Man, I love Apfelwein

pivot676 said:

I have had my 5 gallon batch going for about 6 weeks now.

Is there any advtange to keeping it in the carboy now, Or will aging it longer in the bottle instead be just as good? I just kinda need my carboy but if the carboy would be better then aging then the bottle Ill just leave it alone. any thoughts?

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aparoche said:

I was wondering the same thing...

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It seems to me that its the ageing on the yeast cake that dose it.
Mine is going on 10 weeks now.
I think I will try 12 weeks this time.
8 weeks was the longest I let on sit in the fermenter and it was one of the best.
The Magners cider site says that after 8 weeks, they leave the commercial cider in the 2nd fermenter for a year........
http://www.magnerscider.com/about-us/guide-step2.asp

So i bottled today

started 9/26/09
secondary - 10/27/09
Wine Conditioner/Sorbate - 11/6/09
Bottled (as wine) - 11/8/09

Cotes de Blanc yeast

Tasted a bit that wasnt enough to fill a full bottle. Suprisingly good tasting. I'm not a wine enthusiast, but it tastes just as good as storebought wine.

ReeseAllen said:

I've decided to use my bottling bucket as the mixing chamber. I'm going to dump in the sugar, then dump all the apple cider on top of it. Then I'll stir with a sanitized stir-stick. I'll then dump my Montrachet yeast into the empty carboy and rack the "wort" on top of it.

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The only issue with dumping the yeast into an empty carboy is that there's still some sanitizer in there (you did sanitize using a no-rinse, wet-contact sanitizer, right?) which could kill the yeast. That's why the yeast generally goes in on top of the fermentable stuff. But if it's bubbling away then great, no problems!

I accidentally added 15% more corn sugar than this recipe calls for. Is this an issue at all?

Neurot said:

I accidentally added 15% more corn sugar than this recipe calls for. Is this an issue at all?

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Nope

Should just yield a higher ABV; I wonder if this depends on the yeast, if it just quits at a certain ABV and leaves some residual sweetness from the extra sugar.

I'm not sure about Montrachet; I used EC-1118 and from what I hear it will ferment very dry to relatively high ABV. Heck, I'm about a week and a half on my first batch and it's still fermenting vigorously.

Effington said:

Nope

Should just yield a higher ABV; I wonder if this depends on the yeast, if it just quits at a certain ABV and leaves some residual sweetness from the extra sugar.

I'm not sure about Montrachet; I used EC-1118 and from what I hear it will ferment very dry to relatively high ABV. Heck, I'm about a week and a half on my first batch and it's still fermenting vigorously.

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Awesome, I figured as much.

Effington said:

Nope

Should just yield a higher ABV; I wonder if this depends on the yeast, if it just quits at a certain ABV and leaves some residual sweetness from the extra sugar.

I'm not sure about Montrachet; I used EC-1118 and from what I hear it will ferment very dry to relatively high ABV. Heck, I'm about a week and a half on my first batch and it's still fermenting vigorously.

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I wonder the same thing. I have made this twice and as suggested I added 2 pounds of sugar, it usually ends up at 10% ABV or so. What would happen if you added 3 pounds of sugar, or 4, or 5?

Yeah, some yeasts call it quits after about 10% ABV. I would check your yeast before going crazy with the sugars. You might end up drinking some uber sweetened (unfermented) sugars with your still 9-10% ABV apfelwein. I'm not sure it would taste very good.

So, I followed the recipe, and I got a wicked foam-over. Maybe not technically Krausen, but based on the first post it said that I could basically fill up a 5-gl carboy, so I did. A couple days later, the airlock was bubbling over! I cleaned everything out, so I think it will be fine, but just a word of caution -- if I do this again, I'm definitely leaving more head space.

Thanks for wonderful recipe!

Effington said:

Nope

Should just yield a higher ABV; I wonder if this depends on the yeast, if it just quits at a certain ABV and leaves some residual sweetness from the extra sugar.

I'm not sure about Montrachet; I used EC-1118 and from what I hear it will ferment very dry to relatively high ABV. Heck, I'm about a week and a half on my first batch and it's still fermenting vigorously.

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EC-1118 has a published tolerance of 18%. I have used it in Meads and Cysers (basically Apple juice + honey) and gotten easily to 16-17% (when it fermented everything there was to ferment...) Starting gravities on the order of 1.12 down to 0.99. EC-1118 just won't quit! Montrachet is supposed to have a lower tolerance, but still on the order of 10-15%, so assuming 2.3 lbs Dextrose in 5 gal of Apple Juice, I would estimate a starting gravity of ~1.07 and a potential ABV of 8.7, so you should have some fine rocket fuel...err..Apfelwein

Recluse said:

EC-1118 has a published tolerance of 18%. I have it in Meads and Cysers (basically Apple juice + honey) and gotten easily to 16-17% (when it fermented everything there was to ferment...) Starting gravities on the order of 1.12 down to 0.99. EC-1118 just won't quit!

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No kidding; I know people have used it but i haven't heard much about how the apfelwein turns out with this yeast. I can tell you that I am amazed at how fermentation just won't quit.

Hegh said:

The only issue with dumping the yeast into an empty carboy is that there's still some sanitizer in there (you did sanitize using a no-rinse, wet-contact sanitizer, right?) which could kill the yeast. That's why the yeast generally goes in on top of the fermentable stuff. But if it's bubbling away then great, no problems!

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If you're talking about StarSan, my understanding is that it's actually nutritious for yeast and wont harm them.

Montrachet is good up to 15% abv. (from www.fermentis.com)

masonsjax said:

If you're talking about StarSan, my understanding is that it's actually nutritious for yeast and wont harm them.

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It is nutritious when diluted. At sanitizing strength, it will kill all types of micro-organisms; otherwise, wild yeast could cause some serious problems.

Hegh said:

It is nutritious when diluted. At sanitizing strength, it will kill all types of micro-organisms; otherwise, wild yeast could cause some serious problems.

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Diluted like if a bottle or carboy wet with sanitizer is filled w/beer?

Hegh said:

It is nutritious when diluted. At sanitizing strength, it will kill all types of micro-organisms; otherwise, wild yeast could cause some serious problems.

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Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks.

One week before bottling and I decided to dry hop one gallon with 1/8 oz of cascade. Hydrometer is at .994 and here is the pic.

WIP said:

One week before bottling and I decided to dry hop one gallon with 1/8 oz of cascade. Hydrometer is at .994 and here is the pic.

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Interesting. Let us know how it turns out with those cascades.

I definately will. I am guessing if nobody else drinks it, I have my own dedicated gallon.

WIP said:

I definately will. I am guessing if nobody else drinks it, I have my own dedicated gallon.

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That's not a bad thing.

Curious to hear how this turns out.

Here is my first post and intro to brewing in general save for a decent Mr. Beer experience back in college. I started my first batch of Apfelwein on 11/8 and strictly followed Ed's recipe. I made it to page 88 before jumping in and making my own.

Aldi had 100% apple juice on sale for $1 plus a few coins so I picked up 4 cases of 6 64oz bottles which came right at $30. This gave me 24 bottles equaling 12 gal of apple sweet goodness. [24 * 64oz = 1536 / 128 = 12gal]

Put into a pair of Better Bottles:

• 10 gal 100% pure apple juice (w/ vitimin C)
• 4 lbs dextrose
• 2 5g packets of Red Star Montrachet Wine Yeast

(lady coined the name "Chip" and "Dale"

No activity for the first 24 hours then the next night the yeast woke up started fermenting like mad. Millions of tiny bubbles flowing up to the top. Still no sulfer smell but it has only been 2 days. Guessing it will happen in the next day or so then subside.

Day 2: Cloudy and much brighter orange color.

Welcome HitLines!

Just you wait... I'm coming up on two weeks and mine is still fermenting steadily, if not rather vigorously.

Just started batch #2 tonight

First was so good i had to get another one going

Thanks for the warm welcome Effington. I do wish standard members could embed pictures. Little links do no justice.

I got the gist of it; the Apfelwein looks good. I used EC-1118 yeast in mine which is probably what is causing the rampant fermentation... I'm looking forward to trying it.

HitLines said:

Here is my first post and intro to brewing in general save for a decent Mr. Beer experience back in college. I started my first batch of Apfelwein on 11/8 and strictly followed Ed's recipe. I made it to page 88 before jumping in and making my own.

Aldi had 100% apple juice on sale for $1 plus a few coins so I picked up 4 cases of 6 64oz bottles which came right at $30. This gave me 24 bottles equaling 12 gal of apple sweet goodness. [24 * 64oz = 1536 / 128 = 12gal]

Put into a pair of Better Bottles:

• 10 gal 100% pure apple juice (w/ vitimin C)
• 4 lbs dextrose
• 2 5g packets of Red Star Montrachet Wine Yeast

(lady coined the name "Chip" and "Dale"

No activity for the first 24 hours then the next night the yeast woke up started fermenting like mad. Millions of tiny bubbles flowing up to the top. Still no sulfer smell but it has only been 2 days. Guessing it will happen in the next day or so then subside.

Day 2: Cloudy and much brighter orange color.

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There you go.

Dear Ed,

I'm an idiot. I just realized when looking at my notes I forgot to take my SG for my batch. I used the Kirkland brand "fresh pressed" juice. Would it be possible for you to tell me what your SG was for the batches you made with this juice + 2lb of corn sugar?

Thanks!

Cheaton said:

Dear Ed,

I'm an idiot. I just realized when looking at my notes I forgot to take my SG for my batch. I used the Kirkland brand "fresh pressed" juice. Would it be possible for you to tell me what your SG was for the batches you made with this juice + 2lb of corn sugar?

Thanks!

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Although I'm not Ed. A good starting point would be 1.062.

I started a modified recipe of Apfelwein on 10/18. I mixed:

3 gallons of Apple cider
1 gallon of Apple Juice
1 gallon of Grape juice
24 oz. of Apple Juice concentrate
2 lbs of dextrose
5 grams Montrachet dry yeast

The original gravity was 1.072. I let it ferment for 14 days at 75 degrees. I then stopped fermentation with Campden and Potassium Sorbate with a FG of 1.012. I let it sit for another week and then I added another 24 oz. of apple juice concentrate to back sweeten it as I racked it to a keg. I had planned on conditioning it in the keg for a few more weeks, but after sampling it while racking, I decided that it tasted good enough!

I had a few glasses last night and all I can say is that this stuff rocks! It was really well balanced; not too sweet and not too dry. I think I could stand it a little drier, but I don't think my wife would have liked it as much if I had let it ferment all the way out.

You definitely have to be careful with this stuff..... it is very easy to drink several glasses in no time at all.

I've used 2 different brands of apple juice in my batches and so far they have all come out at 1.065 give or take a point.

the batch i started 4 days ago with Everfresh apple juice from Sundance juice co out of warren, MI was 59.

Does this stuff get any better?????? I ask because in my impatience, I cracked open a bottle just 5 days after priming and bottling and....

IT TASTES GREAT!!!!!


Young, for sure, but oh so drinkable. I hope it carbs up after a month or two, because then it would be everything I was hoping for! It is so clear that I hope there are enough yeasties to increase my carbon debt Also my basement has gotten pretty cold.. ~58-62 degrees, so I might have to move the bottles to a higher temp for the yeasties.

I left about half a gallon still and primed the rest. I am a believer!!

I also made 4 gallons of GRAFF, and a month after bottling it is still a bit too malty tasting for me. Drinkable in a beer kind of way, while Apfelwein is more of the cider I was wanting.

triangulum33 said:

Diluted like if a bottle or carboy wet with sanitizer is filled w/beer?

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Exactly

So the rising fermentation bubbles in my first 5 gallon Apfelwein batch from October 30th have almost completely subsided. The airlock is still releasing a bubble every so often but it seems like the Montrachet Yeast has eaten up most of the sugar. It is now back to looking like apple juice but it is clearing a bit.

The fermentation bubbles in my second 5 gallon Apfelwein batch from November 8th are still going crazy. The airlock is releasing bubbles at a very steady rate. It looks like a cloudy tan color still.

Right next to these two 6 gallon Better Bottles of Apfelwein is a 5 gallon bucket of fermenting Old English Ale that was also started on November 8th. There is barely any activity in the airlock but I cracked open the top and can definitely smell the alcohol. I am hoping that it comes out like Goose Island Honker's Ale. I need 5 gallons of this ale and 5 gallons of Apfelwein ready for the family Christmas party.

Cheaton said:

Dear Ed,

I'm an idiot. I just realized when looking at my notes I forgot to take my SG for my batch. I used the Kirkland brand "fresh pressed" juice. Would it be possible for you to tell me what your SG was for the batches you made with this juice + 2lb of corn sugar?

Thanks!

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This is what I used exactly, and my SG was 1.075...

That, right there, is why this forum rocks.

I started my first batch of Apfelwein about 6 weeks ago, and am getting ready to bottle it this weekend! Im bottling it in wine bottles and doing it still, just because of the shortage of beer bottles and the tons of wine bottles I have sitting around. I may carb up one or two 12oz bottles of it just to experience it.

How will it taste now at 6 weeks? I would normally leave it a little longer but I kind of need my carboy right now.

Pivot said:

How will it taste now at 6 weeks? I would normally leave it a little longer but I kind of need my carboy right now.

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FWIW, i tasted mine after 6 weeks at bottling. I added some conditioner before bottling, and it tasted pretty good right from there.

now im impatiently waiting for 6 months to really see the full effect

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?

I threw a batch of this together last night and noticed a krausen today. That's when I noticed that I used the wrong yeast. Dropped a little fermcap in the carboy since it was foaming pretty far up the neck. I'm RDWHAHB about the wrong yeast, but I wonder if anyone can comment on the different taste I will get with Lalvin Montpellier KV1-1116?