Man, I love Apfelwein

[EdWort]

2# Dextrose
2 Cans Concentrate
~4 Gallons Apple Juice (to 5 gallon mark)
Montrachet

My OG was ~1.075

Wow, that's going to be some potent stuff. How much juice was each can supposed to make? That's your deviation and most likely the root cause of your high ABV% and extra dryness. I'm betting some aging will mellow it out.

 

[Hopleaf]

So I'm off to bottle my second Apfelwein tonight. It's been 2 months, I took a reading and I'm at 1.001.

I did 5 gallon Tree Top, 1 lb honey, 1 lb turbinado and Cotes de Blanc yeast.

One thing I noticed though, it's bubbling like it's already carbonated.. I wondered if this is just because I moved the carboy to the kitchen..

is this something I should be concerned about or should I go ahead and prime normally? I was going to do 3/4 cup priming sugar.

Thanks

 

[Schlenkerla]

So I'm off to bottle my second Apfelwein tonight. It's been 2 months, I took a reading and I'm at 1.001.

I did 5 gallon Tree Top, 1 lb honey, 1 lb turbinado and Cotes de Blanc yeast.

One thing I noticed though, it's bubbling like it's already carbonated.. I wondered if this is just because I moved the carboy to the kitchen..

is this something I should be concerned about or should I go ahead and prime normally? I was going to do 3/4 cup priming sugar.

Thanks

1.001 is very close. You should be OK, prime with 5oz by wt ~3/4 cup .

The bubbling keeps going like the energizer bunny.

 

[HCNate]

I made the Apfelwine today after the following blunder. I am so pumped!

I had my most non-fine moment ever today.

I filled up a 5 gal. carboy with apple juice, corn sugar and yeast. I picked it up around the neck to get my hand on the bottom to move it to its final resting place, and.....

dropped it.

5 gallons, all over my kitchen floor and 1 broken glass carboy.

I feel dumb. I was so excited. I talked about Apfelwein to my fiance all day.

 

[Mr_Moe]

My first post, and today I used my carboy for the very first time to brew Apfelwein.

I hope to brew my first beer soon.

Hello all.


edit: I followed Ed's recipe to a T. I hope I sanitized enough.

edit 2: its been a few hrs and no bubbles yet. the room is at 70,
I hope the yeast was okay, i didn't prime it.

 

[The Drizzle]

Oh lord baby jesus, i just tried some out of the fermenter after 4 weeks. There is no way this is going to be around long enough to age. I need to start on batch #2 right away!

 

[Mr_Moe]

Oh lord baby jesus, i just tried some out of the fermenter after 4 weeks. There is no way this is going to be around long enough to age. I need to start on batch #2 right away!

oh no, i think that i should of done a double batch!

I am getting stoked.


I will wait for Apple Juice to come on sale and then I will start a second.

 

[98EXL]

I had the SWMBO make Apfelwein this weekend, she was pretty pumped about it!

 

[Mr_Moe]

update: she is bubbling like rabid dog.

I am happy my yeast is alive.

 

[EdWort]

I had the SWMBO make Apfelwein this weekend, she was pretty pumped about it!

Sweet! An Apfelwein trained SWMBO machine! That means you'll never run out. Better get her some Better Bottles soon.

 

[ReverbbqBrew]

I have 5 gallons of the apfelwein in the fermenter but substituted a gallon of Pomegranate and a gallon of Blackberry juice for kicks. T

hat montrechet yeast is ferocious - a much more vigorous fermentation than most of my brews to date.

 

[98EXL]

Sweet! An Apfelwein trained SWMBO machine! That means you'll never run out. Better get her some Better Bottles soon.

I knew you'd be proud! She can't wait for it, man I love this woman! Did I miss the fine print of how long it needs to sit before it gets bottled?

BTW, speaking of better bottles, where can I buy some off teh internets? Neither one of my LHBS's have them.....and I'd like to pick 2-3 up.

 

[EdWort]

I got mine at Morebeer.com for $18.99 each, but I just went out there and they are sold out and the price now is $24.00. Ouch.

Heartshomebrew.com has them for $18.99, but I've never done business with them before.

 

[98EXL]

awesome, thanks a bunch!

I was debating on putting them in a 5 gallon water jug, but I'm on the fence about that

 

[BlindLemonLars]

awesome, thanks a bunch!

I was debating on putting them in a 5 gallon water jug, but I'm on the fence about that

Argghh....I'm on that same fence. My two carboys are booked solid for the next few months, but I do have that old Arrowhead bottle sitting there....?? I even cleaned it up, it looks nice.

Hearing everybody rave about thier Apfelwein is unsettling, as I look at my two pathetic gallon jugs. (A mere twenty bottles or so!) I also don't want to dedicate a kegerator slot/tap to Apfelwein, but I could simply stash the keg in the garage brew fridge and use a picnic pump. Still, do I flaunt conventional wisdom and use the water bottle?

 

[EdWort]

do I flaunt conventional wisdom and use the water bottle?

You can try it for a month and see if it clears out enough to bottle or rack to a keg. The key with water bottles is it can oxidize as the blue water bottles are not concerned with oxygen permeability.

What have you got to lose? Only about $18 and a month of waiting. Then again, that's the cost of a Better Bottle which will provide you with batch after batch of delicious home made Apfelwein..

 

[Alamo_Beer]

I did mine in a water bottle with no complaints...

I won't be doing it again but it turned out fine

 

[98EXL]

What have you got to lose? Only about $18 and a month of waiting. Then again, that's the cost of a Better Bottle which will provide you with batch after batch of delicious home made Apfelwein..

yeah, that's what I was thinking too

 

[Warped04]

You can try it for a month and see if it clears out enough to bottle or rack to a keg. The key with water bottles is it can oxidize as the blue water bottles are not concerned with oxygen permeability.

What have you got to lose? Only about $18 and a month of waiting. Then again, that's the cost of a Better Bottle which will provide you with batch after batch of delicious home made Apfelwein..

I got to do it...Just got too...I'm mean seriously...What's the total...more than 1700 gallons? I'm just going to have to get a fermentor... SWMBO is going to LOVE that

 

[98EXL]

I forgot to mention....

my airlock is going mad crazy, and there seems to be shoit-tons of activity going in the carboy. I thought I read it's really minimal activity to be going on?

 

[EdWort]

I forgot to mention....

my airlock is going mad crazy, and there seems to be shoit-tons of activity going in the carboy. I thought I read it's really minimal activity to be going on?

Nope, just that with Montrachet yeast, there is no massive foam or kreuzen. That lets you take up allmost all the head space with apple juice. I fit all but 8 ounces in from 5 jugs (I think the jugs hold more than a gallon).

 

[98EXL]

well, then maybe it's because I used a different yeast. My LHBS was out, so I was given a very close substitute which the name evades me at this point in time

 

[Drunkensatyr]

Perfect example for head space: Normally we use a generic store brand juice. When you dump "5 gallons" of their juice in to a 5 gal carboy, there is about an inch of head space. We switched to a different brand due to fresh pressed rather than from concentrate, and their "5 gallons" IS about 5 1/16th gallons of juice. I was not paying attention when filling the carboy and that puppy is FULL! Our airlock is sitting about 1/1000000th of an inch off the juice and it is doing OK.

 

[Muss]

What a huge thread! Replying to this thread must be your full time job EdWort!

I've just started a batch of this last night, I used Gervin wine yeast #3 (Yellow label) as it was the only one available. It's described as being used for dry sparkling wines, dessert wines and restarting stuck fermentations. I hope it fits the bill.

 

[phooka]

I haven't made it yet, but ordered the yeast am I'm anxiously awaiting. Weee.. My wife is starting to look at my strangely. I have 3 batches (beer) in secondaries.. starting a chocolate stout this weekend, a dry mead tonight. I have fix'ns coming for a double batch of Edworts Haus Pale. And I'm the only one that drinks it all.

 

[EdWort]

What a huge thread! Replying to this thread must be your full time job EdWort!.

Yeah, it's kinda taken a life of its own. I keep updating the first post to add FAQ's & info, but it's interesting as it is a signal of the growth of HBT as new folks log on, they gravitate to this thread as they see it in most everyone's signature. It's a sign of a good thing as well as the growth of TX's wonderful forum of sharing information.

Enjoy!

 

[Ryanh1801]

I don't think im gonna make any more apfelwein. I drank this stuff on friday while BBQ with some friends at my house. After 10 all went to a blur. Did manage to call some ex gf's and just about ever other person in my phone. Then got to hear all about it the next morning. I have never went from buzzed to drunk to stupid drunk so fast in my life. Actually I think I skipped the middle part.

 

[talleymonster]

GENERAL WARNINGS

Excessive consumption of Apfelwein WILL get you drunk at warp speed.

Drink a quart of water and take 3 aspirin before going to sleep tol help reduce the effects of excessive Apfelwein consumption as well as the urge to call EdWort a M'F**kR!

Well Ryanh1801, I think you were warned!

 

[Ryanh1801]

Well Ryanh1801, I think you were warned!

Yeah I know. You can't just have one., its just to damn good.

 

[talleymonster]

I'm waiting! I have my first batch of Apfelwein in Primary right now. It's only 9 days in right now !

 

[EdWort]

I have never went from buzzed to drunk to stupid drunk so fast in my life. Actually I think I skipped the middle part.

ROFLMAO!!!:cross:

I love these posts from folks who ignore the EdWort's Warning....

Brings back fond memories...

 

[EdWort]

Yeah I know. You can't just have one., its just to damn good.

So did you start your next batch yet? That's the true test...

 

[Ryanh1801]

So did you start your next batch yet? That's the true test...

Not yet, I have the yeast, and corn sugar. Im being a wuss. Actually im trying to slow down on my drinking. So It might be a while before I make a batch up.

 

[david_the_greek]

hey quick opinion guys, I have two batches of apfelwein going. One is the traditional version but instead of montrachet I used lalvin D-47, and the other I'm not sure what its technical name would be but its 1lb corn sugar with 5 gallons juice and a weizen yeast. The weizen variant over flowed into a few airlocks which although always changed out, left a nasty looking lining in the neck of my carboy. I'm worried that this dried out material (sugar/yeast/and such) will mold or cause some kind of negative in the final product. The dried material is not touching the wine, it is just dried in the neck. Should I just leave it or try to get at it? I can't see trying to get at the gunk as ending up good.

 

[Ryanh1801]

I would just leave it be.

 

[EdWort]

Not yet, I have the yeast, and corn sugar. Im being a wuss. Actually im trying to slow down on my drinking. So It might be a while before I make a batch up.

Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Me too. I've lost 24 pounds so far by watching what I each and curbing my drinking to Friday-Sunday.

The good thing about Apfelwein is you can forget about it (except the level of vodka in the airlock) for a month or 3 and keg it when you feel like it.

 

[Ryanh1801]

Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Me too. I've lost 24 pounds so far by watching what I each and curbing my drinking to Friday-Sunday.

The good thing about Apfelwein is you can forget about it (except the level of vodka in the airlock) for a month or 3 and keg it when you feel like it.

good job, im down 20 so far got 50 more for my goal. Been trying to keep beer to a sat. only thing.

 

[EdWort]

good job, im down 20 so far got 50 more for my goal. Been trying to keep beer to a sat. only thing.

Wow! Now I'm gonna have to try to do Friday evening and Saturday soon.....Nah...

I'm looking forward to the St. Arnold Beer Bus this Sunday.

 

[Ryanh1801]

Wow! Now I'm gonna have to try to do Friday evening and Saturday soon.....Nah...

I'm looking forward to the St. Arnold Beer Bus this Sunday.

trying being the key word. last weekend it was a fri. and sat. thing. Also have a glass of cab. at dinner. I bet that beer bus is gonna be a great trip.

 

[Drunkagain]

Heh, I've done the same. I only drink on my days off, friday & sat. Between that and watching my diet I dropped 23lbs since last june. And thats with no exercise, just watching my diet and cutting back on the drinking..