Man, I love Apfelwein

48 hours since pitching, 62 degrees ambient temp, bubbling every 5 seconds, and cloudy as hell. Looks like things are looking good. :rockin:

Ize

Love your avatar, is that from Robin of Loxley, the HBO series?
BTW I have plans for Apfelwine.


or monty python?

Sean said:

Love your avatar, is that from Robin of Loxley, the HBO series?
BTW I have plans for Apfelwine.
or monty python?

Click to expand...

One of the infamous Knights Who Say NI!" from the Holy Grail.

Now bring me your homebrew....









AND A SHRUBBERY!



iZE

I think I remember somebody mentioning it in this thread. Can someone please point me in the direction of the recipe?

Thanks a million,

Don

DNisich said:

I think I remember somebody mentioning it in this thread. Can someone please point me in the direction of the recipe?

Thanks a million,

Don

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Page 1.

Ize

Ize said:

Page 1.

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Even Post 1. I edited my first post to include the recipe.

Sorry guys, I thought putting "Ananaswein recipe" in the title of the message would be sufficient. Its the pineapple version that i am searching for. My bad.

BTW, the apfelwein has been in the bottle for two weeks now. I guess I will give it two more and then start to sample.

DNisich said:

Sorry guys, I thought putting "Ananaswein recipe" in the title of the message would be sufficient. Its the pineapple version that i am searching for. My bad.

BTW, the apfelwein has been in the bottle for two weeks now. I guess I will give it two more and then start to sample.

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I sent you the recipe in the PM you sent me, but remember as i stated it's not much right now... it need time, and a lot of it...

Just bottle 5 gallons origional recipe except w/ Cotes de Blanc yeast. Awesome.
I naturally carbed all of it except a sample that I put in the fridge to chill and sample still.

I brewed another batch of this stuff (first batch was a 1gal. test), but this time I started with actual organic cider. I was hoping for it to be ready for St. Patty's day. I didn't put an actual date on it, but I'm guessing I started this batch at least 5 weeks ago, and the bastard is still bubbling. I got too lazy to take a OG reading, but I'm betting this stuff will be quite potent. Do you think I'd be right in guessing that the extra long fermentation is because of the sugar that was already in the cider?

ugh! I'ts been a week on and off reading this thread...up to pg. 74. same stuff over and over, but now it's just a matter of pride. I will gut it out!

Yes, this has inspired me to do like so many others, and I'm nurturing 5 gals. of bubbling apple goodness.

Thanks Ed!

Just a thought, but what would prevent someone from copyrighting/patent this process? Now that I think about it why not copyright beer making! Muhahaha! Am I an evil genius? I'm I guess apfelwien

Oh fart, never mind shouldn't bother posting

giant016 said:

I brewed another batch of this stuff (first batch was a 1gal. test), but this time I started with actual organic cider. I was hoping for it to be ready for St. Patty's day. I didn't put an actual date on it, but I'm guessing I started this batch at least 5 weeks ago, and the bastard is still bubbling. I got too lazy to take a OG reading, but I'm betting this stuff will be quite potent. Do you think I'd be right in guessing that the extra long fermentation is because of the sugar that was already in the cider?

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Mine took about 3 weeks longer than the 4 suggested up front. Just kept on forever with a very small stream of champagne bubbles. So, I moved the carboy to a warmer part of my house and gave it a good swirl to get all the yeast back into suspension. It took about 5 days for everything to settle completely back down but it made the ferment come to its full and complete end. Perfectly clear and no more bubbles. If you feel like you are stuck, give this a try.

DN

Wow...I just finished reading almost the entire thread. I skimmed through a few pages but I think I got most of it. I made my first batch yesterday and can't wait until I get it kegged. I do have one question. What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider? We have many apple orchards south of where I live and in the fall many people like to travel down there to pick apples and get "fresh apple cider". As far as I can tell this is also just apple juice, it looks different because it's not as clear but it just juice from apples. What's the difference? What makes something a "cider" as opposed to a "juice"?

Mike

blackcows said:

Wow...I just finished reading almost the entire thread. I skimmed through a few pages but I think I got most of it. I made my first batch yesterday and can't wait until I get it kegged. I do have one question. What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider? We have many apple orchards south of where I live and in the fall many people like to travel down there to pick apples and get "fresh apple cider". As far as I can tell this is also just apple juice, it looks different because it's not as clear but it just juice from apples. What's the difference? What makes something a "cider" as opposed to a "juice"?

Mike

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My thought is they are actually the same when pressed from fresh apples. But apple juice you buy in the store can be from apples and concentrates. Cider is from fresh apples.

Just bottles my first batch last night (like we need another post like this....), it never really cleared, even after 7 weeks in the carboy, I think this is b/c I added a pound of honey at the start...oh well, who cares.

I carbed it with 3/4 cup corn sugar, bottled half of it, then added about 2 cups of splenda boiled in water and bottled the other half. I'll see whether I like it straight up or sweetened, and adjust future batches for this.

Can't wait another 3 weeks to try this!

giant016 said:

I brewed another batch of this stuff (first batch was a 1gal. test), but this time I started with actual organic cider. I was hoping for it to be ready for St. Patty's day. I didn't put an actual date on it, but I'm guessing I started this batch at least 5 weeks ago, and the bastard is still bubbling. I got too lazy to take a OG reading, but I'm betting this stuff will be quite potent. Do you think I'd be right in guessing that the extra long fermentation is because of the sugar that was already in the cider?

Click to expand...

Mine is doing the same thing, still bubbling away at the end of week 11 going on 12. I might be able to bottle this weekend. If I were you I'd just wait it out... Mine is at its all time high for temps. At 62'F!!!

I was traveling this week, stopped in little town in southwest Iowa. I went in the grociery store for lunch, I found they had a full stocking of Oregon Fruits. I thought HOT DAMN time for fruited Apfelwine!! (Apple is considered as base for most fruit juices.)

I picked up two cans of each; strawberry, raspberry and blackberry.

Once home, I got to my LHBS picked up two more carboy caps and bubblers and two packs Cote Des Blancs.

Next, I also stopped by the local grociery store for 4 gallons of juice and 4 cans of concentrate.

I want this to be fruity so I'm going with Cotes and extra concentrate over the dextrose route.

I'm gonna make two, 2.5 gal batches; 1 - Strawberry & 1 - Raspberry this weekend. Save the blackberry for next go around!!

I'll ratchet up the Apfelwine total...

blackcows said:

What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider?

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"Juice" is heavily filtered and pasteurized. "Cider" is the direct liquid from pressing apples. If the cider is filtered and processed and whatnot, it becomes
juice".

and mixed up a batch. Things were going well and it looked like the yeast were starting to bubble from the bottom of the fermentor but when I went out this morning there were round white floaties on the top. Looks to me like mold but the batch wasn't even in the fermentor even a day! Should I toss it or let it go. I've looked at the pictures of several batches on this thread and don't see any krausen on top.

Suggestions?

Just went and looked (with my glasses on this time!) and under magnification of my bifocals it seems that they are patches of bubbles that are causing a foam on top. There is also a stream of bubbles coming up from the bottle to the center of each foamy spot. Guess it's gonna be ok.

The way this thread is going it should be good.

going to bottle my second batch tomorrow.
used 1 kg brown sugar and 1 cinnamon stick.
ended up at .998 this time.
3 weeks to go for tasting!

First day developed a brown kreusen similar to beer and blew into airlock. Replaced airlock and then a clean white kreusen developed which stayed in carboy quickly receded and is now gone. took place over 3 days now just clear bubbles and no kreusen.
Musta had a infection from the corn sugar(most likely place, no boil) then the Montrachet yeasties got it in gear and took over the show. Cool! My own little yeasty ethnic cleansing war in my own basement. Surprised it didn't make CNN.

Two questions:

1. What makes this a wine and not a cider? My guess would be because a wine yeast is used. Is this correct?

2. Is anyone using Beersmith and adding EdWorts Apfelwein? I like to track all of my brews in Beersmith and also use it to print labels and keep notes so it would be nice to add this. My problem is that I am not really sure what to add the apple juice as. I think I would add it under the grains, extracts, and sugars as a sugar, if I do this what would be the potential gravity?

Mike

blackcows said:

Two questions:

1. What makes this a wine and not a cider? My guess would be because a wine yeast is used. Is this correct?

2. Is anyone using Beersmith and adding EdWorts Apfelwein? I like to track all of my brews in Beersmith and also use it to print labels and keep notes so it would be nice to add this. My problem is that I am not really sure what to add the apple juice as. I think I would add it under the grains, extracts, and sugars as a sugar, if I do this what would be the potential gravity?

Mike

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1) Apfelwein is kind of a misnomer. Its a German form of cider. The ABV is quite higher than most ciders, with exception for New England Style. See Wiki link.


2) Lets do this backwards. The ABV has been 8.5% and ferments down to 1.000, so looking at hydrometer scale the OG should be ~1.061-1.065. I don't use beersmith but I would add it as liquid malt extract, or "other" if its a choice.

So has Champagne yeast been used?

I only have two dry packs of Pasteur Champagne Yeast.

Im also going to mix it up a bit and add 1 gallon of Strawberry watermelon. Would that be enough to add a different twist to Apple wine?




With 4lbs of sugar cane.

Go for it, I think I saw somebody use champagne yeast a long long time ago.

The strawberry watermelon would be good, it might be very subtle at 1:4 parts.

I think thats a little high, 4 pounds sugar will make rocket fuel.... it will add another 5% to the original 8.5%. Netting 13.5%. It will really be wine and migraine material for those who have too many.

Ahhh ok, Im making 6.5 gallons of this stuff in my primary as this really doesn't create any Krausen. Hopefully the Champagne yeast doesn't foam too much, id have to use a blow off tube.

I use the cheapest apple juice, I didnt add any sugar once and it was fairly weak. Id say around 4 percent. Maybe I got a stuck ferment. But adding sugar makes this stuff last longer. My friends wont drink it as quick. LOL.

A 6.5gal batch is still quite high in ABV with 4 lbs. The extra gal and half will cut it some.

I used yeast energizer/nutrients per my cider book so the yeast could do its thing w/o any trouble.

Yes - the higher abv will make it last longer and probably be greener longer too.

The stuff I'm bottling today is very close to 8.5% and its alcohol is virtually undetectable. I added the normal 2lbs of corn sugar with 5 gal of juice.

I don't know what brand of pasteur yeast you are using. Red Star Pasteur is not good for making sparkling cider.

http://www.cfhb.org/mead/yeast_strains.htm#mont

Looks like Premier Cuvee would be a good yeast to pitch at bottling.

I want to make it more sweet/appley. I know people have topped off with concentrate before yeast. How much concentrate per 5 gallons of juice? Or did I read do 4 gllons of juice and a gallon of contentrate.....what will the ABV go to with concentrate instead of sugar?

How about using both a lb. of sugar and concentrate?

I am using Cotes and going to bottle and use Coopers Carb drops. I think the high carbonation will be good in this....

I think read from Deadyetibrew that he used: (He claimed its Fruity, Appley, Less dry)

no sugar
4 gal of apple juice
4 cans of apple juice concentrate
1 pack Cote Des Blancs

I'm doing this today for 5 gal. Debating whether to split it now and add the oregon fruit in two 2.5 batches or go with 5 and add fruit in a 2ndary.

mines been fermenting for about five weeks now, it's pretty clear and we used the redstar champaign yeast. we sampled some yesterday under the guise of taking a gravity reading, but i forgot to get an og.

it's good, really good, and could prolly go into the bottles now.

at aguess id say my apple wine is about 4 or 5 weeks old

and its still really cloudy because i used cloudy juice




should i do the secondary process again an leave behind some more sediment (maybe risk infection), or just stop bein fussy an bottle?

thanks

XELA - Wait longer first, the worst case is you'll have to re-pitch at bottling if you want it sparkling. Or rack to a 2ndary now. Take a FG reading and see how close it is to 1.000

it finished fermenting about 2 weeks ago, an i have transfered to secondary about a a weeks ago

so do you recon transferin it again and leavin it a couple more weeks?

I'd leave it alone for now. Let sit for at least 4 weeks. Waiting can't hurt at all, you have it off the yeast cake. If it not too much trouble you could visit the LHBS shop and ask what they have for clearing it now as is... Like a pectic enzyme. You could also post in the wine section asking for a suggestion. I think time, if you have it is the best answer. I hate adding chemicals to anything I make. I think the more organic it is the less likely or severe the hangover could be if you over indulge.

:fro:

yea, i would rather not add chemicals! i guess ill leave it for another few weeks then, and then a few more weeks in bottles

thanks

Keep it Simple is the main thing of my recipe, the other is to make lots of it.

I made a batch today. I found a good sale on all natural apple juice so with the corn sugar and the yeast my total was about $12.50. What a great way to fill an empty carboy

I am positive this has been covered at least once in the last 1000+ posts but here goes anyway....

1. Do I need to wait until all the bubbles stop in my batch before bottling? My first batch has been fermenting for 4 weeks now and I still have a few bubbles rising to the surface.

2. Other than the 2 weeks to carb in the bottle do I need to let it sit any longer to let it condition for better taste?

Cider will always get better with age. I'd check to see if it is finished with a hydrometer. If you followed my recipe and it's 1.000 or lower, then go ahead, otherwise it won't hurt to wait. Patience is all that's needed at this point.

Thanks Ed. I have an IPA to bottle Thursday and will check it then. I am very anxious to sample some of this as well.