Man, I love Apfelwein

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Same thing happened to me. Fermentation ended around week 2, cleared a bit at about week 4, then got cloudy again. I'm now on week 8 and it hasn't gotten a single hint clearer since week 5. I'll probably just bottle it anyway and if I give anyway, tell people not to pour out the bottom. Tried cold crash for 3 days at week 6, and it did nothing. Tried gelatin about a week ago....also did nothing.
 
Wow, I have made it to page 120. A lot has been said about this stuff. Some of it over and over. I know that several have mentioned sweetening before bottling with Splendia. But in the recipe was mentioned "Wine Conditioner" I plan on using the conditioner in half of my 5 gallon batch at bottle time. Will this do the same as Splendia? I followed Ed's recipe FWIW.
 
Splenda is a nonfermentable (artificial) sugar. This allows for bottle carbonation. Wine conditioner is a premixed combination of stabilizer (stops and prevents further yeast production/fermentation) and sugar/sweetener.
Splenda can be used for carbed brew, and conditioner = still brew
 
I am getting very close to the day when my apfelwein is done fermenting... Would it be possible to put a gallon of it into a sanitized gallon milk container (assume I'm not adding sugar to carbonate it)?

I hastily threw all 5 gals back into the plastic jugs my apple juice came in. I didn't find it to greatly affect the flavor. I'm down to the final gallon jug (gotta brew NOW) and it is still as drinkable as when "jugged".
 
I started my first batch of this yesterday, the only difference is that I couldn't get any montrachet. My lhbs said they were out and that their distributor couldn't get any either (anyone else having this problem). Anyways, I used red star pasteur red instead. Ed says that there should be little to no krausen just a ring of bubbles but mine is going nuts and has a pretty decent krausen at only day two. Is this normal and has anyone else used this yeast with favorable results? Sorry for just coming out and asking it but this thread has a butt ton of posts that would take a solid day to read through.
 
That's apple juice???? That's really dark...
Anyway, he said there wouldn't be much kräusen with Montrachet, so if you use something different....
 
That's apple juice???? That's really dark...
Anyway, he said there wouldn't be much kräusen with Montrachet, so if you use something different....

Yup its tree top, it's just the camera angle making it look dark. I'm just curious if someone else has used the pasteur red for apflewein, and what their results were.
 
Wow there is so much here to digest...I was in the process of ordering some christmas ale recipes, and was stalling the inevitable check out when I read some more of this post. I'm a good 2 years behind on this, but I've finally decided to make a 5 gallon batch of this stuff. AHB was out of Montrachet so I had to settle for Notties. I couldn't make it past the 80th page, so I was wondering what taste differences are...I would assume a bit sweeter...less dry? I'm sure the answer is somewhere in the previous 397 pages, I just can't bring myself to scour them for hours.
 
In that case I'll need your address. That would work out perfectly as a stop on my way to the slopes! Be a post whore 2 more pages to the 400 mark...that'll deserve an Apfelwein.
 
Well if I saw a conical while I was driving there's a good chance I would wreck anyway...dang guess I'd have to stay for a while...I'll bring some apple juice.
 
I am working on my first batch now. I have 5 gallons in an ale pail and it bubbled like crazy for the first week then stopped completely. I opened it and aerated it and decied to check the hydrometer. I am a bit confused on reading it though. Started SG was 1.055 and now it is 1.000. On the chart that says 0.0 abv is this correct or am I reading it wrong.
 
The chart should have a "potential ABV" next to where the OG reading is. Might be something like 6%. Next look at the FG reading and take that number. Now minus the smaler from the larger number and you have your total ABV.
 
thank you very much for the responses. I think I understand it now. I am just getting a little inpatient to try for my first batch. My woodchuch is great, but I am ready to try something fresh that I have made.
 
I am working on my first batch now. I have 5 gallons in an ale pail and it bubbled like crazy for the first week then stopped completely. I opened it and aerated it and decied to check the hydrometer. I am a bit confused on reading it though. Started SG was 1.055 and now it is 1.000. On the chart that says 0.0 abv is this correct or am I reading it wrong.

If you aerated at 1.000 I would think your batch is going to go bad or oxidise quickly. Now that it has oxygen has been introduced. Oxygen is no good once the yeast have finished there work.
 
mine cleared up already and its only been 3 weeks!! ill let it sit longer but man its pretty clear already so far!!

looks great.... but what does it taste like.... haha
 
Mine is a little over 3 weeks and isn't clearing at all. I didn't realize it at the time, but I used a very low flocculant yeast, so I might be waiting a while longer. Oh well, good things come...
 
Started mine on 8/13/08 with Montrachet and it's clear as a bell. Going to bottle it this weekend, hopefully.

Should I get a little of the yeast cake at the bottom to ensure carbonation in the bottle?
 
I am working on my first batch now. I have 5 gallons in an ale pail and it bubbled like crazy for the first week then stopped completely. I opened it and aerated it and decied to check the hydrometer. I am a bit confused on reading it though. Started SG was 1.055 and now it is 1.000. On the chart that says 0.0 abv is this correct or am I reading it wrong.

If the SG is 1.000, then it's pretty much done, oh some yeast strains will take the SG lower, but not a whole lot. By areating the must you've introduced oxygen & that's a bad thing; it'll RUIN your apfelwein. I've never heard of a way to save oxidized must, but that doesn't mean one doesn't exist. I think about the only way you can avoid having to pour this down the drain is to drink it before the nasty taste takes over. Good luck, GF.
 
Just threw down a batch and I used Tree Top Apple Cider, 2 lbs of Corn Sugar and 2 lbs of Dark Brown Sugar with Lalvin EC 1118 champagne yeast (LHBS did not have any montrachet in stock). My OG was 1.095, I am trying to get down to about 1.02 at the lowest, giving me a little bit sweeter. But if it does go all the way down to 1.000, then BAM, IT WILL ROCK!
 
Started mine on 8/13/08 with Montrachet and it's clear as a bell. Going to bottle it this weekend, hopefully.

Should I get a little of the yeast cake at the bottom to ensure carbonation in the bottle?

Nope- there will be enough yeast still in suspension to get the job done.
 
I started my first batch of this yesterday, the only difference is that I couldn't get any montrachet. My lhbs said they were out and that their distributor couldn't get any either (anyone else having this problem). Anyways, I used red star pasteur red instead. Ed says that there should be little to no krausen just a ring of bubbles but mine is going nuts and has a pretty decent krausen at only day two. Is this normal and has anyone else used this yeast with favorable results? Sorry for just coming out and asking it but this thread has a butt ton of posts that would take a solid day to read through.

Cheese & Crackers, that looks like a huge cow flötcher floating there. :D

8049d1223518565-man-i-love-apfelwein-top.jpg


Montrachet won't do that. What yeast did you use?
 
I was going to order some wine bottles to bottle my first batch. Is it better to have a blue bottle or amber, or is a clear bottle ok?

Save yourself some money & go ask the mgr at a few bars, or better yet, at some up-scale restaurants if they'll save some empties for you. Up-scale restaurants don't usually have wine bottles with screw tops. That's how I got my 1st 4 cases of wine bottles, and all it cost me was the fuel to go get them & the elbow grease to scrub them clean. The trick is to be polite & ask on a Thursday or Friday afternoon, promise to pick up all the empty wine bottles they have on Sunday night at closing time, or Monday morning, or at whatever day/time is best for them. It also helps if you are already aquainted with someone who works there. It's up to you of course, but it can save some money. Regards, GF.
 
thank you very much for the suggestion. I do have about 50 Grolsch bottles right now, but I wanted to save them for a batch of hard lemonade.
 
I had about 10 glasses on top of beer today on top of an empty stomach....guess who had 2 naps today
 
I had about 10 glasses on top of beer today on top of an empty stomach....guess who had 2 naps today


which leads me to wonder....who holds the record for most Apfelwein consumed in one session without the need for medical attention?

bigK, no offense, but i'm looking at you :drunk:
 
I do hereby declare that if I win the 42 gallon conical at AHS...It WILL be an Apfelwein fermentation chamber!

I can see you at Costco now with the flatbed pulling up to the cash register with 10 boxs and 2 bottles of Tree Top Apple juice and the guy at the register getting a WTF look on his face (till you tell him you are making Apfelwein). :D
 
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