
Click to expand...

Are the kegs cold? If so, the yeast activity would be somewhere between extremely slow and completely halted. I say add in the concentrate and leave them in the cooler. I don't know off hand how much. If you are handy in the math department you can figure it out. If I did my math correctly last time the concentrate I used was 1.144 SG. Figure out how many points of sugar you want to add back and go from there.

I would pass on the cinnamon sticks at this point. If its a failed experiment you have no Apfelwein for this party.
 
Does apfelwein benefit from bottle conditioning? I bottled after six weeks in the primary and I wonder if it will improve in the bottles. I know next time to leave it in the primary for 3 to 6 months.
 
Vox said:
Does apfelwein benefit from bottle conditioning? I bottled after six weeks in the primary and I wonder if it will improve in the bottles. I know next time to leave it in the primary for 3 to 6 months.
Click to expand...

I believe anything will benefit from bottle conditioning. The difference is just that when bulk conditioning in the fermenter it will clean up a little faster because there is still more yeast there to clean up. I'm pretty sure that is what I have read from a few sources.
 
Dear Mr Edwort,
From all the husbands who have made this. Thank you. The effects on SWMBO is wonderful. She calls it lovey bird, my coworker calls it panty dropper. Either way. Thank you.



Inappropriate? Maybe, but you all know you were thinking it. I just said it.
 
KENZ said:
I know this has been asked, but I couldn't find anything specific to my situation. I have two kegs of apfelwein for a party I am having in two weeks. (also three kegs beer) I think the apfelwein would go over better with the masses if it were sweetened. I like the idea of using concentrate to get a little more apple flavor. 1) How much concentrate would I use for a 5 gal. batch? 2) Would I have to kill off the yeast? (been aging for 6 months).

Also has anyone tried cinnamon sticks? Is it too late in the game to add them to the keg and leave in?
Click to expand...

I would leave it alone.

Use the apfelwein as a mixer. Cup o' apfelwein + a splash of sprite/7-up/ginger ale (for sweetness) + fruit puree/juice/extract (more sweetness and flavor) and you'll have a ~10% ABV cocktail the ladies will love. If anyone wants cinnamon, provide the sticks as a stirrer.
 
My english cider yeast was too old and the starter didn't work. My buddy just harvested yeast from his belgian IPA, do you guys think that would work well? I've already made a batch with montrache, but looking for something a little different.
 
RugerRedhawk said:
My english cider yeast was too old and the starter didn't work. My buddy just harvested yeast from his belgian IPA, do you guys think that would work well? I've already made a batch with montrache, but looking for something a little different.
Click to expand...

Some of the hoppiness from the IPA will likely show through (particularly if the yeast isn't fully washed). I'd love to hear about what a Belgian ale yeast would do with this - I'd ferment on the cooler side, to control some ester production (too much fruitiness and it may clash with the base recipe's flavors). Please share your results! :rockin:
 
My local homebrew supply shop didn't have Montrechet yeast... so while I'm waiting for my lone order to arrive, I'm experimenting with my 1 gallon jug of cider. I LOVE Apfelwein... and though, could i make a caramel apfelwein for something a bit more "dessert" like? Here's what I did...

Ingredients:
1 gallon cider
2 cups table sugar
1 cup dextrose (corn sugar)
25 raisins (for nutrient)
1 packet champagne yeast.

I mixed the table sugar with about a cup of the cider, and cooked about 20 minutes until a nice caramel flavour was made. I added the caramel mixture, along with the dextrose and raisins to the 1 gallon jug of cider, and mixed it up. I then added rehydrated chapagne yeast... and now I'm waiting on the results.

I have NO idea if this will even work. Does anyone have any insight or suggestions?
O.G. = 1.1
 
I finally made this recipe last night, its in a 15 gal plastic conical fermentor and just barely bubbling this morning. Does the Montrechet yeast usually start slow?? I am use to ale yeast with starters really taking off and huge krausens!
 
KENZ said:
I know this has been asked, but I couldn't find anything specific to my situation. I have two kegs of apfelwein for a party I am having in two weeks. (also three kegs beer) I think the apfelwein would go over better with the masses if it were sweetened. I like the idea of using concentrate to get a little more apple flavor. 1) How much concentrate would I use for a 5 gal. batch? 2) Would I have to kill off the yeast? (been aging for 6 months).

Also has anyone tried cinnamon sticks? Is it too late in the game to add them to the keg and leave in?
Click to expand...

Why force people to drink it sweetened though?
Keg it, mix up that concentrate with water like your making juice normally and take that with you, or just make it at the party(assuming its somewhere but your place).

People who think its too dry and want more sweet can pour their own apple juice in too taste...some may like it dry, some may hate it dry...no ones taste buds will be the same when it comes to sweets, so why bother trying to force 1 sweetness level when its so much easier just to provide apple juice and or a 24 pack of sprite as mixers.
 
FuzzeWuzze said:
... its so much easier just to provide apple juice and or a 24 pack of sprite as mixers.
Click to expand...

^^this^^

I like it dry, but most have enjoyed it with a splash, SPLASH, of sprite for slight sweetness and some bubbles.
 
It has been five months since I started a batch. Followed the original recipe. Finally opened a bottle today. It is fantastic!

Starting another batch tomorrow. On that note ... has anybody here tried Côte des Blancs yeast? How did it come out?
 
ryclo said:
I finally made this recipe last night, its in a 15 gal plastic conical fermentor and just barely bubbling this morning. Does the Montrechet yeast usually start slow?? I am use to ale yeast with starters really taking off and huge krausens!
Click to expand...

If its bubbling, it's fermenting. Give it another day and you'll see it will have picked up.
 
NHowell16 said:
My local homebrew supply shop didn't have Montrechet yeast... so while I'm waiting for my lone order to arrive, I'm experimenting with my 1 gallon jug of cider. I LOVE Apfelwein... and though, could i make a caramel apfelwein for something a bit more "dessert" like? Here's what I did...

Ingredients:
1 gallon cider
2 cups table sugar
1 cup dextrose (corn sugar)
25 raisins (for nutrient)
1 packet champagne yeast.

I mixed the table sugar with about a cup of the cider, and cooked about 20 minutes until a nice caramel flavour was made. I added the caramel mixture, along with the dextrose and raisins to the 1 gallon jug of cider, and mixed it up. I then added rehydrated chapagne yeast... and now I'm waiting on the results.

I have NO idea if this will even work. Does anyone have any insight or suggestions?
O.G. = 1.1
Click to expand...

Interested to see if this works. Personally I think I would have used brown sugar for more of a caramel flavor, maybe even gone a little nuts and popped in a little bit of hersheys bar, but I'm crazy like that. Anxiously awaiting your results. I think a caramel apfelwein flavor would be killer in the fall.
 
ryclo said:
I finally made this recipe last night, its in a 15 gal plastic conical fermentor and just barely bubbling this morning. Does the Montrechet yeast usually start slow?? I am use to ale yeast with starters really taking off and huge krausens!
Click to expand...

You wont see any krausen with this yeast. It will just look like its heavily carbonated, you should see tons of little bubbles coming up..you may get a small layer of bubbles around the rim of your conical and some bunches floating at the top but nothing like we see with beer....

Same with the Champagne yeast from Red Star, except the bubbles are tiny.
 
FuzzeWuzze said:
You wont see any krausen with this yeast. It will just look like its heavily carbonated, you should see tons of little bubbles coming up..you may get a small layer of bubbles around the rim of your conical and some bunches floating at the top but nothing like we see with beer....

Same with the Champagne yeast from Red Star, except the bubbles are tiny.
Click to expand...

Well, premier cuvee did cause my apfelwein to clog the airlock with krausen in the first 24 hours, but I had very little head space.
 
HBrew71 said:
It has been five months since I started a batch. Followed the original recipe. Finally opened a bottle today. It is fantastic!

Starting another batch tomorrow. On that note ... has anybody here tried Côte des Blancs yeast? How did it come out?
Click to expand...

My friend did this and it came out great... Much better than the Montrachet that I'm using and he used in his first batch. I will be doing that for my next batch.
 
HBrew71 said:
It has been five months since I started a batch. Followed the original recipe. Finally opened a bottle today. It is fantastic!

Starting another batch tomorrow. On that note ... has anybody here tried Côte des Blancs yeast? How did it come out?
Click to expand...

Is it still super white wine like or did it mellow? If so, how long did you have it in the primary?
 
Vox said:
Is it still super white wine like or did it mellow? If so, how long did you have it in the primary?
Click to expand...

It is not super white wine like. At around 3 months, when I bottled it, it was very wine like. after 2 months in the bottle the apple flavor has come through quite a bit. Really good now.
 
Vox said:
Is it still super white wine like or did it mellow? If so, how long did you have it in the primary?
Click to expand...

Forgot to mention ....

It was in a Better Bottle carboy a month. Then I racked it to a glass carboy where it aged two months. It was probably not necessary to move it to secondary. Next time I will start and keep in a glass carboy for 3+ months.
 
HBrew71 said:
Forgot to mention ....

It was in a Better Bottle carboy a month. Then I racked it to a glass carboy where it aged two months. It was probably not necessary to move it to secondary. Next time I will start and keep in a glass carboy for 3+ months.
Click to expand...

I'll have to make another batch. I only had mine in the carboy for six weeks before I bottled several weeks ago.
 
chipsmcghee said:
About a week ago I made some Apfelwein with 4lbs of sugar instead of two. It was an accident. I am using EC1118 yeast. Can anyone tell me if the EC1118 can power through 4lbs of sugar in a 5 gallon carboy before reaching its alcohol tolerance or will I end up with super sugary, undrinkable stuff? I am hoping to taste this experiment around the first week of October.
Click to expand...

I did mine with three pounds of sugar and ec1118. Let it sit six weeks then bottled. Still came out very dry. But like everyone has said the longer it sits the better it gets. Mine wasn't sugary at all.
 
I tried this and got good results but very very dry. I am a huge Apfelwein fan after living in Germany for a couple of years, so although I like the way my batch turned out it seemed to be missing the tartness of Frankfurter Apfelwein. I talked with the guys at my local brew store and they told me that the tartness would need to come from the juice. So I am going to try an experiment. . . I have some jonathon apples just getting ripe and I am going to juice them and try a mix of fresh juice along with the bottled stuff (I don't have the bushels of apples necessary to produce 5 gallons of juice). Hopefully this will boost the tartness I am striving for.

Any thoughts?

Also could anyone suggest how much additional sugar to add - for example how much sugar is in the bottled juice; if I use a 2:3 ratio two gallons tart juice to three gallons bottled juice, how much more sugar should I add to get the fermentation I want?
 
ypbradford said:
I tried this and got good results but very very dry. I am a huge Apfelwein fan after living in Germany for a couple of years, so although I like the way my batch turned out it seemed to be missing the tartness of Frankfurter Apfelwein. I talked with the guys at my local brew store and they told me that the tartness would need to come from the juice. So I am going to try an experiment. . . I have some jonathon apples just getting ripe and I am going to juice them and try a mix of fresh juice along with the bottled stuff (I don't have the bushels of apples necessary to produce 5 gallons of juice). Hopefully this will boost the tartness I am striving for.

Any thoughts?

Also could anyone suggest how much additional sugar to add - for example how much sugar is in the bottled juice; if I use a 2:3 ratio two gallons tart juice to three gallons bottled juice, how much more sugar should I add to get the fermentation I want?
Click to expand...

You could do that. I also have heard that a lot of local apple cider places will do a one-off pressing for cider homebrewers. It's typically more tart so the cider has more depth. I'd start by calling my local orchards and see if they do anything like that.

Tart flavors may be altered with the addition of acids.

Also, sugar content in commercial juice is like that in grapes, they may try to give you an estimated value for the nutritional information, but really it all depends on the rain conditions for that year and health of the plant. A gravity reading will give you a better idea of the sugar content.

Ed, what gravity readings do your batches typcially start with? Did you find that any range in particular was better/not-as-good?
 
ypbradford said:
I tried this and got good results but very very dry. I am a huge Apfelwein fan after living in Germany for a couple of years, so although I like the way my batch turned out it seemed to be missing the tartness of Frankfurter Apfelwein. I talked with the guys at my local brew store and they told me that the tartness would need to come from the juice. So I am going to try an experiment. . . I have some jonathon apples just getting ripe and I am going to juice them and try a mix of fresh juice along with the bottled stuff (I don't have the bushels of apples necessary to produce 5 gallons of juice). Hopefully this will boost the tartness I am striving for.

Any thoughts?

Also could anyone suggest how much additional sugar to add - for example how much sugar is in the bottled juice; if I use a 2:3 ratio two gallons tart juice to three gallons bottled juice, how much more sugar should I add to get the fermentation I want?
Click to expand...

Have you thought of using a different yeast? A lot of people say that S04 is a very fruity and tart yeast, too much so for some people in their beers...may work out perfectly for you?
 
If making a 5 Gal batch w/ honey, how much are people using? I've read between 5 cups and 10 lbs.

Also, do you need to heat the juice to melt the honey or just mix it as best as possible?
 
BrewTuna said:
If making a 5 Gal batch w/ honey, how much are people using? I've read between 5 cups and 10 lbs.

Also, do you need to heat the juice to melt the honey or just mix it as best as possible?
Click to expand...

I would just mix it. Heating gets rid of a lot of the honey aroma. 3lbs should be good and put you roughly where this recipe is. That's typically equal to about a quart, or 4 cups. You can use more if you want, but this stuff is dry as it is and I'd recommend sticking to 3lbs or less on your first batch.
 
FuzzeWuzze said:
Have you thought of using a different yeast? A lot of people say that S04 is a very fruity and tart yeast, too much so for some people in their beers...may work out perfectly for you?
Click to expand...

S04 is low attenuating though, isn't it?

Nottingham fermented hot certainly has a tart finish. A bad finish until it's been allowed to age for a few months imho.
 
Finally bottled the batch I had started on 6/22. It looked clear in the carboy but got cloudy in the bottles, hope that settles out.

Do you folks store still apfelwein bottles on their sides, or standing up?
 
PDXHollyD said:
Finally bottled the batch I had started on 6/22. It looked clear in the carboy but got cloudy in the bottles, hope that settles out.

Do you folks store still apfelwein bottles on their sides, or standing up?
Click to expand...

Metal crown caps-standing up.
Corks-depends on who you ask.
 
jeepinjeepin said:
Synthetic corks-vertical
Natural corks-I'm not sure
Click to expand...

Natural corks also turn out to actually be better vertically stored. There's more than enough "humidity" to keep the cork from drying out, while keeping sediment and yeast on the bottom, providing less surface area for oxidation, and preventing cork taint.

There are no doubt people who disagree, primarily on the first point, but more and more wineries every year are saying so as well. IMO, it's nothing to get militant about though... vertically or horizontally, usually won't make much of a difference anyways.
 

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