Man, I love Apfelwein

[rico567]

And how do you define "too carbed"?

Well, the way a lot of people find out is called the "bottle bomb." It can be as dangerous as it sounds, too. My daughter and her boyfriend made some soda pop, and had this happen. unfortunately, it was in the kitchen, and the detonation (from just one bottle) was a really bad cleanup job.

As far as the proper level of carbonation, different amounts of priming are considered "correct," depending on the style. Me, I just carb 5 oz. / 5 gal.

 

[Recluse]

Anyone? I want to bottle tomorrow.

You're fine. I always prime with 1 oz/gallon and very often I end up with slightly less volume than I calculated, so that rate should be fine. I have to say that the one time I primed with apple concentrate instead of dextrose (but at a similar rate) I found it took way longer to carb and wasn't as effervescent as I like it.

 

[Recluse]

how does the flavor differ when using brown sugar instead of dextrose?

Also Anyone throw in cinnamon sticks into fermentor for a bit? If so how long and how much?

I always use 50:50 dextrose/brown sugar and it is very tasty. Never made a purely dextrose batch so I cannot compare.

Haven't tried the cinnamon sticks, but I once made a gallon of Cyser (apple mead) with 3 cinnamon sticks in from the get go and it was, if anything, slightly underspiced...but quite good!!

 

[Recluse]

Second question: I used pasteurized apple juice with no additives/preservatives, BUT the cubed sugar that I used was not sterilized in any fashion. I just dissolved it in the bottles before I poured it into the carboy. Is there a major risk of infection?

So far I have made 10 batches of this stuff and never sterilized the sugars. No infection issues.

Funny, though... I always boil my priming sugar prior to bottling!!! Could probably skip that step. Just last week I was explaining the recipe to a fellow brewer and he said "Do you boil the sugars first?" and I was a little shocked that it never occurred to me. I admitted that I did not, but, as I mentioned above, couldn't explain why I still found it necessary to boil the priming sugar, that comes out of the same dextrose bag.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

This reminds me of the joke where the daughter asks mom why she cuts both ends of the Christmas ham. Turns out it was only because her mom used to, because HER mom used to, because HER mom used to. When they asked great-grandma at the nursing home she replied "my pan was too small."

Sometimes you just get into a habit and since it works, you dont really bother looking into why.

So far I have made 10 batches of this stuff and never sterilized the sugars. No infection issues.

Funny, though... I always boil my priming sugar prior to bottling!!! Could probably skip that step. Just last week I was explaining the recipe to a fellow brewer and he said "Do you boil the sugars first?" and I was a little shocked that it never occurred to me. I admitted that I did not, but, as I mentioned above, couldn't explain why I still found it necessary to boil the priming sugar, that comes out of the same dextrose bag.

 

[Brianyear]

You're fine. I always prime with 1 oz/gallon and very often I end up with slightly less volume than I calculated, so that rate should be fine. I have to say that the one time I primed with apple concentrate instead of dextrose (but at a similar rate) I found it took way longer to carb and wasn't as effervescent as I like it.

Thanks for the tip.
I think I'll just use 5oz of dextrose instead of the concentrate. Patience is not one of my stronger points.

 

[ringobob]

I've been thinking about doing the same and putting together a sort of ApfelwineFAQ on my website....don't want to step on Ed's toes, however....it's his recipe! We'll see what time allows....

What do y'all think....would there be enough interest for that?

Ed's toes are back on page 1... I'm interested in his input if he cares to make any, but I highly doubt he has any objection to condensing the knowledge in this thread so that it's easily accessible. Any such summary would be incomplete without his name prominently displayed anyway.

Here's probably the most important piece of what I've written:

Can I [X]

Experiment! If it hasn’t been tried, report back and we’d love to hear the result. The only thing to keep in mind are the specific “don’t”s.

Juice: so long as it doesn’t have yeast inhibiting preservatives, go for it

Yeast: try it. Most commonly used yeasts have been tried with no particular drawbacks... certain ones may be preferred, but it’s pretty forgiving. Most yeasts won’t be stressed to the point of producing off flavors below 10% alcohol, where this apfelwein sits.

Sugar: as long as it’s fermentable, try it. Most sugars won’t impart a different flavor, though dextrose is particularly chosen to be neutral.

Fermentation Vessel: This recipe isn’t particularly susceptible to light or oxidation during fermentation. Glass is great, #1 plastic is the preferred plastic, so look at the recycle symbol (the particular consideration is chemical leaching).

Carbonation: Experiment. Some people like it flat, some people like it a little carbed, some people like it effervescent. Split your first batch and see what you prefer.

Bottles: The only consideration is whether it’s carbed or not. If carbed, champagne or beer bottles are required (including plastic beer bottles), if still, regular wine bottles will work too. You can use the bottles the juice came in if they meet the same criteria of the fermentation vessel (glass or #1 plastic).

 

[befus]

Not really, but I can't wait on the second batch. I did five gallons in the traditional fermentation with the exception of EC-1118. Tasted today at bottling and it reminded me so much of that I had in Germany long ago. But the SWMBO likes it sweet and I thought maybe just one cup Splenda in the batch can't hurt. Wrong! It is too sweet to my taste and has that sort of bitter artificial sweetener finish. It finished at 1.002 and was perfect.......before I screwed it up. She is on her own next time.

 

[Ramitt]

Not really, but I can't wait on the second batch. I did five gallons in the traditional fermentation with the exception of EC-1118. Tasted today at bottling and it reminded me so much of that I had in Germany long ago. But the SWMBO likes it sweet and I thought maybe just one cup Splenda in the batch can't hurt. Wrong! It is too sweet to my taste and has that sort of bitter artificial sweetener finish. It finished at 1.002 and was perfect.......before I screwed it up. She is on her own next time.

In the future let her sweeten it at consumption with splenda or simple syrup.

 

[befus]

In the future let her sweeten it at consumption with splenda or simple syrup.

now ya tel me...............:cross:

Should have done a mixed batch; live and learn.

 

[Ramitt]

now ya tel me...............:cross:

Should have done a mixed batch; live and learn.

Atleast is a fairly cheap lesson, mostly time.

 

[Grumpybumpy]

Not really, but I can't wait on the second batch. I did five gallons in the traditional fermentation with the exception of EC-1118. Tasted today at bottling and it reminded me so much of that I had in Germany long ago. But the SWMBO likes it sweet and I thought maybe just one cup Splenda in the batch can't hurt. Wrong! It is too sweet to my taste and has that sort of bitter artificial sweetener finish. It finished at 1.002 and was perfect.......before I screwed it up. She is on her own next time.

But does she like it?

 

[DarkBrood]

Not really, but I can't wait on the second batch. I did five gallons in the traditional fermentation with the exception of EC-1118. Tasted today at bottling and it reminded me so much of that I had in Germany long ago. But the SWMBO likes it sweet and I thought maybe just one cup Splenda in the batch can't hurt. Wrong! It is too sweet to my taste and has that sort of bitter artificial sweetener finish. It finished at 1.002 and was perfect.......before I screwed it up. She is on her own next time.

Make a second batch and choose a yeast that will ferment it extra-dry (maybe even use a bit of champagne yeast to help it finish)....then blend! (Keeping track of the proportions could help you judge future splenda use.)

Or you could consider mixing with seltzer or tonic water at serving to cut the sweetness and add carbonation. A dry apfelwine, it has been noted in this thread, blends well with Sprite/7up/Sierra Mist/etc....a seltzer would add a carbonate finish that can help cut sweetness, the quinine in tonic water might take it too far YMMV. Both are available with lemon flavoring (not sure if I'd go that route).

I have no idea how splenda or apfelwine would respond to acid additions, but a small amount of food-grade acid (probably phosphoric or sulfuric) could cut the sweetness and likely add some background depth to the flavor.

Personally, I hate the taste of ALL the artificial sweeteners, even the ones supposedly extracted from sugar. There's a chemical interaction on the tongue and an aftertaste that I find unpleasant (although I've never tried the comparison, it's often described as tasting like "sucking on pennies"). When looking for an unfermentable sweetener, I look to lactose (also sold as "milk sugar").

My current batch of apfelwine (5.5gal "Great Value" juice, 2# dextrose, Lalvin 1122) was fermented for 8 weeks and 4 750ml bottles were theived out. SWMBO found it a bit too tart, although very tasty once blended with Sierra Mist (1pt soda:2-3pts apfelwine). She also commented about it "could stand to have a little more kick". All 4 bottles were gone in under a week. To the fermenter, I added (at week 9) 1# lactose, 1# dextrose, a bit of yeast nutrient (all boiled and cooled - more for better solubility than for sterilization), and topped off with about 1/2gal of juice. It took a little over a week for the apfelwine to cloud up again (I probably should have stirred or shaken the fermenter to wake the yeast up faster) ...still cloudy now (week 11, week 3 since new additions). I'm guessing at least another month to clear, as I can watch the bubbles rising to the surface and are still visibly bubbling in the airlock, although the cloudiness appears less dense than last week....maybe it'll clear faster than I'm thinking. Certainly smells like it's still in progress! :rockin:

 

[hartzie72]

I'm sure it's hidden un the thread, but if I want to sweeten with lactose, when do I add it? Bottling time?

 

[befus]

I'm sure it's hidden un the thread, but if I want to sweeten with lactose, when do I add it? Bottling time?

Most do, but the guy in the post just above added at the halfway mark of his fermentation. It is unfermentable ans thus you should be able to add at the beginning, but some have written they feared some sort of reaction (taste wise) to the fermentation. No one has posted "don't do that" about adding it in at the beginning to my knowledge. One thing about adding it to the end is the ability to sweeten to taste without fearing guessing wrong and adding too much earlier.

 

[BrewScout]

I'll be ageing this stuff in 1 gallon jugs and am gonna crack one open next month for my buddies baby shower! Because we all know baby showers are for the women and us men are gonna need something to take our minds off the event. I plan on keeping the other jugs ageing till I PCS to Hawaii next February. So December is when I will crack open the remaining jugs and get some last minute drinks in with my battle's.

Out of the people who have gotten the "rhino farts" while brewing this, How long did it take for the sulphur to condition out of this stuff? At 3 weeks there is still a faint hint of it. I just really want this to be done by mid May. Is this unreallistic or should it be fine by then? Also should I degas this prior to bottling?

 

[bmeyer46]

I was thinking of bottle carbing this, then just adding a bit of sugar syrup to a glass if someone wants it sweetened..I'll probably also do one wine bottle flat and put it away for a while. Since this is my first time making this, I don't want to sweeten the whole batch if I might like it dry.

 

[banik]

Took my first gravity reading after 3 months. This is from 5g of Costco apple juice, yeast nutrient, 1/2 pint of yeast slurry from New England Brewing Co, and 2 pounds of Grade B maple syrup added at secondary (a month in). OG was 1.050 before syrup and estimating 1.065 after syrup. FG is 1.001. The nose is amazing- spritzy apple sweetness. Taste is pretty great- some apples in the front, a bit of apple tang at the end, and not sweet. I can't really taste any alcohol at all... Which is interesting for a supposed 7.9% abv.

 

[tedscastle]

I just realized that it had been a tad over 3 months since starting my first batch. When we sampled it about 6 weeks ago, we weren't impressed, but decided to give it time. This time, the taste was quite different, almost like weak apple juice, but with a definite wine aroma. It would be easy to overdo it on this stuff. I think that I will bottle this weekend with half of it carbed, and of course start my next batch. Thanks Ed!

 

[BearPusher]

Just bottled my first batch of apfelwein the other day. I'm glad I started another batch a few weeks back because it is simply amazing, even if it's green and uncarbed. I just can't wait for it to age a bit! Thanks edwort!

 

[av8er79]

A little concerned.... Racked my first batch of this a little over three weeks ago.

Used:
-the wine yeast that edwort recommended.
- 2 lbs. of brown sugar
- Motts apple juice

I just realized that the apple juice was from concentrate with added vitamin C.

It appears to still be fermenting and is very cloudy. Current gravity is 1.004 and I was unable to read the submerged scale (it's that cloudy). I tasted it and it is a reminds me of flat cheap champagne that's a little sour. Does it just need to sit up a little longer? Did I mess it up not using the right juice?

 

[Jukas]

A little concerned.... Racked my first batch of this a little over three weeks ago.

Used:
-the wine yeast that edwort recommended.
- 2 lbs. of brown sugar
- Motts apple juice

I just realized that the apple juice was from concentrate with added vitamin C.

It appears to still be fermenting and is very cloudy. Current gravity is 1.004 and I was unable to read the submerged scale (it's that cloudy). I tasted it and it is a reminds me of flat cheap champagne that's a little sour. Does it just need to sit up a little longer? Did I mess it up not using the right juice?

Which yeast did you use? My batch with EC-1118 took a month to finish fermenting and drop clear. It tasted terrible at the 1 month mark, and bad st the 2 month mark. Now that it's at three months old it's starting to come into its own.

 

[av8er79]

Montrachet Wine Yeast

 

[Jukas]

Montrachet Wine Yeast

My advice, stick it in a closet and try ang forget about it for 4-6 weeks. By the 2 month mark it should be ready to move off the lees and either bottle condition or bulk age in secondary or keg.

 

[av8er79]

I have only read about 30 pages or so of this thread. Have others successfully made this with concentrate? That's my biggest concern.

 

[tedscastle]

A little concerned.... Racked my first batch of this a little over three weeks ago.

I just realized that the apple juice was from concentrate with added vitamin C.

It appears to still be fermenting and is very cloudy. Current gravity is 1.004 and I was unable to read the submerged scale (it's that cloudy). I tasted it and it is a reminds me of flat cheap champagne that's a little sour. Does it just need to sit up a little longer? Did I mess it up not using the right juice?

I don't think that the juice from concentrate will make a difference, but 3weeks isn't enough time. I kept trying my first batch and wasn't impressed at all until this weekend. After 3 months, I finally bottled. A lower temp my have slowed the batch, but it was worth the wait. Let it sit another month. It will get better.

 

[Matteo57]

Anyone try oaking this? Any good results with it?

 

[Bookem15]

Which yeast did you use? My batch with EC-1118 took a month to finish fermenting and drop clear. It tasted terrible at the 1 month mark, and bad st the 2 month mark. Now that it's at three months old it's starting to come into its own.

When you say tasted bad what did it taste like. Mine just does not taste right after killing yeast and backsweetning with concentrate and wine conditioner.

 

[FlyDoctor]

Killing yeast?

Tastes mine after 6 weeks, tartness is the main feature with apple beneath. I think it will mellow based on reports here...

 

[Kampo]

ok newby here, tried brewing beer and cider a few years back and all I got was some funky tasting brew, but that was mainly because I tried the hobby in the dead of summer with no A/C in my house and the recipes and yeast I chose weren't the best for that.

Well been telling myself for awhile I was going to try again and last night I finally did. I have 4 gallons in my Ale Pale, per directions except I used brown sugar instead of corn. now its been going for 18 hours yet doesn't seem to be getting much activity (the airlock shows some pressure differential so it may be going slow, didn't have much time this morning to watch it to see if it was bubbling at all) but then it dawned on me that it may be to cold in my house. turned off the heat a month ago during that warm spell and haven't turned it on since and my house is sitting about 58F right now. is this going to be to low, should I turn the heat up to say 65? (frankly I love it in the 50s, fiance not so much, but hey I like her having an excuse to need me for warmth in bed )

 

[FlyDoctor]

From my n = 1 experience, and reading here - the Montrachet yeast are bit slow. Mine took 2-3 days to have airlock activity, though as I'm sure others will state, airlock activity is not a good indicator of fermentation. I noticed it clouded up first (mine in better bottle), then started bubbling.

 

[Gear101]

Did mine today, thinking about a couple aunts that will like this for T-Day. I might bottle some of this and hand it out as gifts.
My Brix came back at 15.3 at 66 degs is where I plan to let is set for one month or until it finishes at approximately 1 brix or .00972, that would come back at 7% ABV.
Is there anything wrong with using the yeast cake of the next batch?

 

[Jukas]

When you say tasted bad what did it taste like. Mine just does not taste right after killing yeast and backsweetning with concentrate and wine conditioner.

Why would you kill the yeast? Let it ferment out, Montrachet, Cote de Blanc or Prisse de Mousse (the three common yeasts used for Apfelwien) will all ferment to .998 .999.

If you don't want it dry, simply back sweeten before you keg or bottle

 

[Greenash]

My first batch of Apfelwein has been fermenting for around 6 weeks. It tastes great and I'm beginning to think about bottling it in another couple weeks. I wanted to try some carbonated in 12oz bottles and also some still in corked bottles. I also wanted to try aging the still bottles for a year or more so to see how they change or improve.

My question is should I add the proper amount of sulfites/campden tablets prior to the still bottling? I've been reading a bit about wine making and it seems like this is very important for proper successful aging. Also is degassing important for removing any residual co2 before bottling?

I'll probably just experiment and try some of each. Just wondering if anyone has experience with this.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Was my math correct? 7oz of sugar for a 1 gallon batch? Either my sugar calculations are wrong, or I need remedial classes in hydrometer use...

 

[Bookem15]

Why would you kill the yeast? Let it ferment out, Montrachet, Cote de Blanc or Prisse de Mousse (the three common yeasts used for Apfelwien) will all ferment to .998 .999.

If you don't want it dry, simply back sweeten before you keg or bottle

Killed the yeast for backsweetning otherwise I get bottle bombs. I used nooty for yeast. This time it tastes off I am not sure about using wine conditioner ? I think it needs time to age it almost has vinegar taste to it and can taste the yeast. It is about 6 weeks old right now.

 

[Kampo]

well my apflewein and my random concentrate wine are both bubbling away, although my basement smells of something sour, not sure if this is normal or not. (last time I tried this I got simlar smells and nasty tasting beer, but I was using a kit lager in 90 degree weather lmao)

 

[bruin_ale]

Was my math correct? 7oz of sugar for a 1 gallon batch? Either my sugar calculations are wrong, or I need remedial classes in hydrometer use...

7oz should be about right if you're using corn sugar. It'll be more like 4oz if you're using sucrose (table sugar).

 

[Gear101]

Is there anything wrong with using the yeast cake of the next batch?

 

[davis119]

7oz should be about right if you're using corn sugar. It'll be more like 4oz if you're using sucrose (table sugar).

wait i thought you a;ways needed more when using table sugar