Man, I love Apfelwein

Bulls Beers said:

I want to make my first batch, but i only have a 6 gallon carboy available. What adjustments do i need to make? If any...

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You may want to do a 6 gallon batch. Simply add another gallon of juice and 0.4 lbs more dextrose (2.4lbs total) to the recipe.

mrfocus said:

You may want to do a 6 gallon batch. Simply add another gallon of juice and 0.4 lbs more dextrose (2.4lbs total) to the recipe.

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I was wondering about 6 gallon batches...my BB is 6, AHS sent me a 6g instead of a 5g....naturally I kept it

2.4lbs of Dextrose then....hmmm

Do i have to do 6 gallon batch or can i just do a 5?

oh no, you can do a 5 gallon batch

I just bought a 6 gallon BB and plan on doing a standard 5 gallon batch. I do have a question though. I bought the same carboy cap and 3 piece airlock that Ed has. Does anyone have a tip for getting the airlock inserted into the cap? It seems that the cap is rather stiff and I don't want to break the airlock. I was thinking maybe putting the cap in some hot water to try to make it a little more flexible. Any ideas?

just use gentle force, you will be fine, I promise!

And do a 6 gallon batch, you'll appreciate it later, I promise!

So having extra air space in the carboy is not a problem.?

nope....you'll be fine

Thanks...One more thing, I'm gonna make the original recipe. But it seems to end up a little dryer than my wife would like. What would i do to sweeten it up?

Bulls Beers said:

Thanks...One more thing, I'm gonna make the original recipe. But it seems to end up a little dryer than my wife would like. What would i do to sweeten it up?

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Splenda...

The exact amount depends on your and SWMBO's tastes... I personally add a packet to each 750ml bottle...

Adolphus79 said:

Splenda...

The exact amount depends on your and SWMBO's tastes... I personally add a packet to each 750ml bottle...

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Is that how you prime the bottles? I'm using 16oz flip-tops.

Splenda is not for priming, it's for back-sweetening. Splenda is non-fermentable, it will only effect the taste. If you want to prime, then use corn sugar (Dextrose), 3/4 cup per 5 gallon batch.

98EXL said:

just use gentle force, you will be fine, I promise!

And do a 6 gallon batch, you'll appreciate it later, I promise!

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Yeah, I bought another gallon on the way home and made a 6 gallon batch tonight along with another batch of Tron's Pretzel Things

I used the Cote des Blanc yeast, 6 teaspoons of nutrient and 2.5 lbs of dextrose.

Adolphus79 said:

Splenda is not for priming, it's for back-sweetening. Splenda is non-fermentable, it will only effect the taste. If you want to prime, then use corn sugar (Dextrose), 3/4 cup per 5 gallon batch.

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So for bottling w/ priming sugar, do you add the sugar, let the bottles sit for a couple days at room temp, then chill like you would beer? I would be worried about those blasted bottle bombs I hear about.

nucmed24 said:

So for bottling w/ priming sugar, do you add the sugar, let the bottles sit for a couple days at room temp, then chill like you would beer? I would be worried about those blasted bottle bombs I hear about.

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I bottle mine still in wine bottles, but from what I've read, you prime just like beer...

nucmed24 said:

So for bottling w/ priming sugar, do you add the sugar, let the bottles sit for a couple days at room temp, then chill like you would beer? I would be worried about those blasted bottle bombs I hear about.

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The standard method is to use 1 oz (by weight) of dextrose per gallon. It usually takes about 3 weeks after bottling to reach full carb, then it is OK to chill.

Adolphus79 said:

I bottle mine still in wine bottles, but from what I've read, you prime just like beer...

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How would you do that?

After four weeks, add campden tablets. Then let it sit for another week or two, then bottle?

I also forgot to add that I am using my new invention (or at least new to me), Tron's Better Bottle Warmer. I have read in this thread that many people experienced slow fermentations in cooler temperatures. My house is usually around 64F in the fall and winter, so I made this:




Full sized images:

http://webpages.charter.net/troncarter/bbwarmer1.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/troncarter/bbwarmer2.jpg

It cost me $7.44 for the oil drain pan and I had a small aquarium heater for a 5 gallon aquarium that I set at 70F. 2 gallons of water in the pan and I am all set.

mrfocus said:

How would you do that?

After four weeks, add campden tablets. Then let it sit for another week or two, then bottle?

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No campden at all... let sit for 4 weeks in primary, then rack for a second 4 weeks in secondary... then bottle...

TronCarter said:

I also forgot to add that I am using my new invention (or at least new to me), Tron's Better Bottle Warmer. I have read in this thread that many people experienced slow fermentations in cooler temperatures. My house is usually around 64F in the fall and winter, so I made this:

Full sized images:

http://webpages.charter.net/troncarter/bbwarmer1.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/troncarter/bbwarmer2.jpg

It cost me $7.44 for the oil drain pan and I had a small aquarium heater for a 5 gallon aquarium that I set at 70F. 2 gallons of water in the pan and I am all set.

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This is a good idea. You should post this in the DIY Project section. :rockin:

hey guys
Looked up the website yesterday and found such a devotion to this stuff I got suckered into it as well. I'm a beginner wine maker and have no experience or equipment for beer but am starting to become interested. I have read many pages however couldn't logically get to them all. What is the expert way of bottling this? Like champagne? Can you get the bottles, corks and wire at the majority of local stores?

Schlenkerla said:

This is a good idea. You should post this in the DIY Project section. :rockin:

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Actually, I already did :

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42166

I think to myself, surely someone has done this before since it is so simple, but I didn't see a mention of it in the 222 pages, so I thought I would offer it up.

If anyone is wondering, I went to the store to get a $2 oil drain pan like the one I have in the garage, but found this one that has a closed top. I liked it because I could cut a hole just large enough for the BB and heater and greatly reduce evaporation and a certain amount of heat loss.

I set the BB on top, traced around it with a pencil, cut it out with a hand held jig saw and bada-boom bada-bing, I was done.

We got sucked into the Apfelwein making too... our first 5 gallons are in the carboy now!

OK, gonna get my feet wet with this recipe as my very first foray into homebrewing. Part of the reasoning here is that this requires alot less equipment than beer, and I can get started getting all the beer stuff without buying everything at once.

So I just got back from the LHBS. The stuff purchased was:
1x 5gal glass carboy
1x 3-piece airlock
1x #7 stopper
1x Carboy brush
2x lbs of Corn sugar
1x packet of Lalvin D-47 yeast (they were out of Montrachet)

The only questionable thing I got sold was Potassium Metabisulfite. They were out of Star San. The salesman said to use this and I'd be fine. Now I gotta to read up on using this stuff. The label says for sanitization use I need 2 oz. per gallon of water, but I don't know if I trust the kitchen scale for that measurement. Anyone know a "spoon" equivalent?

The apple juice I'm going to be using is Mott's, 100% with ascorbic acid as the only other ingredient. It is pasteurized.

The fermenting room is going to be my "office", on my workbench along side all my reloading equipment. Temps should be in the 68-75ºF range.

Thanks,
Matt
(edited for spelling)

Sorry for the messy bench. I had to shove some stuff out of the way.

The carboy was labled with a paint pen. I couldn't find the masking tape, and this seemed like a good way to mark glass.

Here's mine after 2 months in the fermenter:




It hasn't cleared, and there has been absolutely NO airlock activity in the past month. Should I just let it sit longer, or pitch more yeast? I used 5 gal Tree Top AJ, 2lbs Dextrose, and 1pkg Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast. It's still so cloudy I can't see through it. Thought it would start becoming clearer by now, but the clarity hasn't changed in the last month since airlock activity ceased. Ideas?

Jester4176 said:

Thought it would start becoming clearer by now, but the clarity hasn't changed in the last month since airlock activity ceased. Ideas?

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At what temp is it fermenting? I use Montrachet wine yeast and it clears within 5 weeks at room temp.

74-79 degrees. I have some Montrachet in the fridge. Think I should repitch, or sample and see if it's drinkable?

I've got a batch in the fermenter going on 4-months now, I kinda forgot about it any suggestions?

jdcoffman said:

I've got a batch in the fermenter going on 4-months now, I kinda forgot about it any suggestions?

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Time to bottle or keg. I hope your airlock did not dry out.

EdWort said:

Time to bottle or keg. I hope your airlock did not dry out.

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me too, I'll give it a try in the morning.

It hasn't quite been 24 hours since I put everything in the carboy. I pitched the Lalvin D-47 dry, right on top of 4 gals. of juice and rinsed the funnel with the fifth gal. Fermenter room temp is running 72-75ºF. I don't have a hydrometer yet, so I don't know the starting FG. Action in the carboy at 2 hours was about one bubble every 45-60 seconds, yeast was evident on top and bottom, as well as rising and diving throughout the carboy. There was a light ring of foam around the top of the liquid.

Now the next day I've got no yeast particles to be seen. The liquid is cloudy, but looks right compared to everyone else's pics, and the airlock is bubbling about once every 5-6 seconds. There's the most beautiful champagne looking stream of bubbles rising up the sides of the carboy. All looks great so far. Now I just need to keep an eye on the airlock fluid (cheap vodka), so it doesn't dry out.

So I guess I just need to spend the next 4 or more weeks pondering whether to bottle still or carb'd. Fortunately SWMBO is actually enjoying the idea of this. It seems her grandmother was a moonshiner, so she's all reminiscent about the whole making booze thing. She wants me to bottle the cider in wine bottles still. I'm still leaning towards 22oz capped bottles with some nice fizz. I might win out, as I hadn't really planned on buying a bottle corker.

I'm not really clear on the concept here, but since I didn't take an initial FG reading will I be able to determine my ABV when it's through fermenting?

(edited for spelling)

ma2brew said:

I'm not really clear on the concept here, but since I didn't take an initial FG reading will I be able to determine my ABV when it's through fermenting?

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If you did not add any dextrose, it will be between 5 and 6 percent abv when it's done depending on the juice.

EdWort said:

If you did not add any dextrose, it will be between 5 and 6 percent abv when it's done depending on the juice.

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I put in 2 lbs of corn sugar, same as dextrose, right? It's my understanding the only deviation I've made from your recipe so far is the yeast, and I wouldn't have done that except that there wasn't any Montrachet to be had in town. Oh, that and I used Mott's instead of Topps juice .

ma2brew said:

I put in 2 lbs of corn sugar, same as dextrose, right? It's my understanding the only deviation I've made from your recipe so far is the yeast, and I wouldn't have done that except that there wasn't any Montrachet to be had in town. Oh, that and I used Mott's instead of Topps juice .

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In that case, you'll come out about 8 or 9% depending on the juice... each juice's SG is a little different, and it can even differ between two lots of the same brand...

If you absolutely, positively, have to know, there's a toy called a Vinometer that most HB shops carry that will allow you to find out the ABV on the finished product without knowing SG readings...

Fermentation Video:

To add to the praise: we served 50 bottles of Apfelwein at a pig roast yesterday and it was a big hit. A favorite moment was when my buddy plopped in between my wife and me on the couch laughing hysterically about nothing in particular. Apparently drinking three Apfelweins has this effect on people:cross:

If you over do it has a terrible effect on your head. A mind-spliting migrane headache. :cross:

deharris said:

To add to the praise: we served 50 bottles of Apfelwein at a pig roast yesterday and it was a big hit. A favorite moment was when my buddy plopped in between my wife and me on the couch laughing hysterically about nothing in particular. Apparently drinking three Apfelweins has this effect on people:cross:

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We've found that out the hard way... the limit around here has been set at 3 750ml bottles per person per night...

TronCarter said:

Fermentation Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYxF9AzFKU

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I just had to get my own video up for comparison, but the quality of mine is pretty poor because of the lighting. I had to use an LED penlight for backlighting. Anyways, here's the action after little more than 24 hours:

[YOUTUBE]wWMsX50mHHA[/YOUTUBE]