Man, I love Apfelwein

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mew said:
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.

I kegged it at 6 weeks. My finishing gravity was 1.002. My temps were around 62 for the start and warmed to about 66-68 towards the end. I used yeast nutrient and aerated very well.

I really like how much the apple comes through. I did a one-gallon test batch, but used champagne yeast. I thought it was too dry and a little puckery. The Apfelwein using the cote is more crisp than overly dry.

I'm off to get a new carboy today as well as some more juice! :ban:
 
Branket said:
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:

You let them have a taste with it cold & bubbly. Drinking it still is OK but sparkling is much better. They may change their mind. It will only get better with age :mug:
 
seyahmit said:
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
QUOTE]

Nice pics!!! :)

I did the same kind of thing with Cotes and substitiuted sugar for canned apple concentrate. I also used Oregon Fruits (Strawberry & Raspberry) in the 2ndary. OMG was the Raspberry good. Can't wait till its cold and bubbly, I'm letting it condition for a bit.

I have ~ 25 gallons of HB in may basement. At least 8 gallons are Apfelwein. Its too bad that I can only fit about 15 gal in the fridge.

I'll say this, you can never have too much Apfelwein on hand! :rockin:
 
Here's my first apfelwein label. SWMBO fully instructed me has how this should look.

She got the idea for the name from the song Fergalicious. I particularly like the Adam & Eve painting.

3761-Adam-EveApfelwein.jpg

I think it turned out well.

:tank:
 
I don't think it matters since it won't ferment. I made another batch tonight and added a half-pound of lactose to the carboy. I wanted to add it at the beginning so I could be sure that it was fully mixed in.
 
I bottled my first batch a few days ago, carbed half, left the rest as is. I broke into the uncarbed stuff tonight. I figured I'd go for the 3 glass rule. It worked.... actually 1 glass had me hooked... I'm about 1 liter deep right now and planning on buying some apple juice tomorrow since I have a couple packets of Montrachet in the fridge...

Quick question, I know alot of people have tried ale yeast, anyone have either a really good or bad result from a particular strain of ale yeast?
 
cnbudz said:
Quick question, I know alot of people have tried ale yeast, anyone have either a really good or bad result from a particular strain of ale yeast?

I'm sure some will chime in here, but I've never tried anything else. I'm not messing with a good thing.

Welcome to the club, Der Apfelwein Verein!
 
One or two people tried ale yeast. Nottingham in particular. This makes an english style cider. If you look that the English style guidelines for cider, farm-like esters or horsey-ness is allowed.

I believe one person did a side by side with Montrachet & Nottingham. Montrachet was preferred. This was very early in the thread. Don't recall any comments to farm-like aroma in their posting.

I also believe there were several comparisions with Montrachet and Cote Des Blancs. Many seems to prefer the Cotes purely due to the fact that they wanted something less dry.

I tried the Cotes (batch #2)with extra concentrate, no corn sugar it taste good too. I'd say less dry and more fruity. That may be as result of a potentially lower ABV. I never measured OG or FG. The final verdict is not in yet, its bottle conditioning now.

I think the wine yeast will beat out any ale yeast as far as being clean and crisp.

Try the recipe as is stated in post #1. If you want change it, do so at bottling. You can add lactose or splenda. My wife tried it still and thought it was too dry so I sweetened w/ 1lb lactose and primed with 5oz corn sugar. I personally liked it and didn't think it needed anything, but I made this as a present for her.

Give it a try. Drink 3 and you'll be hooked, drink 6 you'll blued, screwed and tatooed. :D
 
Has anyone tried "over carbing it " a little bit? I have a batch that was carbed with 3/4 corn sugar, but it wasnt in my opinion carbed enough, I am thinking about kicking it up a little the next batch. I have flip top bottles , so they should be strong enough for the extra kick.
 
Has anyone heard of this Apfelwein stuff? I couldn't find ant information on it. :D

Seriously, I don't think an Apfelwein forum is in order. I think this calls for apfelweintalk.com

I guess I'll have to give in and try this in my incoming better bottle.
 
BoxerDog said:
Has anyone tried "over carbing it " a little bit? I have a batch that was carbed with 3/4 corn sugar, but it wasnt in my opinion carbed enough, I am thinking about kicking it up a little the next batch. I have flip top bottles , so they should be strong enough for the extra kick.

Try kicking it up to a full cup ~ 6oz wt, maybe 7oz. If you can use PET or Champagne bottles.

If you don't weigh your sugar, do so. I think its more accurate. You can pour 5 oz (weight) into a measuring cup and it'll be close to 1 full cup. If you tamp it down by tapping it on the counter it will level to 3/4 of a cup.

I wonder how many times people complain about low carb have measured by volume instead of weight?

:mug:
 
Sorry if I missed it somewhere in the 1,000+ posts-but has anyone ever 'dry hopped' some cinnamon sticks in this stuff? Seems like that could be pretty tasty.
 
BoxerDog said:
Has anyone tried "over carbing it " a little bit? I have a batch that was carbed with 3/4 corn sugar, but it wasnt in my opinion carbed enough, I am thinking about kicking it up a little the next batch. I have flip top bottles , so they should be strong enough for the extra kick.

I am going to use coopers carb drops with mine. They made my beer bubbly and not good head retention, so perfect for this, methinks. Plus, I got to say methinks. :D


BTW...put me down for 5 gallons...I just made my first batch today with 4 gallons juice, 3 cans 8oz concentrate and a pound corn sugar. Cotes yeast with 3 tsp yeast nutrient. Can someone tell me if that is enough nutrient or if I need to add more? I am lost in the wine area.
 
Just stole my first sample last night, OMG this stuff is good. It still has a ways to go, its at 1.006 right now. Thanks again for the recipe edwort.
 
Ryanh1801 said:
Just stole my first sample last night, OMG this stuff is good. It still has a ways to go, its at 1.006 right now. Thanks again for the recipe edwort.

Congrats! Welcome to the club, der Apfelwein Verein.

Now's the time to start another carboy. Trust me, you'll be wishing you listed to me in three weeks if you don't. :D
 
EdWort said:
Congrats! Welcome to the club, der Apfelwein Verein.

Now's the time to start another carboy. Trust me, you'll be wishing you listed to me in three weeks if you don't. :D

Oh its already in the planing. I think im going to do 1/2 carbed and half un. Just so I have some to drink right away.
 
EdWort said:
Congrats! Welcome to the club, der Apfelwein Verein.

Now's the time to start another carboy. Trust me, you'll be wishing you listed to me in three weeks if you don't. :D

i have faith O Apfelmaster :D

starting batch 2 tonight. 1st one on 4.25.07

i CAN'T wait to try this

thanx for showing us the light :mug:
 
Well As you know I started my first batch of Apfelwein on the last day of April and it is bubbling like mad. However My question is.

I looked high and low for the perfect applejuice, everything I found had all the bad stuff in it. However I did find and decided to use a brand from Presidents Choice. This is an organic Apple juice it is 100% pure, also is 100% unfiltered. I also was going to get the montrachet wine yeast and it was suggested I use the Rudsheimer from Wyeast

I guess my question is should I leave it unfiltered. or use a wine filter machine to filter and make it clear?
 
Has anyone had this stall before it hit 1.000 or lower.?

Maybe I'm impatient or anxious but I really want to bottle it and it's only at 1.006
as of Tuesday.. Am I asking for trouble to bottle before it hits 1.000 or lower..?

Plus I was going to carb just a little so maybe this would naturally carb it..

FYI I used Ed's exact recipe, nothing else added so it should ferment out dryer than this correct...?
 
This thread needs to be subdivided into about 3-4 sub-threads, it is impossible to find if questions have been asked before. Anyway. . .

I am starting a batch tomorrow, the original recipe with the Montrachet yeast. I am going to be fermenting at about 80 degrees. How long should I expect to need to leave this in the fermenter? Will it take 4 weeks to finish and clear at this temp? Just trying to schedule my carboys. Thanks.
 
Okay, well my 3 gal batch was in the primary for 20 days, and has been in the secondary for about 10. Its looking about as clear as it's going to get, and it tastes real nice (I used apple concentrate in addition to the apple juice in the primary for extra apple flavor). My OG was 1.07, and my FG was a whopping .992. Since it has such a low gravity, should I pitch some yeast in with priming sugar in order to carbonate? I'm going to keep one or two bottles still for aging purposes, but I want the rest sparkling. Any thoughts on the type of yeast and how much sugar? (this is a 3 gal batch)

thanks guys!
mike
 
Back on 4/21, I did this:
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 per gal
OG 1.069
Fermented at 75ish degrees.

Today, only 16 days later, it's already at 1.002! Hurray! In comparison, my first batch took 6-7 weeks.

I'm still going to dangle some cinnamon in it for a week or so. I sprinkled some in my grav sample and it was great.
 
Paperface said:
Back on 4/21, I did this:
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 per gal
OG 1.069
Fermented at 75ish degrees.

Today, only 16 days later, it's already at 1.002! Hurray! In comparison, my first batch took 6-7 weeks.

I'm still going to dangle some cinnamon in it for a week or so. I sprinkled some in my grav sample and it was great.

I was thinking of adding some cinnamon sticks, how many do you suppose your going to use?
 
So yesterday was my day off and I decided to keg the apfelwein. I drank a couple 23 oz glasses of APA that I had to kill first, then decided to clean and keg the wine. The first taste I had made me thirsty for more. I had about a quart left over, so I started drinking it by the fire last night. About 3/4 through the quart I realized that I was messed up, so I had a little more. Not good, as SWMBO came home and said I should stop drinking because I had "drunk written all over my face". Funny thing is, she tried it later and said she liked it too. Can't believe I have 5.5 gallons of this stuff for 13 bucks! Thanks, Ed! :tank:
 
buckeyemike75 said:
I was thinking of adding some cinnamon sticks, how many do you suppose your going to use?

When i make a gallon of hot spiced apple cider in the winter time, i only use 1, and I only leave it in for a few days, so...

...I was thinking I'd take two sticks, and tie them together with some sanitized fishing line and then dangle it into the carboy, tying a knot at the top and wedging the airlock stopper in to hold it. I was planning on 4 days before i take it out to sample.

Not sure how well cinnamon settles, so I dont know how soon before bottling I'll do this. I dont want it to completely settle out before i get it in bottles
 
Made a couple of gallons apfelwein last november. Our German friends tasted it and i now have an order of 10 gallons brewing in the kitchen.

What is it with Germans and apfelwein ?

Cheers
Jakob

ps. did the x-mas apfelwein. Hot with cloves, cinnamon and orange peel. Turned out great.
 
Yeah I have a feeling that this Apfelwein will be a blessing AND a curse from what I have been reading about it. I have a feeling I will be buying a couple extra carboys for this.
 
I have had my first batch fermenting since Saturday. The smell is starting to clear up. SWMBO thought there was rotting dog food in the room next to the bathroom, nope I said "that's what you will be drinking in 4 weeks.::cross:
 
I bottled my first batch a couple weeks ago. I left some uncarbed(which is gone now) and carbed the rest. I broke into the carbed stuff tonight and damn is it good!! I 'm glad I have another batch going right now and a couple smaller experimental batches that should be ready soon.
 
Beerrific said:
I have had my first batch fermenting since Saturday. The smell is starting to clear up. SWMBO thought there was rotting dog food in the room next to the bathroom, nope I said "that's what you will be drinking in 4 weeks.::cross:

Yeah baby. Primo Panty Remover in 4 weeks with not much work eh?:ban:
 
I read this entire thread about a month ago and whipped up a batch. It's ready to bottle this weekend, but I can't use corn sugar to prime (SWMBO food allergy - don't ask...).

Can I use DME without damaging the flavor?
Or would I be better off using cane or brown sugar?

and how much to carbonate a 5 gallon batch?

I'd also like to add that the samples I've pulled have been excellent!
 
scottthorn said:
I read this entire thread about a month ago and whipped up a batch. It's ready to bottle this weekend, but I can't use corn sugar to prime (SWMBO food allergy - don't ask...).

To address your first, could SWMBO be allergic to dextrose or glucose? Corn sugar is the same as these 2. The 50 pound bags, that I bag down, at LHBS say "Dextrose Monohydrate," and I'll wager this is the same stuff that other HBSs use. Dosn't say anything about corn, at all.

If your concerns are correct, (and "She" can't take in glucose) use cane sugar. It will probably give this cider a slight "cidery" taste. DME or LME is going to give this a malty taste, which I don't really like in ciders, meads, or wines.

steve
 
Just got a sample of mine after 3 weeks. Hasn't cleared yet but it's down to 1.002. Mine varied from the original a bit, I hit an OG of 1.051 to lessen the ABV. Looks like it'll be about 6.5%. It tastes just like champagne to me. I'm debating whether to add lactose to it.

There were no rhino farts on this one so it must be the yeast that are strained with the high alcohol content.
 
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