Apfelwein amusement (no question, just amusement)

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Silviakitty

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So I started my second 2.5 gallon batch of Apfelwein on Christmas Eve. The first batch I started a couple of weeks ago, and pitched it on a cider yeast cake. Not really the same.

This batch I added fructose and honey to, and used the recommended Montrachet yeast. This morning, I wake up to the elephant fart smell I've heard about. Wooow.

Now here's the fun thing: Knowing that it wouldn't make a difference, I put a lilac aromatherapy diffuser next to the fermenter. Yay! Now it smells like lilacs.

Lilacs and elephant farts.

:mug:
 
Yeah, I got that too!

First few days...wow, that rolling ferment is awesome...look at all those bubbles racing up the side of the carboy...look at the....wait a minute....what in the world is that smell?!?!

Had it in the coat closet unfortunately.
 
Silviakitty said:
Lilacs and elephant farts.

:mug:

You are such a girl! Only we women would do something like that! Incidently, I have potpourri and sulfur farts in my computer room. Smells like the wine undergoing MLF is screwing around with some roses.
 
malo lactic acid fermentation. It changes the rougher malic acid found in malic fruits (like grapes) to a softer lactic acid while reducing ph. Most grape wines have to undergo MLF to be good. It's smelly.
 
cowgo: It goes away after a couple of days! Mine's okay now. ;)

Yooper: Yup. I think I'm past the stinky stage now so I'm desperately trying to get rid of the cloying lilac oil smell...I think the scented oil's actually thick enough in the air to set off my smoke alarm (cheap apartment smoke alarm)!

o|||||o, I'll definitely try it next time. I think I underestimated the actual strength of the 'elephant fart' phenomenon and figured I didn't need to worry that much. *grins* Now I know. And knowing is half the battle.

Edit: Just caught another whiff. Apparently it's not done being stinky. *grin*
 
Silviakitty said:
I think I underestimated the actual strength of the 'elephant fart' phenomenon and figured I didn't need to worry that much.
I've got my sixth batch going, and I've yet to experience the "rhino" or "elephant fart" syndrome. At the worst, one batch had a sickly sweet smell, but nothing that a pachyderm might expel out the backdoor. The batch that is currently bubbling away just smells like apple juice!

I wonder if the olfactory impact varies with the brand of juice? Most of mine have been Tree Top.
 
You know, I keep waiting for my rhino farts and have not gotten any.

Apoligies to you silviakitty for any thread hijacking but maybe this is close enough to be okay

So heres my apfelwine story.

Of course after reading all of the posts about edworts concoction, I had to do it.

In my first batch (still fermenting) I used a plastic 2 1/2 gallon water jug with tape over the vent hole I had previously made and a carboy rubber stopper with an airlock forced into the water hole. It gets worse. I used granulated sugar and because I didnt have the montrachet yeast or any spare yeast I just grabbed some out of the bottom of my carboy secondary (its a stout) after reracking it. There must be a leak somewhere in the top of it because there have never been any bubbles in this airlock.

It is fermenting and has a nice cake of yeast on the bottom and the gravity reading is looking alright so far. Down to 1.030 from 1.066 in two weeks.

My second batch is 4 gallons in a carboy with nottingham ale yeast. Still made with granulated sugar.

I love to just watch the bubbles, although I need to use a penlight to see them in the plastic one.

I feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway messing with the flashlight.

God I cannot wait to taste it.

I've already started stocking up everytime we go to the grocery store by getting an extra gallon of juice. My SWMBO is like, you're buying MORE? I say, yes I need to get more going because we are going to blow through the first batch. I dont think she believes me.
 
Might be the brand. I used white house, i think, at least for the second batch. I read elsewhere on the forum that honey fermenting will create a sulfurous smell, and I'm thinking maybe that's what happened in this case. Either way, I think it really is done this time. ;)

And sTango, hijack away. :)
 
EdWort said:
I got 3 five gallon batches going at once and they are just now getting into action. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I can see how that might be a bit much.

Until last week, I had a kolsch, an old speckled hen clone and apfelwein, all in primary in the same small room. That was an interesting smell to come home to. Not foul, but unusual and strong enough to be a touch unpleasant.
 
BlindLemonLars said:
I wonder if the olfactory impact varies with the brand of juice? Most of mine have been Tree Top.

From all the input on my other thread, I never could come up with a pattern on brand of apple juice or yeast strain.

It looks like the area where you ferment may have something to do with it, though. I fermented my first couple of batches in my kitchen, which is open to the breakfast area and den, so it's a large area. Other than a bit of a whiff, there was no aroma. Then, I fermented a couple batches in the bathroom, which is a much smaller room. Aha! There was certainly more aroma present.

It looks like it's just a matter of concentration and ventilation.


TL
 
Speaking of fun, I carbonate-bottled a liter of apfelwien in a San Pellegrino sparkling water glass bottle, the one with the weak metal screwtop.

I keep it in an old cooler, just in case., with other AW plastic 1-liter bottles. The plastic bottles are getting firmer...

We 'll see.
 
beergears said:
Speaking of fun, I carbonate-bottled a liter of apfelwien in a San Pellegrino sparkling water glass bottle, the one with the weak metal screwtop.

I keep it in an old cooler, just in case., with other AW plastic 1-liter bottles. The plastic bottles are getting firmer...

We 'll see.

Let us know how the Pellegrino bottle works out for you. I have Pellegrino in the house all the time and I've been looking at those big heavy bottles thinking about ways to cap them, because as you say, the screw cap is weak. Maybe corks?
 
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