I used 2.5 oz of honey in 2.5 gallons; of course that was to carb it, as I do not detect any honey flavor (of course it is still young). Lactose, 6 oz.
Man, I love Apfelwein
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I used 2.5 oz of honey in 2.5 gallons; of course that was to carb it, as I do not detect any honey flavor (of course it is still young). Lactose, 6 oz.
Hallo brpruett!
I am able to buy handkaes from a number of local shops here in Boston, notably, Karls Sausage Kitchen, but there are also online distributors you can find which will certainly ship it to you frozen in 4 packs, the key, however, is in the music.....
Chop one large yellow onion and cover it with 1/3rd water, 1/3rd white vinegar and 1/3 light olive oil for about 3 days in the fridge, you know the rest, I personally use less oil
For anyone wondering what this is referring to, Handkaese is a traditional Hessische snack that one eats with Apfelwine, it is served covered with chopped pickled onions which will produce a little music shortly after intake
Handkaese is a clear soft cheese, cant think of ANY american product that comes close
brpruett
Active Member
The closest approximation I can find for handkaese is Limburger...but it isn't close enough. I have a recipe for making my own kaese so I will be doing that I think.
Aepfelwein and handkaese are inseparable in Hesse. One eats the kaese only with a knife by the way. My inlaws always knew to have a some marinating for me in a stoneware pot. Linseed oil was the original oil used for it I think, but safflower and rapeseed oils are popular too. Don't forget a dusting of paprika and a side of farmer's bread with sweet cream butter.
To an earlier query: My first batches finished to around .097 My next 12 gallons are due to be bottled in two weeks and I will test their gravities then. I am trying to keep them on the lees for 2 months minimum btw.
I like my aepfelwein dry and tangy, so I am trying to find 'Speirling' juice. I don't think I will be successful given its rarity. Therefore I am also trying to find crabapple and quince juices to add to my fermentation. Those are tough to find as well.
Aepfelwein and handkaese are inseparable in Hesse. One eats the kaese only with a knife by the way. My inlaws always knew to have a some marinating for me in a stoneware pot. Linseed oil was the original oil used for it I think, but safflower and rapeseed oils are popular too. Don't forget a dusting of paprika and a side of farmer's bread with sweet cream butter.
To an earlier query: My first batches finished to around .097 My next 12 gallons are due to be bottled in two weeks and I will test their gravities then. I am trying to keep them on the lees for 2 months minimum btw.
I like my aepfelwein dry and tangy, so I am trying to find 'Speirling' juice. I don't think I will be successful given its rarity. Therefore I am also trying to find crabapple and quince juices to add to my fermentation. Those are tough to find as well.
Good to hear! My third batch of Apfelwein has been in the carboy for just over 2 months. I used EC-1118 in this one and indeed, it cleared very fast and is much clearer in the carboy than the Montrachet batches.
I didn't take interim gravities, but from the airlock activity, it seemed that both yeasts finished fermentaton rather quickly, but the EC-1118 definitely cleared faster. Will probably be bottling it soon. Looking forward to tasting it. I loved the first two Montrachet batches, but I have a few packets of EC-1118 left that I need to use. Was planning a Mead, but Apfelwein is much more foolproof and I have a friend who likes it even more than I do and needs a constant supply
so I always need a carboy in rotation.Is it okay to put 5 gallons of Apfelwine into a 6 gallon carboy? Any issues with too much headspace/CO2? I know it's not necessary since it doesn't bubble up much with montrachet yeast, but it's all i've got.
No problem at all! I would just increase the batch to six gallons though, it is that good!
Good point! Thanks.
SlipknotMcGee
Member
I started reading this thread in mid-June and went right ahead and made a batch on June 22nd, but it was only today that I finally finished reading every post - #1 to #6687. (I swear by all that is holy, if one more person asks how to prime their bottles...)
I am officially awarding myself an advanced degree in Apfelwein Making, even though I haven't actually finished making any.
Highlight of the thread:
Condom Airlock
Recommendations for first-timers:
1. Just follow the freakin recipe. After you've got 5 gallons of Ed's Original Recipe under your belt, then you can experiment all you want.
2. There is no 2.
I didn't follow my own advice, but that's because I started making my first batch before I was awarded my advanced degree in Apfelwein Making. My first batch was a bit of a kitchen sink affair:
Now, not too long ago, bpruett posted a comparison of EC-1118 to Montrachet and said:
I've also read from multiple posters that EC-1118 ferments and clears faster than Montrachet. However, my batch (possibly due to the honey) did not start clearing until about the 4-week mark, and it still isn't quite newspaper-through-the-carboy clear now, at the 5-week mark. Temperature has been generally 72, but may have gotten up to 78 a few times.
I took my first gravity reading and tasted my first sample last night, and scored a 1.002 on the former and a "bleah" on the latter. The "bleah" went away by the 3rd sip. I then chilled what was left of my sample, and it did taste a little better. I can tell it will improve with carbonation. However, it is generally without flavor at this point. In the glass, it was very clear and straw-colored. Smelled like the rhino farts that I thought I'd smelled the last of 3 weeks ago, but the smell dissipated quickly. GREAT mouthfeel, cheap white wine tang at the beginning (the "bleah" taste that was subdued by chilling), slight buttery apple at the very end. Nothing much inbetween. Interesting.
I'm excited to see how this turns out after aging. I think at this point, it's just a bit young.
(This next sentence has been said often throughout this thread, and is generally not true, but it is this time.) I've read through the whole thread, and have not found this question to have been answered definitively (although there have been hints). Let's say I have 6 months. Which is better, 2 months in the carboy and 4 months in the bottle, or 4 months in the carboy and 2 months in the bottle? Put another way, is bulk aging better than bottle aging, given equal time?
I have the priming sugar, bottles, and caps ready to go any time, and the ingredients for a proper Ed's Original to throw in after I get this out of the carboy.
Ed, what you have created here is made of awesome. Whether I bottle or leave in the carboy, I'm thinking that around Christmastime, the entire family will be wishing you a merry one, and subsequently cursing your name.
I am officially awarding myself an advanced degree in Apfelwein Making, even though I haven't actually finished making any.
Highlight of the thread:
Condom Airlock
Recommendations for first-timers:
1. Just follow the freakin recipe. After you've got 5 gallons of Ed's Original Recipe under your belt, then you can experiment all you want.
2. There is no 2.
I didn't follow my own advice, but that's because I started making my first batch before I was awarded my advanced degree in Apfelwein Making. My first batch was a bit of a kitchen sink affair:
- 3 gallons Bloom (store brand) apple juice, from concentrate, with ascorbic acid
- 2 gallons White House (because they only had 3 gallons of the cheaper Bloom on the shelf), from concentrate, with ascorbic acid
- 2 lbs. light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 5 tsp vanilla extract (because that's what was left, and that's the amount that I put in my Oak Vanilla Stout)
- 2/3 cup orange blossom honey (because that's what was left)
- Lalvin EC-1118
Now, not too long ago, bpruett posted a comparison of EC-1118 to Montrachet and said:
Montrachet supporters, your response? Is there going to be a throw down, and can we buy tickets?
I've also read from multiple posters that EC-1118 ferments and clears faster than Montrachet. However, my batch (possibly due to the honey) did not start clearing until about the 4-week mark, and it still isn't quite newspaper-through-the-carboy clear now, at the 5-week mark. Temperature has been generally 72, but may have gotten up to 78 a few times.
I took my first gravity reading and tasted my first sample last night, and scored a 1.002 on the former and a "bleah" on the latter. The "bleah" went away by the 3rd sip. I then chilled what was left of my sample, and it did taste a little better. I can tell it will improve with carbonation. However, it is generally without flavor at this point. In the glass, it was very clear and straw-colored. Smelled like the rhino farts that I thought I'd smelled the last of 3 weeks ago, but the smell dissipated quickly. GREAT mouthfeel, cheap white wine tang at the beginning (the "bleah" taste that was subdued by chilling), slight buttery apple at the very end. Nothing much inbetween. Interesting.
I'm excited to see how this turns out after aging. I think at this point, it's just a bit young.
(This next sentence has been said often throughout this thread, and is generally not true, but it is this time.) I've read through the whole thread, and have not found this question to have been answered definitively (although there have been hints). Let's say I have 6 months. Which is better, 2 months in the carboy and 4 months in the bottle, or 4 months in the carboy and 2 months in the bottle? Put another way, is bulk aging better than bottle aging, given equal time?
I have the priming sugar, bottles, and caps ready to go any time, and the ingredients for a proper Ed's Original to throw in after I get this out of the carboy.
Ed, what you have created here is made of awesome. Whether I bottle or leave in the carboy, I'm thinking that around Christmastime, the entire family will be wishing you a merry one, and subsequently cursing your name.
I started reading this thread in mid-June and went right ahead and made a batch on June 22nd, but it was only today that I finally finished reading every post - #1 to #6687. (I swear by all that is holy, if one more person asks how to prime their bottles...)
I am officially awarding myself an advanced degree in Apfelwein Making, even though I haven't actually finished making any.
Highlight of the thread:
Condom Airlock
Recommendations for first-timers:
1. Just follow the freakin recipe. After you've got 5 gallons of Ed's Original Recipe under your belt, then you can experiment all you want.
2. There is no 2.
I didn't follow my own advice, but that's because I started making my first batch before I was awarded my advanced degree in Apfelwein Making. My first batch was a bit of a kitchen sink affair:
- 3 gallons Bloom (store brand) apple juice, from concentrate, with ascorbic acid
- 2 gallons White House (because they only had 3 gallons of the cheaper Bloom on the shelf), from concentrate, with ascorbic acid
- 2 lbs. light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 5 tsp vanilla extract (because that's what was left, and that's the amount that I put in my Oak Vanilla Stout)
- 2/3 cup orange blossom honey (because that's what was left)
- Lalvin EC-1118
Now, not too long ago, bpruett posted a comparison of EC-1118 to Montrachet and said:
Montrachet supporters, your response? Is there going to be a throw down, and can we buy tickets?
I've also read from multiple posters that EC-1118 ferments and clears faster than Montrachet. However, my batch (possibly due to the honey) did not start clearing until about the 4-week mark, and it still isn't quite newspaper-through-the-carboy clear now, at the 5-week mark. Temperature has been generally 72, but may have gotten up to 78 a few times.
I took my first gravity reading and tasted my first sample last night, and scored a 1.002 on the former and a "bleah" on the latter. The "bleah" went away by the 3rd sip. I then chilled what was left of my sample, and it did taste a little better. I can tell it will improve with carbonation. However, it is generally without flavor at this point. In the glass, it was very clear and straw-colored. Smelled like the rhino farts that I thought I'd smelled the last of 3 weeks ago, but the smell dissipated quickly. GREAT mouthfeel, cheap white wine tang at the beginning (the "bleah" taste that was subdued by chilling), slight buttery apple at the very end. Nothing much inbetween. Interesting.
I'm excited to see how this turns out after aging. I think at this point, it's just a bit young.
(This next sentence has been said often throughout this thread, and is generally not true, but it is this time.) I've read through the whole thread, and have not found this question to have been answered definitively (although there have been hints). Let's say I have 6 months. Which is better, 2 months in the carboy and 4 months in the bottle, or 4 months in the carboy and 2 months in the bottle? Put another way, is bulk aging better than bottle aging, given equal time?
I have the priming sugar, bottles, and caps ready to go any time, and the ingredients for a proper Ed's Original to throw in after I get this out of the carboy.
Ed, what you have created here is made of awesome. Whether I bottle or leave in the carboy, I'm thinking that around Christmastime, the entire family will be wishing you a merry one, and subsequently cursing your name.
nice update... i ain't reading all that... LOL.. i have 10 gallons of apple juice waiting (with absorbic acid cause that what i could find).. but temps are too hot to ferment... can't wait though...
brpruett
Active Member
Glad to see someone using my posts to muck rake, lol.
Remember my caveat: The EC-1118 is preferable (for real German-style flavor)to the montrachet if you intend to drink your Ebbelwoi young. Aging the Stoeffche may change the preferance.
Regarding the storage question:
Ed Wort and others have stated that their best aepfelwein came from batches left on the lees for 6 months or so. Researching the German websites I see that commercial producers leave their product on the lees for 2 months. This may be due to the commercial pressure to bottle and sell the stuff as opposed to letting it sit and soak up capital for a longer period.
Remember my caveat: The EC-1118 is preferable (for real German-style flavor)to the montrachet if you intend to drink your Ebbelwoi young. Aging the Stoeffche may change the preferance.
Regarding the storage question:
Ed Wort and others have stated that their best aepfelwein came from batches left on the lees for 6 months or so. Researching the German websites I see that commercial producers leave their product on the lees for 2 months. This may be due to the commercial pressure to bottle and sell the stuff as opposed to letting it sit and soak up capital for a longer period.
GENERAL YEAST DEFECTION QUESTION!!!! 
3 days ago I bought a few 1 gallon glass jugs to make small test batches with, experiment if you will. I asked the local brew nerd (as an aside, I gotta say, If you combine comic con and home brew you make D&D look like varsity football!) at the HBS about the yeast packets, since the recipes on this thread mostly call for 5 grams of yeast for 5 gallons of juice. I assumed I would use 1 gram for a gallon, and wanted to know how long I could keep an open packet of yeast. I was told that the packet would get contaminated, and to dump the whole 5 grams in, since it 'could not hurt' and the packet would not store well once opened, and at 89 cents, get over it. Just use the whole thing, in one gallon. You cant have too much yeast, at least, not at that level.......
OK
I did that
using EC-1118 (but no dextrose added) to a gallon of Motts
day 1-2, Bubbles off the charts, thought I was watching the Wire.
day 3, today, NOTHING, and 1/8th of an inch of sediment at the bottom?
can it be that the extra yeast ate all the sugar that fast?
My 5 gallon dextrose juiced batch from last Sat is still ripping wind with no sediment yet, what is going on?
can you add too MUCH yeast to a batch?
Thanks and I apologize if this was answered at some point 300 pages ago in this thread!
But will extra packets of yeast speed up the fermentation process?????
I mean, biologically, once the little buggers are activated, they eat and reproduce, but if they are already there in COPIOUS numbers, if they metabolize FASTER than they reproduce, then wouldn't having more yeast to start with speed up the overall metabolic fermentation? Since in order to eat ALL the sugar you need a certain number of bacteria, but if you start out closer to that number, wont the process take less time?
any bio geeks out there?
Danke Schnitzel
W.
3 days ago I bought a few 1 gallon glass jugs to make small test batches with, experiment if you will. I asked the local brew nerd (as an aside, I gotta say, If you combine comic con and home brew you make D&D look like varsity football!) at the HBS about the yeast packets, since the recipes on this thread mostly call for 5 grams of yeast for 5 gallons of juice. I assumed I would use 1 gram for a gallon, and wanted to know how long I could keep an open packet of yeast. I was told that the packet would get contaminated, and to dump the whole 5 grams in, since it 'could not hurt' and the packet would not store well once opened, and at 89 cents, get over it. Just use the whole thing, in one gallon. You cant have too much yeast, at least, not at that level.......
OK
I did that
using EC-1118 (but no dextrose added) to a gallon of Motts
day 1-2, Bubbles off the charts, thought I was watching the Wire.
day 3, today, NOTHING, and 1/8th of an inch of sediment at the bottom?
can it be that the extra yeast ate all the sugar that fast?
My 5 gallon dextrose juiced batch from last Sat is still ripping wind with no sediment yet, what is going on?
can you add too MUCH yeast to a batch?
Thanks and I apologize if this was answered at some point 300 pages ago in this thread!
But will extra packets of yeast speed up the fermentation process?????
I mean, biologically, once the little buggers are activated, they eat and reproduce, but if they are already there in COPIOUS numbers, if they metabolize FASTER than they reproduce, then wouldn't having more yeast to start with speed up the overall metabolic fermentation? Since in order to eat ALL the sugar you need a certain number of bacteria, but if you start out closer to that number, wont the process take less time?
any bio geeks out there?
Danke Schnitzel
W.
Hegh
Well-Known Member
GENERAL YEAST DEFECTION QUESTION!!!!
As far as I know, and I'm no expert, the difference comes from flavors created by the yeast. In beer, this can be a big thing; as the yeast reproduce, they produce different flavors than when they are simply metabolizing the sugar.
But when you want a clean product, especially something like aged wine, where the yeast do not generally impart much flavor, the faster fermentation with significantly less reproduction may even be desirable.
I'd still age it for a while, though.
brpruett
Active Member
Commercial producers in Germany lay great value on cool fermentation, which usually means a longer fermentation. Adding a lot of yeast per se is not a bad thing as I understand it. Most commercial ops make sure that they add a heavy dose at the outset (they also add a fair amount of YAN) so that the yeast doesn't have to struggle to reproduce. Struggling yeast produce off-flavors just as yeast which reproduce too quickly will.
Bottom line - the most important thing is that your yeast have a nice cool, healthy environment in which to do their thang. Having too much yeast is generally not a problem.
With 1-gallon jugs I would just distribute a single pack between 4 or 5. If you couldn't feed them all at the same time, then fold over the foil packaging to seal off the rest in the package, put it in a zip lock and stick it in the fridge until needed. The risk of contamination is low and the worst case is that you would ruin a gallon or two should something untoward happen.
BTW Bembel, you can probably reuse that yeast cake in your container. Once you rack off the aepfelwein you simply add fresh, pasteurized juice on top of the sediment layer. I am currently fermenting another test batch on the lees of the previous batch (6.5G). I am looking to see if there is a benefit taste-wise to reusing the cake. I am aware that I run the risk of contamination, but I see that risk as small and I am meticulous in keeping my equipment sanitary. If I am unable to taste any improvement from reusing the cake then I will abandon that procedure. Future experiments include using fresh unpasteurized juice and letting the natural yeasts do the work (with the help of YAN). If that experiment produces superior Stoeffche then I will harvest and propogate those yeasts for my own private recipe. I've made some outstanding Syrah using that approach (tasted like Penfold's Grange!) and I am curious to see how it would work with apple juice. Luckily I have some outbuildings to store the stuff here at the ranch so that I don't have to worry about SWMBO reacting to H2S (rhino flatulence) permeating the house.
Bottom line - the most important thing is that your yeast have a nice cool, healthy environment in which to do their thang. Having too much yeast is generally not a problem.
With 1-gallon jugs I would just distribute a single pack between 4 or 5. If you couldn't feed them all at the same time, then fold over the foil packaging to seal off the rest in the package, put it in a zip lock and stick it in the fridge until needed. The risk of contamination is low and the worst case is that you would ruin a gallon or two should something untoward happen.
BTW Bembel, you can probably reuse that yeast cake in your container. Once you rack off the aepfelwein you simply add fresh, pasteurized juice on top of the sediment layer. I am currently fermenting another test batch on the lees of the previous batch (6.5G). I am looking to see if there is a benefit taste-wise to reusing the cake. I am aware that I run the risk of contamination, but I see that risk as small and I am meticulous in keeping my equipment sanitary. If I am unable to taste any improvement from reusing the cake then I will abandon that procedure. Future experiments include using fresh unpasteurized juice and letting the natural yeasts do the work (with the help of YAN). If that experiment produces superior Stoeffche then I will harvest and propogate those yeasts for my own private recipe. I've made some outstanding Syrah using that approach (tasted like Penfold's Grange!) and I am curious to see how it would work with apple juice. Luckily I have some outbuildings to store the stuff here at the ranch so that I don't have to worry about SWMBO reacting to H2S (rhino flatulence) permeating the house.
brpruett
Active Member
At 1.005 I do not think fermentation is done, so that's part of it. The other is that you will have some CO2 captured from the fermentation process. BTW, when you take a gravity reading in bubbly stuff you need to stir out the gas or you will get a false reading...which I suspect is also part of your situation.
Hegh
Well-Known Member
MetallHed
Well-Known Member
i had to spin the hydrometer a ton of times to get all of the bubbles to come out so I could get an accurate reading, I went from 1.008 to 1.00, so make sure you do that.
i'll have to take another sample so i can get the bubbles out.
The sample i did tasted pretty good, especially after i chilled it.
Oh, btw, i was using Wyeast 4184- sweet mead, so that would affect FG i imagine.
The sample i did tasted pretty good, especially after i chilled it.
Oh, btw, i was using Wyeast 4184- sweet mead, so that would affect FG i imagine.
Just got back from Trader Joes
They sell 1/2 gallon Organic, unfiltered, unsweetened, unadulterated applejuice for $3.29, and also have other cool 100% organic juice varieties, with pear and blueberry
Pitched 1 gallon of the unfiltered organic apple on Sat, will pitch the Blueberry-Apple-Pear as soon as I free up another gallon jug
Also, I am fermenting at 77-78 degrees F, will this be too hot for longer term aging once the initial 3 weeks is past? I wanted to bottle and age some as well to see the difference
They sell 1/2 gallon Organic, unfiltered, unsweetened, unadulterated applejuice for $3.29, and also have other cool 100% organic juice varieties, with pear and blueberry
Pitched 1 gallon of the unfiltered organic apple on Sat, will pitch the Blueberry-Apple-Pear as soon as I free up another gallon jug
Also, I am fermenting at 77-78 degrees F, will this be too hot for longer term aging once the initial 3 weeks is past? I wanted to bottle and age some as well to see the difference
Other than ebbelwoi, my next favorite beverage from the Sausage Land is KristalWeizen, which is near impossible to find even in bottles in a city the size of Boston. Kristalweizen is the filtered, clear version of Heffe Weizen, and has a much cleaner, more refreshing flavor IMO. It is also the ONLY Weissbier that is served with a slice of lemon ( gemuse )
If you served a Bavarian (or any German, for that matter) a Heffeweisse with Lemon you would end up wearing the beer! It is unholy!
So, back to topic
Do any of you German Applewine Advocates on this thread have any experience making Filtered Weizen Beer, I sure would like to make some Kristal......
If you served a Bavarian (or any German, for that matter) a Heffeweisse with Lemon you would end up wearing the beer! It is unholy!
So, back to topic
Do any of you German Applewine Advocates on this thread have any experience making Filtered Weizen Beer, I sure would like to make some Kristal......
brpruett
Active Member
Bembel:
You may wish to post this question as a new thread. BTW: I recall having been served a Sommerweizen with lemon many times in Bavaria. I am not a fan of fruit in beer. It is funny that the Germans call it 'gemuese' (vegetable).
Out of Ebbelwoi for the moment, but I have 19 gallons coming on line in 2 weeks!
Tschuess!
You may wish to post this question as a new thread. BTW: I recall having been served a Sommerweizen with lemon many times in Bavaria. I am not a fan of fruit in beer. It is funny that the Germans call it 'gemuese' (vegetable).
Out of Ebbelwoi for the moment, but I have 19 gallons coming on line in 2 weeks!
Tschuess!
bigmauler
Member
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I recently opened a bottle of apfelwein I started back in april. I fermented just 1 gallon of : "Solana Gold Organic apple juice - Sonoma county Gravenstein" that I purchased while on a trip to Spokane. I bought it at some store that reminded me of wholefoods. This was by far the most interesting apfelwein I have had to date. I've tried a lot of mixing juices and I must say that this the best stuff I've made in 2 years of brewing. I really enjoy the tartness.
BP,
you had mentioned that you were going to re-use the yeast 'cake' in your next batch, does one have to dry it out first/ how do you re-sterilize everything? Can you explain the process? I'd like to try it as well
Also, If I bottle some to get carbonation, are the priming dextrose tablets OK to use vs mixing the whole batch with more sugar in another carboy (I only have 2 of them )
I assume there is still active yeast in the clear solution right?, otherwise the priming sugar would remain sugar and not C02? Do I need to get a little sediment into each bottle?
Finally, how long after bottling with primer does one need to wait for the final fermentation to occur, and will this add a bit to the alcohol content?
Thanks for your help!
Bembel!
you had mentioned that you were going to re-use the yeast 'cake' in your next batch, does one have to dry it out first/ how do you re-sterilize everything? Can you explain the process? I'd like to try it as well
Also, If I bottle some to get carbonation, are the priming dextrose tablets OK to use vs mixing the whole batch with more sugar in another carboy (I only have 2 of them )
I assume there is still active yeast in the clear solution right?, otherwise the priming sugar would remain sugar and not C02? Do I need to get a little sediment into each bottle?
Finally, how long after bottling with primer does one need to wait for the final fermentation to occur, and will this add a bit to the alcohol content?
Thanks for your help!
Bembel!
Hegh
Well-Known Member
To re-use the yeast cake, just pour your new juice on top of it. But don't do this too many times, as the risk of infection increases each time and a packet of yeast is probably less than $1.
As for the rest of your questions, it sounds like you need to read How to Brew, especially chapter 11.
rowingbrewer
Active Member
I have ten gallons of edworts apflewien that will have been fermenting for four weeks on Saturday. I am going to keg five in a corny one in my Taylor freezer syrup tank and bottle four. Should I use corn sugar or brown sugar for priming the bottles?
milldoggy
Well-Known Member
Just did my first 10 gallons, going to be hard to wait for it. I used Montrachet in one and T-58 in the other. Had it laying around and love it it my wheats, wonder how it will taste in this.
Hey everyone - I was fascinated at the popularity of this apfelwein, so I had to give it a try. Pitched my yeast a couple of hours ago, she is going to be a long wait. I have yet to invest in a kegging system, and was wondering what peoples opinion is on the best way to age apfelwein. Should I rack to a secondary carboy and age it there, or bottle it and let it age in bottles (as of now I dont plan on priming them, going to leave it un-carbonated). Any thoughts on this?
Cheers.
Cheers.
Hegh
Well-Known Member
If you can stand it, leave it in primary for 6 months, then bottle. When bottling in wine bottles, make sure to de-gas (stir for a few minutes with something like a sanitized bottle brush to knock the CO2 out of solution). I lost 2 18-month old 1.5L bottles because I didn't know to do that and they popped their corks.
mikeshep
New Member
when is the best time to sweeten my hard cider? what is the purpose of the 2lbs of corn sugar in your recipe? I have two huge apple trees in my back yard so I am making cider from fresh crushed apples i put the juice in a bucket with tight lid and ad yeast what can i do better.
Using home-grown apples sounds great.
What can you do better?
1. Sterilize the batch with campden tablets, to suppress wild yeast and bacteria. Unless you are trying to make some nasty-tasting hootch.
2. Follow the recipe. The added sugar gives the yeast something to thrive on, boosting alcohol towards wine territory (as opposed to simply hard cider).
3. Your "bucket with a tight lid" needs an airlock.
What can you do better?
1. Sterilize the batch with campden tablets, to suppress wild yeast and bacteria. Unless you are trying to make some nasty-tasting hootch.
2. Follow the recipe. The added sugar gives the yeast something to thrive on, boosting alcohol towards wine territory (as opposed to simply hard cider).
3. Your "bucket with a tight lid" needs an airlock.
I just checked gravity at 2.5 weeks, it is at .995 (OG=1.062), clear and tastes great! I like dry flavor especially, like merlot and dry sake. I was surprised it was already clear and tasted so good, very smooth. I used Indian Summer premium apple juice from Walmart, pasteurized and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), so it must be good stuff to clear early and taste so good. I used the recipe given and put it in my buddies basement at 70 degrees, but maybe lower temp on the concrete floor.
I plan to leave it in the primary 2 or 3 months, and then may want to bottle some un-carbonated in wine bottles and carb the remainder. I'm going to start another batch soon, maybe some other fruit juice with the apple, and plan to leave it in the primary and bottles longer.
I plan to leave it in the primary 2 or 3 months, and then may want to bottle some un-carbonated in wine bottles and carb the remainder. I'm going to start another batch soon, maybe some other fruit juice with the apple, and plan to leave it in the primary and bottles longer.
FYI
you can get some HYSTERICAL Apple Wine t-shirts from this website, personally, the iGude is my favorite, in Hessische, instead of saying Hallo or Guten Morgen, you say Ei Gude, so iGude, a play on all the apple marketing
http://www.kaufrauscher.de/maenner-klamodde
Cheers
you can get some HYSTERICAL Apple Wine t-shirts from this website, personally, the iGude is my favorite, in Hessische, instead of saying Hallo or Guten Morgen, you say Ei Gude, so iGude, a play on all the apple marketing
http://www.kaufrauscher.de/maenner-klamodde
Cheers
Bottled my first 5 gallon batch, started on the 24th of July, so thats just over 2 weeks
Have another 15 gallons on the way!
the temp is a constant 77 degrees, so things went much faster than expected using 1118
the flavor is EXACTLY like the ebbelwoi I was weaned on in Frankfurt, every night at Adolf Wagners, I was so happy I upgraded my membership!
Many thanks to all those who made this happy moment possible with all their posts!
Here is the label I will be using!
Have another 15 gallons on the way!
the temp is a constant 77 degrees, so things went much faster than expected using 1118
the flavor is EXACTLY like the ebbelwoi I was weaned on in Frankfurt, every night at Adolf Wagners, I was so happy I upgraded my membership!
Many thanks to all those who made this happy moment possible with all their posts!
Here is the label I will be using!
Pitched another 5 gallons yesterday on the leftover yeast from the last batch, but after 24 hours there is no visible fermentation going, when normally I see action withing 6 hours?
Also, the wine from this batch (came from the yeast that is not working) is not fermenting its priming solution at all, even though it has been 3 days?
when you reuse a yeast cake, does it take much longer?
Should I just add another package of fresh yeast to it?
thanks
Also, the wine from this batch (came from the yeast that is not working) is not fermenting its priming solution at all, even though it has been 3 days?
when you reuse a yeast cake, does it take much longer?
Should I just add another package of fresh yeast to it?
thanks
I've never done it, but most people report that pitching on a previous cake starts as fast or faster than when pitching on a new packet. Did you do anything to the batch besides just rack off the liquid?
I wouldn't use the slow priming as an indicator, my batches were never satisfactorily primed until at LEAST 2 weeks in the bottle, usually optimum by 3-4.
I wouldn't use the slow priming as an indicator, my batches were never satisfactorily primed until at LEAST 2 weeks in the bottle, usually optimum by 3-4.
SlipknotMcGee
Member
Many many pages ago, Ed tried to repitch onto a leftover cake and found that it went slower. Can't hurt to add another packet of yeast though. Did you aerate well? How long was the previous batch sitting on that yeast?
How are you measuring how much the bottled product has used its priming solution?
The previous batch had been sitting for about 18 days, I had bottled the day before and then put the airlock back on, I also blew some sanitizing foam into the carboy before refilling it, ( just the foam, no liquid) and there was a ton of yeast at the bottom so the foam probably didn't kill ALL of it? I just like to have that foam rise up with the liquid to push out any bad stuff?
I measure the amount of primer fermentation based on 1, bubbles and 2, sediment on the bottom of the bottles, the bottles are crystal clear with no bubbles yet nor sedimentation?
"Blessed are the cheese makers!"
Full article here http://www.helium.com/items/1725913-how-to-cook-german-speciality-handkaes
Take some milk and leave it for 12 hours in a room temperature, then skim the cream off. Leave the skimmed milk for another 24 hours, and then put it in a linen bag or cloth to squeeze out buttermilk.
Put a cloth with clabber in a sieve, cover it with a flat plate and put a stone or any other heavy thing on top for pressing. It helps the cheese to dry well. Leave it under the weight for 6 hours.
Mix the cheese with salt (according your taste) and caraway seeds (if you like it), form small balls by your hands and allow them to dry openly for another 6 hours. Then lay cheese balls in a high earthenware pot, layer by layer, cover it with a clean cloth and leave for 3-4 weeks in a cool place to mature. During this time you should periodically take them out, wash mould away, using buttermilk, and lay cheese in a pot again.
* How can you serve Handkaes
About 3-4 hours before to serve up the Handkaese, divide cheese balls in half or into four pieces according a size.
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, cider vinegar and olive oil mix together and stir well to dissolve salt fully. Quantify according your taste.
Chop a big white onion into small pieces and add to the marinade, mix it thoroughly.
Put Handkaes in a pot or a bowl, pour the marinade. Cover it and leave until serving to allow the marinade soaking Handkaes well and enhancing the flavor.
Full article here http://www.helium.com/items/1725913-how-to-cook-german-speciality-handkaes
Take some milk and leave it for 12 hours in a room temperature, then skim the cream off. Leave the skimmed milk for another 24 hours, and then put it in a linen bag or cloth to squeeze out buttermilk.
Put a cloth with clabber in a sieve, cover it with a flat plate and put a stone or any other heavy thing on top for pressing. It helps the cheese to dry well. Leave it under the weight for 6 hours.
Mix the cheese with salt (according your taste) and caraway seeds (if you like it), form small balls by your hands and allow them to dry openly for another 6 hours. Then lay cheese balls in a high earthenware pot, layer by layer, cover it with a clean cloth and leave for 3-4 weeks in a cool place to mature. During this time you should periodically take them out, wash mould away, using buttermilk, and lay cheese in a pot again.
* How can you serve Handkaes
About 3-4 hours before to serve up the Handkaese, divide cheese balls in half or into four pieces according a size.
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, cider vinegar and olive oil mix together and stir well to dissolve salt fully. Quantify according your taste.
Chop a big white onion into small pieces and add to the marinade, mix it thoroughly.
Put Handkaes in a pot or a bowl, pour the marinade. Cover it and leave until serving to allow the marinade soaking Handkaes well and enhancing the flavor.
CalmYourself
Well-Known Member
I made a batch of this on the 7th of November 2009. The last three bottles (finished at the start of this month) were extremely acidic. Rest of the batch was fine.
What could have caused that?
What could have caused that?
