Man, I love Apfelwein

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How do you think this will turn out?

3 gal batch,

3 gal apple juice
2 lbs honey

Thanks it!

After I stabilize it, I think I'll back sweeten with more honey when I keg.
 
Kegged two gallons with a can of concentrate, campden and sorbate on the 24th. Had a double shot while kegging the blackberry wine and my GF Pale today. Definitely will restrict this stuff to wine glasses!
 
lukabrazi said:
I made my first batch about 4 weeks ago. Followed Ed's recipe except used Great Value Apple Juice from Walmart. It got the strong sulfur smell that I had read so much about but it never really lost it. When I press down on the lid and get a whiff out of the airlock it is still stinky. Anyone else use Great Value or know of someone who has?
Click to expand...

you sure it was 100% pure apple juice?

i noticed alot of those value variety tend to be cocktail with very little juice, but i might be mistaken
 
jma99 said:
How do you think this will turn out?

3 gal batch,

3 gal apple juice
2 lbs honey

Thanks it!

After I stabilize it, I think I'll back sweeten with more honey when I keg.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much a Cyser (Apple Mead) since Honey makes up a large portion of the fermentables. It will probably taste a bit different from Apfelwein. Meads, like Ciders, need a fairly long time to age before they lose a harsh edge.

That said, the final product, while not exactly Apfelwein should be great.

I roughly calculate about 1.075 SG for ~10% ABV if it goes to dryness. Since you will stabilize and backsweeten, you might even stabilize before it goes dry and retain some sweetness. I generally don't like sulfite and sorbate addtions, so I cultivated a taste for dry ciders and meads :)
 
Does anybody have any experience using Apfelwein as a Liquid Fabric Remover?

I'm told it's especially effective at removing under garments.

Or so I'm told.

I have no first hand experience.

My wife likes to drink it ... but it doesn't seem to have the desired effect ...
 
cbw said:
Does anybody have any experience using Apfelwein as a Liquid Fabric Remover?

I'm told it's especially effective at removing under garments.

Or so I'm told.

I have no first hand experience.

My wife likes to drink it ... but it doesn't seem to have the desired effect ...
Click to expand...

I guess it all depends on how much she drinks.
:drunk:
 
cbw said:
Does anybody have any experience using Apfelwein as a Liquid Fabric Remover?

I'm told it's especially effective at removing under garments.

Or so I'm told.

I have no first hand experience.

My wife likes to drink it ... but it doesn't seem to have the desired effect ...
Click to expand...

Hmmm you either need a new recipe or a new wife :drunk:
 
Recluse said:
Hmmm you either need a new recipe or a new wife :drunk:
Click to expand...

lol. Yeah my Swmbo occasionally enjoys drinking, but not very often. She's trying to eat healthier and I think doesn't want to drink the empty calories. Personally, I don't give a bless.
 
Just started a five liter batch. Messed up a bit and might have killed the yeast, but I suppose I'll just buy new yeast tomorrow if I did. Definitely looking forward to tasting this.
 
HalfPint said:
I typically see fermentation with this stuff within a couple of days, but read into the thread other people saw nothing for a bit longer than that.
Click to expand...

With my batch I'm doing now, the next morning when I woke up I appeared to have fermentation. It was still really clear like apple juice, but there was a thin layer of kreusen at the top of the carboy.I guess it was like 20 hours or so before I saw the beginning of fermentation.
 
I got my first batch going over 48 hours ago, and it was need to watch the cloudiness grow from the bottom to the top of the carboy over several hours. I know EdWort's OP said there shouldn't be a krausen, but I had one (maybe b/c I used the wrong yeast). I think I may be in the rhino farts stage now, my wife just walked in the front door and ask if me and my oldest boy were having a farting contest, I told her to smell the airlock and she confirmed that was the smell....
 
arrowgin said:
you sure it was 100% pure apple juice?

i noticed alot of those value variety tend to be cocktail with very little juice, but i might be mistaken
Click to expand...

Yeah it was 100% apple juice but it had ascorbic acid added but I'm pretty sure I read in this thread that was okay.
 
Bottled up my first batch, I loved it right out of the carboy. I am excited to see what some age can do to it.
 
Just made a batch with 1lb dextrose and Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast. My first batch done with Notty was really, really tart, so I want to see how it comes out with a different yeast.
 
khiddy said:
Just made a batch with 1lb dextrose and Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast. My first batch done with Notty was really, really tart, so I want to see how it comes out with a different yeast.
Click to expand...

How long did you let that nottingham batch age before drinking?
 
Dude said:
This is by far the most rancid smell of fermentation I've come across. Total funkiness going on there.

I find myself sniffing the airlock quite a bit--but not on this stuff! PEWWWW!!!!
Click to expand...

Where are people putting there carboys? In small, airless closets? Both of mine are sitting on the bartop in the basement. It's decent size with only a small hint of apples. Similar to what that much juice would smell like if just left out in a big bowl. The only sulfur I can detect was directly over the airlock but why would I smell that only a few days in?

It's been a week now so from what I read any chances of a stronger smell brewing is obsolete.

Take away: Don't ferment where you sleep or regularly play.
 
HalfPint said:
How long did you let that nottingham batch age before drinking?
Click to expand...

About 5 months. I took Ed's recommendation to let it sit, and it was really tart. I was able to backsweeten it with some apple concentrate, but I'll tell you that after a pint or so, you still get the tart vinegar feeling in the back corners of your mouth. Good, but tart!
 
I tried the dry hopped version just now, and (although young) it is quite good. It tastes exactly like you would expect, and gives it the same notes as dry hopping would with beer. It gives the wine a very slight green hue (very slight) and it has a slight "fresh cut grass" smell and taste.
 
BTW- I used 1/8 oz of cascade in 1 gallon of apfelwein for the last week of the month long ferment.
 
khiddy said:
About 5 months. I took Ed's recommendation to let it sit, and it was really tart. I was able to backsweeten it with some apple concentrate, but I'll tell you that after a pint or so, you still get the tart vinegar feeling in the back corners of your mouth. Good, but tart!
Click to expand...

Interesting.

Alright, well good luck with the new batch.
 
Repitched yesterday and it's bubbling away! I could stare at the airlock and the little bubbles in the juice all day. It's like glass of beer that you just poured but won't stop bubbling!
 
Did a search and did not find an answer to this question. I have 2 empty gallon glass jugs with stoppers and airlocks. Bought some Montrachet yeast and want to make 2 one gallon batches. The recipe calls for 1 packet per 5 gallons. How much yeast do I pitch for 1 gallon. I was thinking of splitting the packet in 4 s and use a quarter for each gallon?
Does this seem right?
 
torbanac said:
Did a search and did not find an answer to this question. I have 2 empty gallon glass jugs with stoppers and airlocks. Bought some Montrachet yeast and want to make 2 one gallon batches. The recipe calls for 1 packet per 5 gallons. How much yeast do I pitch for 1 gallon. I was thinking of splitting the packet in 4 s and use a quarter for each gallon?
Does this seem right?
Click to expand...

I'll bet that most folks on here will tell ya to just split the packet between the two, after all, yeast is quite inexpensive. But when I decided to try just one gallon I had not read to use at least 1/2 the packet or even the whole thing and I used just a 1/4 teaspoon that I had re-hydrated in about 1/2 cup of warm(about 80 f) apple juice for about 2 hours with a towel over it to keep out fruit flies and it did very well on the one gallon, the fermentation started within three hours and perked away very well. Plus I knew that my yeast was alive before I pitched it into the gallon jug.
But if you have a close Brew Store -then I would probably just put 1/2 in each jug as it will start ferment faster for you and you can always run out and get more quickly if you want to start another batch. (I live over an hour away from 2 different BS so I tend to be a bit more frugal with my yeast)
Off topic a bit- The only reason I pre-started my yeast is because I am a big baker and I have always done it that way!:eek: but now I do follow brewing instructions to the recipe.
 
Mine's been fermenting for 6 weeks now. It seems like the SG might be stuck at 1.009. Should I wait a week and see if it drops, repitch or go ahead and bottle?
 
I just finished mine, it was my first home brew! I couldn't find gallon (or larger) jugs cheap around here so I used canned concentrate. Next time I'm holding out for jugs!

Apfelwein11.jpg


4 hours later...bubbling away
brewskis2.jpg
 
I did an experimental batch last night. 5 gal apple cider, 2 pounds honey (just cause I had it laying around and thought it would add body/flavour?) and enough sugar to up the S.G to 1.103, and montrachet yeast. I figure I'll let this sit for about 5 months then either carb half of batch in bottles or backsweeten it with either more honey or just sugar.
Any ideas/comments??
 
bniesen said:
I did an experimental batch last night. 5 gal apple cider, 2 pounds honey (just cause I had it laying around and thought it would add body/flavour?) and enough sugar to up the S.G to 1.103, and montrachet yeast. I figure I'll let this sit for about 5 months then either carb half of batch in bottles or backsweeten it with either more honey or just sugar.
Any ideas/comments??
Click to expand...

My last batch of "apfelwein" (probably can't call it that!) had~~
Apple/Honey wine
4 gallons USA apple juice
2lbs local wild honey
5 cups white sugar
3 12 oz cans of frozen apple juice concentrate (thawed)
with just a scant 1 1/2 cups boiled and cooled water to bring the level up to the neck of the carboy
1 cup tea brewed with 4 black tea bags
cote des blanc yeast

pitched the yeast on October 20th 2009
It has been slowly perking along for almost one month now. The only thing I think I would do different is maybe add some raisins for body and maybe another can or two of the apple juice concentrate instead of the water to fill to the top.
There is still positive pressure on the airlock and while it is not really burping/bubbling anymore, it is still quite cloudy.. I have a Hydrometer on my gift list, so I still am just winging it when it comes to bottling.
Personally I think the extra few cans of apple juice concentrate really add a richness to the wine that one batch of mine (which I didn't add AJ concentrate to) did not have.

I hope that the honey will have a light noticeable flavor in the end product. If not I think that I will probably try to backsweeten with more honey.
 
Out of my two 5 gal batches I made in 2007, the best flavor was from the one I used 3 gallons Musselman's Cider with 2 gallons Mott's juice, 2lbs corn sugar & Montrachet yeast.

Made another 5 gallons with that combination 09/19/09. It stopped bubbling just shy of 4 weeks in & decided to rack to secondary & add a few extras to boost the flavor & ABV on 10/19/09. Still bubbling away @ ~67F as of 11/19/09 :drunk:

complete recipe:
2 gallons Mott's Apple Juice
3 gallons Musselman's Apple Cider
2 lbs Corn Sugar
2 lbs Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
1.5 lbs Clover Honey
2 x 12oz cans Welch's Apple Juice Concentrate
3/4 lb Golden Raisins
+ 32oz water to dissolve new ingredients

still cloudy, but a beautiful amber color:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/GTIdr_jones/DSC02254.jpg
 
Edwort you really are a motherf#$%er!! lol. Just bottled my 5 gallons after only 7 weeks in the fermenter, and already polished off 11 wine bottles worth with a few friends!! wow I felt like crap the next day thats for sure! Im going out right now to get more applejuice!!
 

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