Man, I love Apfelwein

Yakima 728
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BARBQ said:
I followed the recipe to a T. How long does it take to start fermenting? 24 hours later and all I have is some white circly moldy things on top. There arent mold because if I shake the bottle a bit they dissapate into typical looking foam.
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Just started my first batch as well. Took a litttle over 36 hours to see visible activity in airlock and now is going strong. Almoost too well. Had to clean out airlock this morning.
I don't know why it took me so long because I've had an aquarium heater around for years but the yeast seems to love the constant 70 degree temp with the water bath.
 
krisabsinthe said:
I may do a full 5 Gal of honey if this 1 Gal ever finishes. I just though of another variable in the fermentation of my 1 gal and my 5 gal, one is on the floor and the other is not. The floor is concrete so the temp will be much lower, so this may be the problem. Second, I thought that "Clover" honey was unnatural honey (removed from clovers mechanically), what I do know is that I HATE the flavor of Clover Honey and LOVE non-Clover ;) Thanks for the mixture of 2LB dextrose and and 2LB of Honey, Ill be doing that after my 5 Gal of original and my 5 Gal of Apple Cider. Once again, thanks for the knowledge guys. Once again I learn something, isn't HB GREAT!
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Only bees make honey, period. If they gather pollen from fields of clover it can be labeled Clover honey; if from orange trees it is Orange Blossom honey. Wild honey is from unkept bees. Local honies are usually a mixture of the local flora. Said to be great for allergies.

If you can maintain the fermentation at a low temp that is an advantage.

nsw's comment on one Aepfelwein being sweeter than the other: The sweetness comes from unfermented sugars in the juice. I suspect that one batch was fermented drier than the other and not because one had honey and the other dextrose that you tasted the difference. Yeasts have different tolerance levels for alcohol and some will die at 8% and others hang on until 18%. If both batches were fermented completely dry then the sweetness should be the same.
 
anyone have issues bottling still in wine bottles and have some latent ferment pop the cork? thinking of saving some for gifts as they age and want to pretty them up by sticking them in a wine bottle.
 
jimgriz said:
Just started my first batch as well. Took a litttle over 36 hours to see visible activity in airlock and now is going strong. Almoost too well. Had to clean out airlock this morning.
I don't know why it took me so long because I've had an aquarium heater around for years but the yeast seems to love the constant 70 degree temp with the water bath.
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yeah thanks. Nevermind, it started with a vengence at around 30 hours, by 36 it looked like champagne bubbling. I started 6pm 1/11/2011 and this morning 1/14/2011 it smelled ewwwwwwe.

It had a smell all to familiar and finally I figured out. It smells like a big pile of baby diapers. I might have to find another place for it other than my closet.

How long does it smell like this?
 
Any chance you can use cane sugar for this or am I stuck driving an hour back to the LHBS for Corn Sugar?
 
drumming102 said:
Any chance you can use cane sugar for this or am I stuck driving an hour back to the LHBS for Corn Sugar?
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I used cane sugar in my last batch, no problem. BTW I drank a couple glasses of this stuff a couple days ago and WOW its pretty good and damn potent. This time I used 3 LB cane sugar and it took 6 weeks to smooth out enough to be good. I have another 5 Gal going with Coopers Ale Yeast, this will be carbed and bottled in some cool 1L flip-tops I got.
 
I've used cane sugar, brown sugar and honey. The brown sugar batch never cleared, don't know why. I think the honey (3 pounds in 5 gallons juice) tastes better, even though its the "youngest" batch.

t
 
I've made about 50 gallons this past year. One of the most interesting findings for me was the immediate taste improvement achieved by pitching my juice on top of the previous batch's lees.
All I do is; after bottling a batch from my carboy I simply pour in the pasteurized juice along with a small amount of yeast nutrient and some sugar. I wipe down the mouth of the bottle and put on a freshly sterilized stopper/airlock. That's it. Fermentation takes a bit longer to start than with pitched yeast, usually 3 days for me here in Sierra Nevadas.

The result is a more 'finished' tasting young wine. It has, to my taste, more apple character, a fuller mouthfeel, and more complexity after two months fermentation time than wine made in the original recipe.

I know german Aepfelwein...I lived in Germany and Frankfurt a number of years and I've made Aepfelwein from scratch with local german producers. If you know the taste and are looking for it, this method gets you closest so far I feel.

I've had no issue with infection. In fact of all my batches I've never even had that rhino fart (H2S) smell which others mention.

I am now on my fourth batch on original lees in two of my carboys. I intend to let the lees build up one more time (total 5) before cutting back in one bottle. In the other I will continue until I detect lack of improvement or decline in quality.

Enjoy!
 
I have made this many times, and i must say.... Its gooooood.. :drunk:
I have also made a variation using 1 1/2 gallons of grape juice.. :mug:
 
So i made a batch of this and have some questions, I have went through 50+ different posts and cant seem to find my answer. I want to back sweeten so i plan to use campden and sorbate. my question is can i use Coopers Carbonation drops to bottle carb after this? If so how long does each step need inbetween or do i just add campden and sorbate, back sweeten and bottle all in same process with out any waiting period
 
So I went to Trader Joes to see what kind of natural Apple juice they had there...I know I am paying a little more, but I like to get as natural as possible.
So they had the 100% juice...
But they also had this Unfiltered Cloudy Pressed juice that looked great for all-natural stuff, but I wasn't sure how it would be in Apfelwein.

Does anyone know if that pressed stuff would be good?
I have a Power juicer that makes fresh juice when I throw apples in there....wonder if I could do that for apfelwein??
 
I made this recipe with pressed apple cider this fall from a local cider mill and it turned out amazing. The pressed apple juice comes through with a little more apple flavor. Give it a go, you won't be sorry.
 
If you use campden and sorbate to stabilize your Apfelwein you can not carbonate in the bottle. You either need to use a non-fermentable sweetener or keg your brew.

Sorry I can't help you with the part of question dealing with how long to wait between stabilizing, back sweetening and bottling, I like my wines and ciders dry.

rpeters said:
So i made a batch of this and have some questions, I have went through 50+ different posts and cant seem to find my answer. I want to back sweeten so i plan to use campden and sorbate. my question is can i use Coopers Carbonation drops to bottle carb after this? If so how long does each step need inbetween or do i just add campden and sorbate, back sweeten and bottle all in same process with out any waiting period
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So just some observations.

I started my first batch on 12/14, I used LAVIN EC-1118 because of the temps in my house this time of year are a little chilly(read 55-60). On 12/30 it was clear and in bottles so I could start another batch. 1/12 it was carbed and awesome. SWMBO loved it.

In the second carboy I started another batch on 12/18 using Montrachet. Still waiting for it to clear.

So the lesson learned here is, if you are in a hurry use EC-1118.
 
Ok Started my first ever batch 48 hrs ago and thought I'd see the "bubbles" by now but haven't got a little krausen but not much else.

The LHBS suggested EC-1118 which I did use. Should I have waited and looked for LV-1118 elsewhere?

It's nice at about 72 degrees where it's fermenting.

Will the EC-1118 work just as fine?

IMAG0091.jpg
 
Ace_Club said:
As much as I love Apfelwein, I am still not a fan of the morning after effects. :drunk:
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me and a 3 friends killed 5 750ml bottles last night. I usually stay awake until im sober, which I did last night and drank a couple liters of water and took 2 Excedrin about 3 hours before I went to sleep. I thought for sure I would feel like crap, but I feel very decent today, No headache and my stomach is doing well :) This stuff is great!! glad I started 10 more gallons
 
drumming102 said:
Ok Started my first ever batch 48 hrs ago and thought I'd see the "bubbles" by now but haven't got a little krausen but not much else.

The LHBS suggested EC-1118 which I did use. Should I have waited and looked for LV-1118 elsewhere?

It's nice at about 72 degrees where it's fermenting.

Will the EC-1118 work just as fine?
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My Bad, I just looked at my packaging Lavin EC-1118 is what I used. Sorry for the misinformation.
 
if i used granulated sugar instead of corn sugar could that be the reason why my cider doesn't taste that great?

I'll wait for the 6 month mark before I try it again.
 
It would appear that, at least temporarily, I’ve solved the sulfur smell issue created by some batches of fermenting apfelwein. This is a workable solution for those who are fermenting in a living space or an apartment.

I made a batch of apfelwein following Edwort’s recipe EXCEPT I used Cote des Blanc yeast (because that is what I had on hand) & yeast nutrient at the recommended rate (since some said this would reduce sulfur smell). The fermenting carboy is on a counter in our dining room due to lagering temps in the garage. I awoke to *very strong sulfur smell permeating the entire main floor of our house today (so much for the yeast nutrient argument). Obviously I realized this setup wasn’t going to work, especially in the dining room. SO… I made a filter housing out of household materials ($0) to attach to the top the fermentation lock. I filled the filter housing with activated carbon ($6 from wallyworld) and…. INSTANT SUCCESS! There is absolutely no odor coming from the escaping gas out of the filter atop the fermentation lock. I aired out the house and the filter has kept the smell to absolute zero for several hours now.

Here’s a link to how I did it.
(the photos have notes so mouse-over to see them.)

I expect that at some point the carbon in the filter will become saturated and need to be replaced to continue absorbing sulfur. There is enough carbon in the single container I purchased for dozens of filtrations. I’ll keep you posted on how long it works. This is my first batch of apfelwein so I’m not sure how long the sulfur smell persists during fermentation… anyone know?

(KEYWORDS: smell, odor, gas, sulfur, sulphur, sulfer, sulpher, filter, how to, DIY, make)
 
An update on that batch with 10lbs of sugar

Its been in there exactly a month and the bubbling has stopped completely, I think I choked out the yeast, as it is still VERY sweet. Do you think I should pitch more yeast or pitch it on top of my next yeast cake?
 
nsw8148 said:
An update on that batch with 10lbs of sugar

Its been in there exactly a month and the bubbling has stopped completely, I think I choked out the yeast, as it is still VERY sweet. Do you think I should pitch more yeast or pitch it on top of my next yeast cake?
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I think in order to make it less sweet you will either have to add more juice or a yeast that can handle the alcohol content (such as Champagne). I had a pumpkin cider going and it halted WAY sweet so I cut it into 2 batches and repitched with Montrachet (which is what I used to begin with). Its still going but Im sure it will be decent. What I would do is cut the wine with more juice, with 10 LB sugar I would double the juice content. 5 Gal of juice with 10 LB sugar into 10 Gal juice with the original 10 LB of sugar. Effectively making these batches 5 Gal with 5 LB each, which will still be a little sweet but not nearly as much. Just my opinion :)
 
krisabsinthe said:
I think in order to make it less sweet you will either have to add more juice or a yeast that can handle the alcohol content (such as Champagne). I had a pumpkin cider going and it halted WAY sweet so I cut it into 2 batches and repitched with Montrachet (which is what I used to begin with). Its still going but Im sure it will be decent. What I would do is cut the wine with more juice, with 10 LB sugar I would double the juice content. 5 Gal of juice with 10 LB sugar into 10 Gal juice with the original 10 LB of sugar. Effectively making these batches 5 Gal with 5 LB each, which will still be a little sweet but not nearly as much. Just my opinion :)
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I may just pitch another packet of Montrachet with some slurry from another batch.... It is in a 6 gallon carboy, maybe I'll add another gallon of juice too. Its got 2 vanilla beans in it as well. Went strong for a few days and then just fizzled out. I've had batches do that before, but they always turn out waaaaaay less sweet.


This is just an experiment, not expecting it to taste good, just had an extra fermenter open and figured I'd give it a shot:eek:


Oh well, life's an adventure:ban:
 
Also just cracked open a bottle from a batch I bottled last week that I put 3 cloves in with it... Its amazing and tastes like apple pie:D


Kinda makes me want to experiment with steeping some oats to add some body and maybe a cin stick. Possibly some malt extract as well instead of some of the dextrose.


I really need to put down the creativity book, its driving me crazy:(
 
nsw8148 said:
I may just pitch another packet of Montrachet with some slurry from another batch.... It is in a 6 gallon carboy, maybe I'll add another gallon of juice too. Its got 2 vanilla beans in it as well. Went strong for a few days and then just fizzled out. I've had batches do that before, but they always turn out waaaaaay less sweet.


This is just an experiment, not expecting it to taste good, just had an extra fermenter open and figured I'd give it a shot:eek:


Oh well, life's an adventure:ban:
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Let me know how the vanilla reacted. I thought about using a fresh bean or two in my next batch.
 
nsw8148 said:
If mine's not done in time to let you know, I've read that you need to chop it up before adding it to whatever you're putting it in. Just FYI
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Ill keep that in mind. In the first batch I made I put 4 Cinnamon sticks in at the beginning and it took weeks for the flavor to mellow out..oddly enough it tastes nothing like cinnamon ... or apple, more like a pinot grigio than anything else ( the batch was started 12-5 and is just now good). Im sure the flavor will change in the next couple months, I have some marked for 1 Year, so I cant wait until next December. While this batch was going ALL I could smell or taste was cinnamon, now NO cinnamon AT ALL lol its good though. Thanks for the 3 Clove idea, ill probably throw that down after I bottle my 10 gal or brew I got going.
 
krisabsinthe said:
Ill keep that in mind. In the first batch I made I put 4 Cinnamon sticks in at the beginning and it took weeks for the flavor to mellow out..oddly enough it tastes nothing like cinnamon ... or apple, more like a pinot grigio than anything else ( the batch was started 12-5 and is just now good). Im sure the flavor will change in the next couple months, I have some marked for 1 Year, so I cant wait until next December. While this batch was going ALL I could smell or taste was cinnamon, now NO cinnamon AT ALL lol its good though. Thanks for the 3 Clove idea, ill probably throw that down after I bottle my 10 gal or brew I got going.
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How about steeping your spices in a vodka while fermentation takes place? I'm making a winter warmer right now and the recipe has me put all the spices in a cup of vodka (and letting it sit in a sealed container, I'm using a canning jar that I sanitized), which I'll filter into the bottling bucket using a coffee filter before racking for bottling. Perhaps this will prevent any adverse effect the fermentation process has on the cinnamon. Not sure how it'll work since I haven't done this recipe yet (though I'm planning on it in the near future and using spices in this way)
 
JettGeek said:
How about steeping your spices in a vodka while fermentation takes place? I'm making a winter warmer right now and the recipe has me put all the spices in a cup of vodka (and letting it sit in a sealed container, I'm using a canning jar that I sanitized), which I'll filter into the bottling bucket using a coffee filter before racking for bottling. Perhaps this will prevent any adverse effect the fermentation process has on the cinnamon. Not sure how it'll work since I haven't done this recipe yet (though I'm planning on it in the near future and using spices in this way)
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That is defiantly the way to make extracts. I will try that at some point, I should probably stop making brew at some point lol
 
Hi, I'm thinking of making a batch of Apfelwein, but don't have a place for refrigeration. Can I let it mature at room temp?
 
r3bol said:
Hi, I'm thinking of making a batch of Apfelwein, but don't have a place for refrigeration. Can I let it mature at room temp?
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yes that is the best thing to do let it sit in the carboy as long as you can stand it
 
By 48hours this stuff was stinkin! wow this is a lot smellier than beer...
I hope it tastes better than it smells.
2 questions??

Should this be carbonated?

What tastes better Joe's Ancient Orange Mead or Edwort's apfelwein....
I don't think Edwort and Ancient Joe should be able to vote
 
First of all, JAO is a quick mead, sweet and fruity. I only make it in 1 gallon batches at a time. Edwort's is an apple wine, li'l different animal.. :tank:
Back to JAO, I have made it in 5 gallon batches... does get kinda sweet at
that volume... :drunk: .... and yes koedbrew, 3/4 corn sugar in the bottling bucket to carbonate...
 
After 3 months my Apfelwein finally quit bubbling this week.

Now I just have to decide how I'm going to bottle it.
 
Wow.... wish I could say I've read all of these pages.... but I have a job and a wife! haha
Just had to let you know that I got all the ingredients just as Edwort stated and made this this afternoon! Easiest brewing related thing I ever did..... It will be dificult to wait 2 plus months... but oh well.
By the way, this is also the first non-beer thing I've attempted to brew.
 

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