Apfelwein Question

Hey guys,

So about two weeks ago I started a batch of apfelwein. I have noticed that it is not bubbling as vigorously as it was before. Is this normal? By two weeks in does the vigorous bubbling (fermentation) start to slowly decline until I reach the 4 week mark when I will bottle? Thanks

Yes it will slow down after a few weeks. Mine usually stops bubbling by about the end of the 3rd week. But I also let mine sit for 6 weeks before I keg.

4 weeks to bottle is a little bit early imo. I'd forget about it for at least 2 months then think about bottling.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/edworts-apfelwein-33986/

take a look 1/2 way down the page at the youtube video of it fermenting. It wont do much for 2 months and then all the sudden you will look and it will have cleared. Don;t even think about touching it before your 2 months are up or it wont tastes good

Wow, thanks for the advice. I must have misread the information when I first looked at it. I guess then I will wait two months. Thanks again.

ha, here is the answer.... I'm going on week 7! I thought that it would be ready to bottle in 4 weeks. Where did I read that???? Anyway my SG reading is 1.001 and it's still bubbling away slowly. First four weeks were @ 68* and now it's 73*... I hope that it will be done soon, or I'll have to buy another carboy...

So am I basically just waiting for the carboy to become clear? So as soon as I see it is not cloudy its okay to bottle. Is it not so much of a certain defined time that I have to wait and more of a wait for clarity thing?

apfelwein should be renamed "LAVA LAMP BREW"
it's so simple of a concept, yet you can stare at it for

hours at a time.

Bubbling, Bubbling, Bubbling, Bubbling,

Mesa512 said:

Is it not so much of a certain defined time that I have to wait and more of a wait for clarity thing?

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Perfect, that appears to be the hardest concept for new brewers to grasp. You can't put a schedule on your brew, you need to give it as much times as it needs. Having said that, when you are waiting for clarity, you are waiting for crystal clear brew. You should be able to hold a newspaper on the other side of the carboy and read the smallest print through it. That is assuming you are using a clear carboy though.

Tusch: Thank you. That is all I need to know...and yes I am using a clear carboy. Thank you again for clearing up my confusion. I was getting so many mixed answers.

yes, for those of us who fly by the seat of our pants (like me) and don't use a Hydrometer (the only way to be 100% sure fermentation is done)

the only other way to be about 80% sure fermentation is complete is to observe the clarity of the beverage. bubbles don't really matter a whit, as a beverage can actually be "done" and still be outgassing enough disolved Co2 to show a ring of tiny bubbles at the carboy neck.

however it's almost a sure bet that if the yeast goes dormant and drops out -and the outgassing is light enough to not pick up anymore sediment, and you can read a fine print news paper through the carboy then fermentation is complete (at least for the dose of sugar in primary... if you add more the little yeasty beasties will wake up and fermentation will start again... which is how bottle carbing works.)
I using Montrechet, 4 16 ounce cans Applejuice concentrate and 4.75 gallons of Applejuice it generally takes 8 weeks to get to this point. I've discovered that S-04 takes a week longer...

My Apfelwien is on its third week and it is starting to get clearer. There is still a bubble here and there out of the air-lock. I didn't bother to take an OG becuase I plan on letting it sit there until it looks like applejuice again. Is there any reason to rack to a secondary, or could I leave this for about 6 months without having to worry about autolysis or any other negatives that bulk aging on the yeast may have.

QUESTION: Can I reuse the yeast cake from the Apfelwien to brew a second batch by just pouring more applejuice in there after racking/bottling?

Schnitzengiggle said:

My Apfelwien is on its third week and it is starting to get clearer. There is still a bubble here and there out of the air-lock. I didn't bother to take an OG becuase I plan on letting it sit there until it looks like applejuice again. Is there any reason to rack to a secondary, or could I leave this for about 6 months without having to worry about autolysis or any other negatives that bulk aging on the yeast may have.

QUESTION: Can I reuse the yeast cake from the Apfelwien to brew a second batch by just pouring more applejuice in there after racking/bottling?

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I never transfer apfelwiens to secondary - usually I bottle when clear. (which is usually 8 weeks for my recepie) then I bottle age them. I have a test bottle at 3 weeks to a month to ensure I have carbonation, then at month 2 I'dd start drinking a few - at month 3 they really start to get GOOD.

I'm not sure why you would want to age apfelwien for 6 months in the carboy on the lees. I supose if you are into bulk aging - you may want to do a transfer to secondary at around Week 8, as for autolysis... that my be a question for more experianced brewers than I, However I'm pretty sure that this will depend on your yeast strain, ambient tempratures, FG of the beverage and so on.

I've also heard that some folks here like to re use the yeast cake for multiple batches and report good results, however I've also read elsewhere that this is a possible path to off flavors. If I'm not mistaken though several respected members of the fourm here swear by re using the cake to keep the pipeline running. - Me? I wash, sanitize, and do a fresh pitch every time. a Packet of Montrachet is only like a buck.

Snuffalupagus said:

- Me? I wash, sanitize, and do a fresh pitch every time. a Packet of Montrachet is only like a buck.

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I know it is inexpensive but my LHBS is all the way across town, Wally-world is just up the road, I could get some more AJ and I have extra corn sugar. It would just be convenient to do after I bottle this stuff, to get some more fermenting right away.