Man, I love Apfelwein

Hi All!

So I made it through about 67 pages of this thread before I had all my ingredients together!

I have another batch of hard cider "bubbling" right now (for about the past week), but as I've been reading this thread I thought it might be best to go ahead and try it at the same time. I went to the LHBS and bought a few more packets of yeast, couple pounds of corn sugar, a 6g glass carboy and a new rubber plug for it. Oh yea, I also bought a 5g keg and the hookups for it (I already have the CO2 tank and regulator from an old reef aquarium).

I even went with a list this time and still came out with new stuff! Although SWMBO did laugh about the keg she did think it was a good idea - so yay on that.

Anyway, here's my ingredient list:
- 21 quarts (5.25g) of "Great Value" Apple Juice from WalMart
- 2lbs and 2 Tablespoons of corn sugar
- 5 grams of Lalvin K1-V1116 yeast

All of this went into a 6g carboy via the instructions way back on page 1. Correcting for temperature (70 degrees), I have an OG of 1.069 so it's about where everyone else is at.

We'll see how this goes!

See ya!
alowishus

I didnt check my OG- but its been bubbling like mad for a while now. I am jealous I wont be here to try it...

Wow that was super duper easy. I followed the recipe to a tee with Red Star montrachet yeast, 2 pounds priming sugar and 5 gallons of Kroger apple juice (no preservatives other than vitamin C) Looks grand in the carboy!

Can't wait for February and tap day.

cowgo said:

Wow that was super duper easy. I followed the recipe to a tee with Red Star montrachet yeast, 2 pounds priming sugar and 5 gallons of Kroger apple juice (no preservatives other than vitamin C) Looks grand in the carboy!

Can't wait for February and tap day.

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Congrats! Now, be sure to go and start another batch in a week or so. You'll thank me later.

Guys in the greater Phoenix area, I've got a pretty good line on some apple juice. If you've ever seen the brand of orange juice, in the refrigerated section, called Simply Orange, they also do an apple juice. It is pressed, unfiltered, pasteurised, (but not very hot, since it isn't shelf-stable, it needs to be refrigerated) and 99 cents a 1.75 liter bottle. (I'm trying to talk the boss into selling a case of 6 bottles for $5.) But, at the regular (our discount) price, it is $5.94 a case.

I tried to find some prices on-line, but no luck.

Let me know if anyone wants info. (No, this isn't the LHBS I USED to work for.)

steve

I just started a batch on Sunday. It's crazy that I can actually hear it fermenting. haha

cowgo said:

Looks grand in the carboy!

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Just wait until it gets going, then it's really beautiful. It's an intense, active fermentation, but very steady and civilized, nothing like the violent churning of an ale. For a few days, you'll actually hear the carboy loudly sizzling as the millions tiny bubbles race to the top.

whew! Has anyone else noticied a shocking effect of this great brew the day afterwards besides the hang over?

BlindLemonLars said:

For a few days, you'll actually hear the carboy loudly sizzling as the millions tiny bubbles race to the top.

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I freakin' love that sizzle.


TL

gicts said:

whew! Has anyone else noticied a shocking effect of this great brew the day afterwards besides the hang over?

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And . . . yes


TL

How long do you usually wait to drink apfelwein?

I'm enjoying a glass of 3-month aged apfelwein (one month in the carboy, two months in the bottle). It's about 10x better than it was a month ago. Super smooth. No sulfur aroma/taste.

brett said:

How long do you usually wait to drink apfelwein?

I'm enjoying a glass of 3-month aged apfelwein (one month in the carboy, two months in the bottle). It's about 10x better than it was a month ago. Super smooth. No sulfur aroma/taste.

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I have yet to taste a 3 month old Apfelwein!! It never lasts that long with me. I manage to hold off for about a month and then I lose it!

Well, a month and a half after going into the carboy, I just bottled my "by-the book" apfelwein into:

3 1.5L Champagne Bottles
6 1-litre flip tops
9 22 oz's
12 12 oz's

I primed it all, and the plan is to let the champagne bottles age for several months.

Batch 2 is going in right now, with 5 gallons of organic, unfiltered juice. We'll see how that tastes.
-Patrick

I am well into fermenting my second batch. My first became a daily drinker for me. Disappeared fast. Need to clear up a carboy for the 3rd batch.

I have a question regarding bottling.

When I bottled my 1st batch, it seemed to have quite a bit of carbonation. The carb caught on the tubing from the bottling bucket and created quite a bit of foam when bottling. I ended up having to go back and "top off" the bottles after the settled.

What do you think caused this? The product was very very dry, just the way I like it (not SWMBO's favorite though). It was almost champagne like.

I think the only delta from EdWort's recipe was that I used Wyeast's Cider strain 4766. Any thoughts?

I had a bottle of about 9 month old Apfelwein tonight and it was fantastic. Too bad I only have 1 more bottle.

skou said:

Guys in the greater Phoenix area, I've got a pretty good line on some apple juice. If you've ever seen the brand of orange juice, in the refrigerated section, called Simply Orange, they also do an apple juice. It is pressed, unfiltered, pasteurised, (but not very hot, since it isn't shelf-stable, it needs to be refrigerated) and 99 cents a 1.75 liter bottle. (I'm trying to talk the boss into selling a case of 6 bottles for $5.) But, at the regular (our discount) price, it is $5.94 a case.

I tried to find some prices on-line, but no luck.

Let me know if anyone wants info. (No, this isn't the LHBS I USED to work for.)

steve

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Update, the $5 a case has been approved. If you're interested, the store is American Discount Foods. It is in Mesa, on Extension, just north of Broadway. I've only got one pallet left. The juice is dated to expire on the 12th (I think) of December. Since my walk-in is almost freezing, it will be good WELL past that date. Yes, I will be doing a couple of batches from this.

Have I mentioned, it is not filtered, and has sediment on the bottom of the bottles.

steve

The fermentation is amazing. It really is sizzling. Millions of bubbles racing up the side of the carboy.

I didn't have any vodka for the airlock, so I used 1/2 ounce of Glenfiddich. Aplewein bonus: Now my house smells like a fine single malt scotch.

How long do you usually wait to drink apfelwein?

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MY first batch will be gone before the second is ready.

The fermentation is still going gangbusters, but the rotten eggs made their appearance this morning, much to the chagrin of SWMBO. The carboy was in the hallway closet and now our coats have that smell.

The "but Honey, it'll all be worth it 3 months from now" didn't go over so well.

By the way, I love the SWMBO reference, I'm a Rumpole fan from way way back.

For the obligatory Apfelwein reference, it's so easy to make and so cool to watch the amazing fermentation, which is practically a broil, I can't wait to try this stuff out in a few months. I have a 17 year old daughter who is in her 4th year of high school German help me with the correct pronunciation. She tells me that my homebrew smells gross, but she might try this....uhhh...no. As a lawyer I know that in Kansas it's lawfully for a parent to provide their child with 3.2 beer in the home under parental supervision, but nothing else. That's a very weird quirk in Kansas law. Pro or con (I'm con) it is a strange bit of legal reasoning that certainly doesn't allow for Apfelwien, even if you can say it correctly.

I thought the "make another batch in 2 weeks, you'll thanks me later" recommendation was hyperbole, but given the number of posts to this thread and the fun in doing the process so far, I'm going to heed that advice and fill another carboy this week.

Will micro brew drinkers like this stuff? I started a batch on Saturday and I am just wondering if the micro brew drinkers I know will like it. Is it sweet? I know that I'll find out in a few months.....

I just bottled my 5 gallons I started on 1 November. All I can say is wow! Good stuff. Kinda tastes like a light Mosel table wine. I bottled this batch still, I took the 1st 22oz. bottle and slid it into the fridge while I was bottling up the rest. After I was finished bottling I sat down with the cold 22, poured it in a glass and drank it. Got a nice head from it and went to bed. No problems this morning.
My next 5 gallons will be be bottled with a 50/50 carbed and still.
I can only imagine this stuff gets real clean with age. My first batch started at 1.060 and finished at .992
AP

I have another batch of straight Apfelwein going but with Nottingham yeast because I had an extra pack on hand.. is fermenting well with a big yummy krausen

Anybody know the ABV on Edwort's recipe?

I belive it's 8-8.5% if you follow the recipe

my boys all call it the 8-9! Because when we were younger and real poor, we'd drink the 5.9% Beast, oh god, those were the days....every now and again we get some just for giggles and ish!

for those wanting a little different flavor, try adding a fruit flavor http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/2,1184.html
I got a 5 oz bottle for $5 which, depending on how potent you want it, will last 5 gallons. I tried the raspberry from my lbh and it is great! I can't wait to try their strawberry/kiwi flavor next! I added it when I bottled it and let it carb and age a bit. Amazing.

I have two batches in bottle that I have been drinking with 2 different yeast strains. I also have a batch in secondary from September!!! I just have been busy with my beer that I have not found the time or bottles to bottle this batch..It will be my 5 month secondary age..should be smoooooooth..

Jay

I made this with Cider- Is it supposed to clear up over time?

Can anyone remember what the ABV is just fermenting the sugars in the juice without adding any dextrose?

MikeFlynn74 said:

I made this with Cider- Is it supposed to clear up over time?

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I have heard others say that when using cider it never fully clears.

TronCarter said:

Can anyone remember what the ABV is just fermenting the sugars in the juice without adding any dextrose?

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I think the general consensus was that it's around 5-6%. Did you take the SG before you started - might give you a more exact idea.

alowishus said:

I think the general consensus was that it's around 5-6%. Did you take the SG before you started - might give you a more exact idea.

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2lbs dextrose will get you about 5% ABV so a 1.065OG @ 8.5%

8.5% -5% = 3.5%

No dextrose results in 3.5% ABV. You'll need to drink it fast and hope you don't get a case of the hershey-squirts!! Low ABV cider is prone to getting additional ferments if your sanitation isn't the best. Drink too fast and you'll sharting every time you cough.

Schlenkerla

damn I had to read your posst 2x. Good thing im sober........ hick

It helps if you cover one eye!

Schlenkerla said:

2lbs dextrose will get you about 5% ABV so a 1.065OG @ 8.5%

8.5% -5% = 3.5%

No dextrose results in 3.5% ABV. You'll need to drink it fast and hope you don't get a case of the hershey-squirts!! Low ABV cider is prone to getting additional ferments if your sanitation isn't the best. Drink too fast and you'll sharting every time you cough.

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Corn sugar has a PPG of 37, so 1 pound of dextrose in 1 gallon of water would result in a gravity of 1.037. Since there's 2 pounds in 5 gallons, that works out to be 1.015 ((2*37)/5). So you will only see a drop of ~2% ABV by leaving out the sugar.

My comments came for Red Star Makers of montrachet as a result of email correspondence.

They told me that 2lbs results in 5% ABV. I never challenged them or verified the difference w/o using dextrose.

It seems to make sense to me.


Dear Mr. D

In answer to your questions:

1. Yeast nutrients never hurt, and in some situations, they are highly
recommended. Many fermentation substrates can be deficient, not only in
nitrogen, but in vitamins and trace minerals. Examples include honey based
fermentations and fermentations involving highly clarified juices as in
some Chardonnay musts. Nutritional supplementation can be especially
important where high final alcohols are involved. For lower alcohol (4-12
% v/v) beverages, derived from rich substrates such as malt and
non-clarified musts from well ripened grapes, added nutrition is less of an
issue for commercially produced yeast starters. The yeast production
process provides the yeast ample nutrients to sustain and complete such
fermentations.

2. As for your use of Montrachet in cider production: this strain does have
the reputation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production. This strain is
recommended for robust red and white wines; and, has been reported to
produce good non-grape fruit wine, such a plum. The cause of H2S
production in wine fermentations is still under active investigation. It
is known that it can be associated with nitrogen deficiency in some cases,
but not always. The addition of yeast nutrients such as diammonium
phosphate (a nitrogen source) have routinely been added during the first
quarter of the fermentation to help alleviate H2S production. Researchers
have been investigating parameters such as juice amino acid profiles, use
of sulphur powder as a pre-harvest mold inhibitor, juice sulphate and
sulphite levels, juice mineral content, etc. It is also well known that
there are yeast strain dependent differences in H2S production.

I am not familiar with the term "preservative (Edit: Free) cider". Hopefully, it does
not contain sorbates or benzoates that would inhibit your fermentation. In
America, cider is usually made from table apples. Sugar content should be
in the 10-12% range. Your 2 lbs/5 gal corn sugar is roughly another 5%. I
predict your final alcohol will be in the 7.5-8.5% range. Montrachet will
have no trouble with this.

To bottle condition (carbonate) this cider, add 3/4 cup of corn sugar/5
gal. Make sure the fermentation is over prior to adding priming sugar.
Most people would rely on the residual yeast in the juice to carbonate the
cider in the bottle after capping. Others will inoculate with a fresh
packet of yeast just to make sure. It will take 1-2 weeks (depending on
cellar temperature) to carbonate the cider.

Sincerely,

Gunnard Jacobson

awesome they replied

Schlenkerla said:

In America, cider is usually made from table apples. Sugar content should be
in the 10-12% range. Your 2 lbs/5 gal corn sugar is roughly another 5%. I
predict your final alcohol will be in the 7.5-8.5% range. [/COLOR]

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I suspect you misunderstood what they meant.

I read that as saying juice itself has about 10-12% sugars, and the 5lb dextrose will add another 5% fermentable sugars- not 5% ABV.


Using their numbers, If you figure that the juice is at 10%, and you add another 5% with the dextrose, you will end up with 7.5% ABV- of which about 1/3, or 2.5% can be attributed to the dextrose.

With juice alone, you would be around 5 to 6% ABV.

That falls right in line with my last bach- it had an OG of 1.040, and a FG of .995- or 5.9% ABV with no sugars added.

Docapi said:

I suspect you misunderstood what they meant.

I read that as saying juice itself has about 10-12% sugars, and the 5lb dextrose will add another 5% fermentable sugars- not 5% ABV.


Using their numbers, If you figure that the juice is at 10%, and you add another 5% with the dextrose, you will end up with 7.5% ABV- of which about 1/3, or 2.5% can be attributed to the dextrose.

With juice alone, you would be around 5 to 6% ABV.

That falls right in line with my last bach- it had an OG of 1.040, and a FG of .995- or 5.9% ABV with no sugars added.

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Yes - I misunderstood what they wrote. I hadn't considered the % they wrote about was in reference to sugar vs ABV.

Good Catch!!!