Man, I love Apfelwein

[shafferpilot]

If it wasn't that bad, nutrient probably won't make any difference. Some people have reported horrible smells invading their whole house. Then they use nutrient on the next batch and report a vast improvement. I guess it depends on the apple juice or the yeast variety.

 

[user 14523]

Started drinking my first batch this weekend, and it was in the carboy for 2 months. The apfelwein is excellent.

I followed the recipe exactly but for two small changes: I used Mott's brand apple juice and added 1 tsp. of grape tannin to the 5-gallon batch. I let it ferment down to 0.999. The result had definite apple aroma, good apple flavor, a non-puckering acidity and dry finish. The apfelwein is excellent. Everyone who drinks any quantity enjoyed it. I did not require the 3-glass test, although my wife did. Started a new batch right away.

 

[Dextersmom]

There isn't any boiling or anything required to fully mix the dextrose?

if i do boil it to mix in the dextrose is that going to hurt at all?

 

[macs]

I made a batch on friday (1/18) followed directions very carefully, even used the same Red Star Montrachet yeast. It is sitting @ 66-68 degrees, it's been about 30 hours and no airlock activity, any suggestions???

Yes....Patience....if you followed the recipe exactly, it will start. The temp might be a little low and may be causing it to start slower than usual. I usually do mine at around 72-75 degrees F. and by the next day, it's going good.

 

[DUCCCC]

There isn't any boiling or anything required to fully mix the dextrose?

No.

if i do boil it to mix in the dextrose is that going to hurt at all?

I wouldn't do that. If you properly cleaned and sanitized your fermenter and you're using pastuerized store bought apple juice, and packaged dextrose, you should not need to boil anything. The dextrose should mix fine into the juice, and the shaking action gets the juice well aerated.

Follow EdWort's directions and it works.

 

[Dextersmom]

No.

I wouldn't do that. If you properly cleaned and sanitized your fermenter and you're using pastuerized store bought apple juice, and packaged dextrose, you should not need to boil anything. The dextrose should mix fine into the juice, and the shaking action gets the juice well aerated.

Follow EdWort's directions and it works.

good deal thanks

 

[TexLaw]

It takes very little shaking to dissolve that dextrose. It dissolves much, much more quickly and easily that table sugar. Prepare to be amazed.


TL

 

[Chello]

Just taped my first Apfelwein keg tonight...




...going to the grocery store tomorrow to get more apple juice...

 

[skou]

You going to play the tape?

How'd it taste?

I'm not going to need to tape mine, (or tap it) since I'm bottling.

steve

 

[Dextersmom]

another question:
using mr beer to brew up some apfelwein:
how much headspace should there be
also with a mr beer there is no airlock because the screw top is "notched" is this going to be a problem at all with apfelwein having a considerably longer fermentation period that beer?

Anyone else who has done this, how has yours turned out?

thanks for all the help guys!

 

[DUCCCC]

another question:
using mr beer to brew up some apfelwein:
how much headspace should there be
also with a mr beer there is no airlock because the screw top is "notched" is this going to be a problem at all with apfelwein having a considerably longer fermentation period that beer?

Anyone else who has done this, how has yours turned out?

thanks for all the help guys!

Check with Sylviakitty. She uses a Mr. Beer for Apfelwein.

 

[redneckbeagle]

Are their any issues with skunking Apfelwien? I am thinking of using some extra green bottles I have.

 

[EdWort]

Are their any issues with skunking Apfelwien? I am thinking of using some extra green bottles I have.

Nope, unless you are adding hops, you will be fine with green bottles.

 

[Bulls Beers]

Anybody know what the calories per serving is?

 

[sflcowboy78]

well i started my apfelwein 6 days ago and fermation is going strong and looking good. in the meantime i am drinking grlosch so i can have something to bottle this in i go a deal on some 1.5 L bottles of grolsch at my local liquor store and also picked up a couple of 4 packs also all swing tops

 

[wilserbrewer]

Bulls Beers,
Regarding calories per serving, I would guess that the calories remain after fermentation. Therefore look at the calories in the additional juice / serving, then you would add for the dextrose. Ball park figure I would say is approx 150% or 1 1/2 times the calories of the juice you start with. Just guessing here!!

Mike

 

[TexLaw]

Some of those calories are lost to heat generated during fermentation and biomass of the extra yeasties. I don't have the slightest what that loss is, though.

 

[beala]

Huh I never thought about it that way. My questions would be, since fermentation is exothermic, how many calories are lost to heat? (Edit: Looks like TexLaw beat me to this as I was typing)

Another route to go would be this: I did some googling and found that 1 gram of alcohol has 7 calories. 12 oz of 8% abv cider yields this:

12 oz * 8% = .96 oz of alcohol = 27.2 grams of alcohol
27.2 g * 7 cal/g = 190.5 calories

So, since it ferments out so dry, my guess would be that the only calories in apfelwein come from the alcohol, which would mean a 12 oz bottle has around 190 calories. This is the absolute minimum it could have, though. There is probably a small amount of carbs, which may boost the caloric content up a bit (10-20cal?).

EDIT: Ugh just realized that google, which I used to convert units, may have converted fluid oz to grams, which doesn't make sense. The finals answer seems reasonable, though, so maybe it's not that off. You could fix it if someone found the molar mass of alcohol, which I think would let you go from volume to mass... maybe. It's been awhile since high school chem.

 

[Tusch]

Well I did it a bit different way and got even less calories, so I am not sure if I did something wrong or not

12 oz * 29.573ml/oz = 354.876 ml
354.876ml * .08 = 28.39 ml of alcohol
28.39ml x 0.789 (the specific gravity of alcohol) = 22.4 grams of alcohol
22.4 g * 7 cal/g = 156.8 calories

I would be interested in finding this out, but I would say these two are decent approximations

 

[beala]

Yeah I think Tusch's calculations are definitely more sound. The specific grav fixed the problem I was having with fluid oz to grams. I still might add a few calories for any carbs that may have been left behind after fermentation, but it's so dry it shouldn't be much.

 

[sflcowboy78]

with all of you posting what you think the calorie count is on this stuff now i am going to have to password protect my computer so swmbo will not see it and then get mad at me because she likes it so much but can't have any because it would put her over her calorie limit for the day on the diet she is on

 

[Revvy]

Today after stopping at my lhbs for a couple of betterbottles (Where I ended up getting a 6 gal for the price of a 5 gal one.) I headed down to my local IGA for groceries and 5 gals. Of 100% all natural Apple Juice.

All they had was Mott's 100% with ascorbic acid added (the label said it was for vitamin C)....I didn't think anything of it because it was on sale for 2 bucks and change/per gallon.

Driving back home alarm bells started going of in my head about about the Ascorbic acid. Luckily the LHBS was on the way home...So I ran in there breathless and in a state of panic.

I told him about what I was doing and about the acid in the juice...He made one of those "eek" faces and said depending on how much AA was added to the juice, and since I wasn't diluting it with any water to cut the concentration down, it was like a 60/40% chance it wouldn't ferment.

The only suggestion he had was to make a starter with a half gallon of the juice and a pack of yeast...If it started then I would be good to go.

If not I might as well just drink the juice.

The cool thing was that I didn't have any cash for the packet of yeast, when I whipped out my credit card, he said forget it and just take the packet (nice to have a bit of a relationship with the merchant I guess.)

So I'm cleaning out and sanitizing a growler and about to take his suggestion and make the starter.

I'm just wondering if any of you apfelweiners have had any problem with using the mott's juice before and/or if I am panicking for nothing?

Thanks!

 

[Tusch]

From my little experience and pretty much from everything I have read, you should be fine. It is really just vitamin c like they said and it is in small concentrations, although making a starter with a full packet of yeast should take away any risk in it.

 

[Revvy]

From my little experience and pretty much from everything I have read, you should be fine. It is really just vitamin c like they said and it is in small concentrations, although making a starter with a full packet of yeast should take away any risk in it.

Thanks!


I did a thread search and people did mention using Mott's, but all of the posts I found were people who had just made it that day, and there were no follow up posts from them saying whether or not it worked.

 

[shafferpilot]

Ascorbic acid is fine. no worries. if you see the word sorbate, you have a problem.

 

[Revvy]

Ascorbic acid is fine. no worries. if you see the word sorbate, you have a problem.

WHEW!!!!

Well I just made the starter anyway...

 

[Melana]

Ascorbic acid is fine. no worries. if you see the word sorbate, you have a problem.

+1 on the sorbate... We made a 'rookie cider mistake' and bought sorbated cider and had to dump the whole 3 gallons...

 

[NitrouStang96]

So I went to Trader Joe's and got six of these 1gal glass jugs of pasteurized, organic, non-filtered apple juice. Can I go through all of the steps up to pitching and then siphon it all back into these jugs after I sanitize them, and then pitch 1g of the Montrachet into each jug? If so, I can keep my carboy open for another beer!

 

[DUCCCC]

So I went to Trader Joe's and got six of these 1gal glass jugs of pasteurized, organic, non-filtered apple juice. Can I go through all of the steps up to pitching and then siphon it all back into these jugs after I sanitize them, and then pitch 1g of the Montrachet into each jug? If so, I can keep my carboy open for another beer!

You have stoppers and airlocks for all those jugs?

 

[skou]

Like Ma2brew said, if you've got stoppers and airlocks, go right ahead. I wouldn't even worry about sanitising them. If the juice wasn't fermenting inside before you openedthem, then the inside was clean. Pour it into the carboy, mixing in your dextrose, (make SURE it is well mixed in) and then mix in your yeast.

Don't syphon, but pour the juice. You will aerate it a bit, by pouring. (And, aeration at the beginning is good!)

If I'm not mistaken, those bottles take a #9 drilled stopper.

steve

 

[NitrouStang96]

AWESOME! I'll take a quick ride to the LHBS to snag stoppers for my airlocks.

 

[DUCCCC]

AWESOME! I'll take a quick ride to the LHBS to snag stoppers for my airlocks.

Cool, save a few of those jugs afterwards and you're all set for meads, starters, expiremental wines, etc.

 

[NitrouStang96]

Actually, if this apfelwein is all it's cracked up to be, they'll be my permanent fermenters so I can keep my 6.5 carboys full of beer.

 

[Seabee John]

OOOH my head hurts... watch out for the apfelwein... it sneaks up on you really quick. I have apfelwein on tap, when you are filling your glass every so often... just cause it looks better full, you lose track of the three glass rule. I'm going to bed.

 

[NitrouStang96]

I have 6 gallons currently in primary! This is it with 2lb 3oz of dextrose and and 5g of Montrachet pitched:

Thanks, EdWort!

 

[skou]

I have 6 gallons currently in primary! This is it with 2lb 3oz of dextrose and and 5g of Montrachet pitched:

Thanks, EdWort!

Get some airlocks on those, or you're gonna have a BIG, NASTY mess to clean up! Glass and sticky apple juice is NOT fun to scrape off the walls!

steve

 

[Brewin_Bob]

Good job with the pic! Hate to see what could have happened.

 

[NitrouStang96]

Heh, yeah, I went and snagged some more stoppers for my airlocks after I took the pic.

 

[mscott987]

That is awesome. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[mrfocus]

Wowza, just checked on my Apfelwein I started on January 3rd. It's down from 1.060 to 1.003 (that's already 7.7% ABV!). My last batch stopped at about that (cold temps in my basement) so I'm awaiting to see how low this one can go (all my carboys are in a room on the 1st floor). I'll get a pick next week when all three carboys should be full (ESB and Tripel).