I would think that it will be ok. There is always a blanket of C02 over the fermentating liquid. I'm assuming you're using a better bottle. It should go back to bubbling through the airlock. Mine fermented for nearly 2 months.
Man, I love Apfelwein
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I would think that it will be ok. There is always a blanket of C02 over the fermentating liquid. I'm assuming you're using a better bottle. It should go back to bubbling through the airlock. Mine fermented for nearly 2 months.
As soon as its crystal clear you can bottle it.
it seems the longer you leave it on the yeast cake, the smother it gets.:rockin:
illin8
Well-Known Member
OK...my apfelwein is 9 months old, and has been in the carboy since I made it...I'm about to bottle it. I just want to confirm taste with you guys...my samples (uncarbed) taste like a 'thin' chardonnay with a hint of apple (not much)...mostly reminiscent of a slightly watery chardonnay. Its very smooth but I'm just trying to compare taste...
Shub
New Member
I'm using a 8gal bottling bucket with 6gal of apple juice. It's been 24hrs since I taped over the crack in the top of my lid and no pressure seems to be building up in the airlock. The crack was there for at least a few days which made the airlock pretty much redundant. I'm just a little worried that it hasn't started up again.
somecallmetex
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't be worried. Even if it was contaminated I don't think it would have killed off the yeast. I would double check that the crack is sealed air tight (and more likely that the whole around the air lock is sealed tight). Also, a little over 2 gallons of empty space takes time to pressurize.
Semo
Well-Known Member
I have noticed people adding cinnamon sticks and such. I am very new at this, and all the hype surrounding sanitizing and such.....
How do you get cinnamon sticks into your mix and know you didn't introduce a bad bacteria to cause off tastes and such.
I am not trying to be a smarta$$ and I am seriously questioning this. I have 5 gallons of apfelwein, beer and 2 gallons of apple juice fermenting and have only been at this a few weeks. So, forgive me if this is the dumbest of questions..
How do you get cinnamon sticks into your mix and know you didn't introduce a bad bacteria to cause off tastes and such.
I am not trying to be a smarta$$ and I am seriously questioning this. I have 5 gallons of apfelwein, beer and 2 gallons of apple juice fermenting and have only been at this a few weeks. So, forgive me if this is the dumbest of questions..
Semo
Well-Known Member
No input as mine is 1 week old today, but when you say "watery"...is that a good watery or bad watery?
I am going to answer this. I add the cinnamon straight from package to fermenter. No fear of wild yeast, etc. because of the ability of the stronger yeast to kill it off. That is just me though, and I have made two good batches with cinnamon. I add them for the last week or two. I think the high alcahol content kills of the bad stuff too.
Semo
Well-Known Member
CarsonCE
Well-Known Member
I made two batches with Cinnamon and Cloves (personally, I like the original recipe the best). I added them in the beginning by boiling a cup or two of apple juice with the cinnamon and cloves.
Try 1/2 stick in 1 gallon.
Mine is about 3 months old and tastes watery too. Not in particularly good way. I am hoping it drys up in bottles.
Hegh
Well-Known Member
It's more likely the yeast than the alcohol, which isn't enough to actually kill much, although it will retard the growth of other stuff.
Only real worry would be an acetobactor, which don't generally show up in the wild. They would turn your wonderful cinnamon apfelwein into oddly flavored apple cider vinegar.
mikeysab
Well-Known Member
I just finished putting my batch together, and I think I messed it up. Firstly, I used juice AND concentrate. My recipe looked like this.
3 1/2 gallons juice (different brands)
6 cans Apple Juice concentrate
3 lbs dark brown sugar
1/2 pound amber candi sugar
1 vile White labs english cider yeast
1 5 g packet lalvin 118
So using all that sugar and concentrate left me with a 1.09 at 5 gallons, and I didn't feel like waiting a year to drink it so I kept adding water till I got the OG to 1.060, which was 27 liters roughly on my Coopers fermenter, which gives me 7.14 gallons. Having that much liquid made me think I needed more yeast, so instead of using JUST the White labs, I threw in a packet of Lalvin 118. I'm really hoping this turns out okay, but I'm not sure. The only thing that REALLY scares me is the Malic acid. Anybody know what it'll do, or if this just sounds llike a total disaster?
3 1/2 gallons juice (different brands)
6 cans Apple Juice concentrate
3 lbs dark brown sugar
1/2 pound amber candi sugar
1 vile White labs english cider yeast
1 5 g packet lalvin 118
So using all that sugar and concentrate left me with a 1.09 at 5 gallons, and I didn't feel like waiting a year to drink it so I kept adding water till I got the OG to 1.060, which was 27 liters roughly on my Coopers fermenter, which gives me 7.14 gallons. Having that much liquid made me think I needed more yeast, so instead of using JUST the White labs, I threw in a packet of Lalvin 118. I'm really hoping this turns out okay, but I'm not sure. The only thing that REALLY scares me is the Malic acid. Anybody know what it'll do, or if this just sounds llike a total disaster?
Doesn't sound to me like it's messed up. Actually sounds pretty good. I'm no yeast expert; I stick mostly to a couple of the basic dry yeasts, but my understanding of the Lalvin 1118 is that it's a fairly aggressive and dry fermenting yeast. My guess is it will take off and out compete the cider yeast, and ferment your batch to dryness. Once you get to that point then I guess you can decide how to proceed based on taste. I just finished drinking a batch that was very similar (only smaller). It was originally a gallon of Mott's juice with 2lbs dark brown sugar added, and a cinnamon stick in the primary. When that was done I racked it onto a can of concentrate, aged it a while, treated with campden and sorbate, and bottled. It made a very nice tasting drink with a rich mouthfeel. IIRC I used 1118 for that batch. It was fine served still & dry, but I ended up liking it best served over ice with a couple of packs of Splenda in the glass. So based on that I'm betting you're going to end up backsweetening yours a bit when it is finished. I'd consider either backsweetening with Splenda or lactose before bottling, or else serve it over some sweetener as I did.
The malic acid should be fine, I have read all 610 pages of this thread and no one has complained about an acid problems that I can recall. This includes both those who dissolved their sugar in water and added it to their juice and those who added cans of concentrate to their juice for more apple flavor.
I would be more worried about the added extra 2 gallons of water, that is diluting your juice by approximately 40%. It takes 5cans in two gallon or 7 cans of concentrate to two gallons of water, assuming each can makes 48 oz.
The two main complaints by those who don't like Apfelwein are not enough apple flavor and no body (watery).
Personally I would remove about a half gallon of juice from the fermenter and add 5 cans of concentrate, this should bring the S.G. To around 1.065, still perfectly acceptable for Apfelwein.
Tom
I would be more worried about the added extra 2 gallons of water, that is diluting your juice by approximately 40%. It takes 5cans in two gallon or 7 cans of concentrate to two gallons of water, assuming each can makes 48 oz.
The two main complaints by those who don't like Apfelwein are not enough apple flavor and no body (watery).
Personally I would remove about a half gallon of juice from the fermenter and add 5 cans of concentrate, this should bring the S.G. To around 1.065, still perfectly acceptable for Apfelwein.
Tom
vvolf27
Well-Known Member
Well the Apfelwein was a big hit at my dad's birthday party. I brought a gallon jug, that was about 3 months old. I had backsweetend it with half a can of applejuice concentrate. I had people telling me I don't really like wine, but I like this. Needless to say the jug was empty in about 2 hours! Thanks for a great recipe. :rockin:
Klaatu
Member
Hey folks,
I've read 104 pages of Edwort's Applewine and am wondering if there
is a Cliff Notes version of this? This thread is up to 6,098 replies and
yes I'm a wimp for not wishing to read all of them. I followed the recipe.
No devations, none. There seems to be many small changes from Edworts.
I've tried to wade thru the replies that didnot stay true. I've learned alot.
The problem is that I didn't keep much notes. So, is there a Cliff Notes?
I'm going to use bottles and want it carbed. 3/4 cup of what per 5 gal.?
Lactose? It got darker then went clearish but still 5 bubbles per min. I'm
at 1.003 now. I'll wait until .999 is reached but if it still bubbles then what?
How many bubbles per min is the minimum? Do I cold crash it or rack it?
Do I just bottle it and hope for no bottles bombs?
I would like to get Edworts down pat before making any mods for SWMBO.
I do the "D-word". SWMBO would be much pleased with something lighter.
Thanks for the help and thank you Edwort.
I've read 104 pages of Edwort's Applewine and am wondering if there
is a Cliff Notes version of this? This thread is up to 6,098 replies and
yes I'm a wimp for not wishing to read all of them. I followed the recipe.
No devations, none. There seems to be many small changes from Edworts.
I've tried to wade thru the replies that didnot stay true. I've learned alot.
The problem is that I didn't keep much notes. So, is there a Cliff Notes?
I'm going to use bottles and want it carbed. 3/4 cup of what per 5 gal.?
Lactose? It got darker then went clearish but still 5 bubbles per min. I'm
at 1.003 now. I'll wait until .999 is reached but if it still bubbles then what?
How many bubbles per min is the minimum? Do I cold crash it or rack it?
Do I just bottle it and hope for no bottles bombs?
I would like to get Edworts down pat before making any mods for SWMBO.
I do the "D-word". SWMBO would be much pleased with something lighter.
Thanks for the help and thank you Edwort.
Sorry no Cliff notes, but Edwort's first post covers the essentials.
To quote Edwort,
“If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of corn sugar will work fine. Use as you would carbonate a batch of beer.” “ After at least 4 weeks, you can keg or bottle, but it is ok to leave it in the carboy for another month or so. Racking to a secondary is not necessary. It ferments out very dry (less than 0.999.” "Apfelwein really improves with age, so if you can please let it sit in a carboy for up to 3 months before bottling or kegging, then let it sit even longer."
¾ cup is approximately 5 ounces.
You could substitute regular sugar for the corn sugar, either works fine but some think it ads a cidery taste. Lactose will not work for carbinating.
If you are bottle carbonating you will need to use a non-fermenting sweetener. Wine conditioner should prevent bottle carbonation.
Lactose is non-fermentable so you can use it or an artificial sweetener to taste. As for how much lactose, that depends on your taste, take a measured amount of Apfelwein, for example a quart, and ad measured amounts of lactose until it is the correct sweetness for you and multiply by how many quarts are in your batch. Another option would be to sweeten each glass as you drink, mix the sweetener of choice with a little water or Apfelwein until dissolved in your glass, fill up and enjoy.
All of my batches have gone under an S.G. of .999. Mine took 7 to 10 weeks to clear but I have not checked my S.G. before the 12 week mark.
Lack of bubbles is not a good indicator of a finished fermentation, only steady hydrometer readings taken several days apart will show a finished fermentation.
Tom
To quote Edwort,
“If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of corn sugar will work fine. Use as you would carbonate a batch of beer.” “ After at least 4 weeks, you can keg or bottle, but it is ok to leave it in the carboy for another month or so. Racking to a secondary is not necessary. It ferments out very dry (less than 0.999.” "Apfelwein really improves with age, so if you can please let it sit in a carboy for up to 3 months before bottling or kegging, then let it sit even longer."
¾ cup is approximately 5 ounces.
You could substitute regular sugar for the corn sugar, either works fine but some think it ads a cidery taste. Lactose will not work for carbinating.
If you are bottle carbonating you will need to use a non-fermenting sweetener. Wine conditioner should prevent bottle carbonation.
Lactose is non-fermentable so you can use it or an artificial sweetener to taste. As for how much lactose, that depends on your taste, take a measured amount of Apfelwein, for example a quart, and ad measured amounts of lactose until it is the correct sweetness for you and multiply by how many quarts are in your batch. Another option would be to sweeten each glass as you drink, mix the sweetener of choice with a little water or Apfelwein until dissolved in your glass, fill up and enjoy.
All of my batches have gone under an S.G. of .999. Mine took 7 to 10 weeks to clear but I have not checked my S.G. before the 12 week mark.
Lack of bubbles is not a good indicator of a finished fermentation, only steady hydrometer readings taken several days apart will show a finished fermentation.
Tom
MrPeaches
Member
I'm curious as to if the apfelwein is safe to put into growlers after the primary 4 weeks of fermentation.
Effington
Well-Known Member
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I bottle mine in EZ Cap grolsch style bottles - the caps practically fly off when I pop them open, but they hold steady just fine. I'd imagine a growler would work pretty much the same way, unless it has one of those cheap caps.
CarsonCE
Well-Known Member
Yup. After the initial 4 weeks you should be good to go. Did you take any gravity readings? To be 100% sure, you would just need to make sure you are around 1.000 SG. Mine are usually completely fermented out at less than two weeks and are just clearing after that.
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The question that needs to be answered first is. Is fermentation completed?
Second are you planning on having this apfelwein non carbonated?
If you don't need the carboy or bucket let it sit for another month or two.
Edwort does not cold crash or rack off the lees. It is my understanding that cold crashing requires temperatures under 40 degrees F. and can take a week or longer.
When you take a hydrometer reading do you degas your sample?
If I remember correctly Edwort kegs after 4 - 6 weeks.
As long as your fermentation is finished before you add the priming sugar and get it mixed in evenly bottle bombs should not happen.
If you have never bottled before I would suggest reading Revvy's bottling tips.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/
When you take a hydrometer reading do you degas your sample?
If I remember correctly Edwort kegs after 4 - 6 weeks.
As long as your fermentation is finished before you add the priming sugar and get it mixed in evenly bottle bombs should not happen.
If you have never bottled before I would suggest reading Revvy's bottling tips.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/
I purchase some Grolsch at the liquor store at the end of July. I threw it in the refrigerator (bought it cold), popped one open at monthly intervals and after the third month noticed a loss of pressure. There was consistently less pressure each month after that.
Since the Grolsch style bottles are holding pressure for you, my question is how long has your Apfelwein been in the bottles and at what temperature are you storing them?
I was thinking that maybe the lower temperature may have an adverse effect on the gasket over a longer length of time, or maybe your bottles seal better than regular Grolsch bottles.
Tom
Since the Grolsch style bottles are holding pressure for you, my question is how long has your Apfelwein been in the bottles and at what temperature are you storing them?
I was thinking that maybe the lower temperature may have an adverse effect on the gasket over a longer length of time, or maybe your bottles seal better than regular Grolsch bottles.
Tom
philrose
Well-Known Member
Doubtful, since more co2 stays dissolved in the beer at cold temps.
I do think that the EZ Cap bottles seal better than the recycled grolsch bottles though.
somecallmetex
Well-Known Member
when you reuse those bottles do you need to replace the cap, or are they good for multiple uses?
philrose
Well-Known Member
As long as they're clean, they're good for a long time. You can replace the gaskets anytime but it's generally unnecessary until they're visibly cracked or dried out.
MrPeaches
Member
No. I bought a 2 liter growler from NorthernBrewer.
Fermentation is not complete.
I'm just gettin all of my ducks in a row in terms of what I plan on doing with this after the primary 4 weeks.
Thanks, I will pick up a case of the EZ Cap bottles the next time I hit the LHBS and give them a try.
Tom
Tom
rocketcrab
Well-Known Member
Had the same thing happen to me this week. Mine aren't actual Grolsch bottles, but bale-type bottles that I got at a glass factory-outlet store. The apfelwein is in the bottle for about 6 weeks now, and I finished it with wine conditioner before bottleing. I was a bit suprised that it was sparkling - unless of course it's infected, but it didn't taste like it. It wasn't really cold when I opned it, about 60F maybe.
14 ounces:
3 oz freshly squeezed blood-orange juice
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
2 oz Aperol (http://enoteca800.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/85.jpg)
8 oz First Batch of Apfelwein
Pinch of salt
This drink is DELICIOUS.
It is bitter, sour, salty, and fruity. And it's featuring Apfelwein!!!!!!!
Happy bananas!
3 oz freshly squeezed blood-orange juice
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
2 oz Aperol (http://enoteca800.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/85.jpg)
8 oz First Batch of Apfelwein
Pinch of salt
This drink is DELICIOUS.
It is bitter, sour, salty, and fruity. And it's featuring Apfelwein!!!!!!!
Happy bananas!
I brewed my first and only apfelwein two years ago. It sat in the better bottle for a couple months before I transfered it to a corny keg.
There it has sat, untasted all this time. Just waiting on my keezer build to try it out.
One more month.
Can........not.......hardly.......wait.
There it has sat, untasted all this time. Just waiting on my keezer build to try it out.
One more month.
Can........not.......hardly.......wait.
I didn't read through ALL the pages, but did hit about 120/153. Here is my set up since I am too broke to buy another carboy at the moment. I did just aquire 5 corny kegs, so one will be used for the next batch of Apfelwein. I'll compare the tastes when I finish up. Probably some O2 issues with these, but meh.
Oh, and yes, that is RTV silicon keeping the top airtight... :rockin:
Oh, and yes, that is RTV silicon keeping the top airtight... :rockin:
Has anyone used KV-1116 yeast from Lalvin on a batch of this stuff as opposed to the Red Star yeast? Curious how it came out relative to expectations or relative to the Red Star Montrachet.
Also, anyone try oaking it a little?
Also, anyone try oaking it a little?
rocketcrab
Well-Known Member
I used KV-1116 cuz thats all I had on hand at the time. Worked OK for me - then again it is my first batch so I can't compare it to anything else.
mikeysab
Well-Known Member
I might be totally wacky, but my batch of apfelwein has been in primary for 9 days now, and i want to drink it already. OG was 1.060 and the gravity now is 1.006. I've been tasting my hydro samples, and I could totally see myself drinking it now. I might even pull a TAD bottle out and see what happens after 2 weeks. The airlock is still active, so If I did pull out a galloin and a half, is it safe to say that the Co2 is going to push any oxygen out? I made my batch to 7.25 gallons in an 8 gallon fermenter.
