Kubed
Well-Known Member
I want THAT limit!Adolphus79 said:We've found that out the hard way... the limit around here has been set at 3 750ml bottles per person per night...
I want THAT limit!Adolphus79 said:We've found that out the hard way... the limit around here has been set at 3 750ml bottles per person per night...
Adolphus79 said:Splenda is not for priming, it's for back-sweetening. Splenda is non-fermentable, it will only effect the taste. If you want to prime, then use corn sugar (Dextrose), 3/4 cup per 5 gallon batch.
Adolphus79 said:Back-sweetening is when you add sugar to a finished brew to sweeten it. If your apfelwein finished fermenting, and you think it's too dry, and would like it to be a little sweeter, that is when you add a little splenda.
Docapi said:Just to clarify- and I'm sure it is what you meant to say- You would not use sugar to back sweeten, because it will just start fermenting. That is why Splenda is used- it will sweeten without starting the fermenting process back up again.
As long as we are on the subject, though, does anybody know the usual amount of splenda per gallon to use to back sweeten?
Docapi said:Just to clarify- and I'm sure it is what you meant to say- You would not use sugar to back sweeten, because it will just start fermenting. That is why Splenda is used- it will sweeten without starting the fermenting process back up again.
As long as we are on the subject, though, does anybody know the usual amount of splenda per gallon to use to back sweeten?
Adolphus79 said:Exactly, you want to use a non-fermentable sugar... I personally use 1 packet of splenda per 750ml bottle of Apfelwein...
mrfocus said:How many ounces or grams is in a packet?
Thanks
walkertalker said:This is my first post and I am glad to find this community. Forums, in general, are nothing new to me, but this one is. I registered this morning and just finished up my first batch of Apfelwein.
Does the yeast generally fall to the bottom, until it starts reacting to the sugar? If so, how long does it take to start reacting?
Thanks
walkertalker said:This is my first post and I am glad to find this community. Forums, in general, are nothing new to me, but this one is. I registered this morning and just finished up my first batch of Apfelwein.
Does the yeast generally fall to the bottom, until it starts reacting to the sugar? If so, how long does it take to start reacting?
Thanks
mrfocus said:Exactly. The only other common unfermentable sugar is Lactose (in milk). It doesn't work great if your friends are lactose-intolerent though.
I'm sure some people know the exact amount of splenda to add, and it seems like it is quite low.
walkertalker said:This is my first post and I am glad to find this community. Forums, in general, are nothing new to me, but this one is. I registered this morning and just finished up my first batch of Apfelwein.
Does the yeast generally fall to the bottom, until it starts reacting to the sugar? If so, how long does it take to start reacting?
Thanks
I used the Montrachet yeast and received the same results. A little activity after 24 hours, foaming at 36 hours and now at 48 hours, many bubbles coming up the sides and gassing out the airlock about every second.TronCarter said:It was at about the 36 hour mark that I noticed airlock activity. Not much at first, but after about 48 hours I was getting about a bubble every second or so. Also, I used the Cote des Blancs yeast, where Montrachet might have different timing.
dave47 said:I started a batch of Ed's Apfelwein on 10/21. I was wondering if I just leave it in the fermenter, can I put it straight into a drinking glass at Christmas time?
Cheesefood said:Time for me to dive in to this stuff.
Dive, dive! It's a pretty shallow dive though...from washing out the carboy to filling the airlock, you're looking at about a fifteen minute task. It's astonishing how such an amazingly high quality product can be the result of so little work.Cheesefood said:I bought some Montrachet yeast tonight. Time for me to dive in to this stuff.
DNisich said:Its been in the carboy for 3 months now and it just won't clear. If the currently cooler weather around Austin doesn't make it finally clear, I wonder if I should try some kind of fining agent?
I read some other posts in this thread about the subject but the consensus seems to be against. Has anybody else had to take any extra steps to finally get clear?
When I made the batch, I checked the SG and it was somewhat lower than my other batches. So, I added a 2 or 3 cans of frozen AJ concentrate. The cans were frozen when I bought them so I put them in the sink with some hot tap water to quickly thaw them. Do you suppose that the warm water might have caused some pectin in the AJ to set? If so, will a fining agent make it precipitate?
TexLaw said:Now . . . where's that aspirin? (is it any wonder a Bavarian outfit invented the stuff?) TL
mrfocus said:So let's say I was thinking of making it champagne style, and used EC-1118 and have decided that I wanted to bottle it still (mainly because I have a bunch of free wine bottles, not champagne bottles). The must is quite bubbly and I currently have less than a week left in the fermentation. When it hits the FG I want, could I just start shacking it a bit to get most of the bubbles out? Would I have to add Sodium metabisulfite (Campden tablets) to it to be sure that the yeast is dead, to avoid bottle bombs and corks blowing off?
EdWort said:
Apfelwein - Fermenting
Award Winning Apfelwein Recipe (German Hard Cider)
Placed 1st in the Cider & Apple Wine category at the BJCP sanctioned Alamo Cerveza fest (out of 11 entries) and took 2nd place for Best of Show for the main category of Meads & Ciders (out of 50 entries).
Ingredients
5 Gallons 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives) I use Tree Top Apple Juice
2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) in one pound bags
1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast
Equipment
5 Gallon Carboy (I use a Better Bottle)
Carboy Cap or Stopper with Airlock
Funnel
- First sanitize the carboy, airlock, funnel, stopper or carboy cap.
- Open one gallon bottle of apple juice and pour half of it into the carboy using the funnel.
- Open one bag of Dextrose and carefully add it to the now half full bottle of apple juice. Shake well.
- Repeat Steps 2 and 3, then go to step 5.
- Pour in the mixture of Apple Juice and Dextrose from both bottles into the carboy.
- Add all but 1 quart of remaining 3 gallons of apple juice to the carboy.
- Open the packet of Montrachet Yeast and pour it into the neck of the funnel.
- Use the remaining quart of juice to wash down any yeast that sticks. I am able to fit all but 3 ounces of apple juice into a 5 gallon Better Bottle. You may need to be patient to let the foam die down from all shaking and pouring.
- Put your stopper or carboy cap on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka. No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv.
There’s no need to worry about filling up a carboy so full when you use Montrachet wine yeast. There is no Kreuzen, just a thin layer of bubbles (see here). I'm able to fit all but 4 oz. of my five gallons in the bottle. Ferment at room temperature.
It will become cloudy in a couple of days and remain so for a few weeks. In the 4th week, the yeast will begin to drop out and it will become clear. After at least 4 weeks, you can keg or bottle, but it is ok to leave it in the carboy for another month or so. Racking to a secondary is not necessary. It ferments out very dry (less than 0.999, see here)
If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of corn sugar will work fine. Use as you would carbonate a batch of beer.
Remember to reserve judgment till after 3 glasses. It grows on you.
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND START ANOTHER BATCH 2 WEEKS AFTER YOU START THIS ONE.
YOU WILL THANK ME LATER!
GENERAL QUESTIONS
compiled by Dammed Squirrels from the first 37 pages of this thread. Thanks DS!
How does it taste?
It ferments quite dry. Some people have tried different yeasts in order to achieve a sweeter taste. It may take you a few glasses to get a feel for the flavor. It is very reminiscent of a sort of apfelwein produced locally in Germany. There really is no comparable product in the United States. It's drier and less sweet than commercial hard ciders.
What is the difference between Apfelwein and hard cider?
EdWort says, “Most ciders are a bit sweeter. Ciders and Apfelwein are about 6% abv, but I like the little boost I give it with 2 pounds of Dextrose. It adds no body or flavor and still tastes like Possmann's Apfelwein, only it will kick your butt much quicker.”
Is this like Apfelmost / Apfel Korn?
No. Apfel Korn is a german liqeur made from wheat spirits. Apfelmost is spontaneously fermented with fresh-pressed apples or apple juice. It is probably similar, but the results may vary as a result of the spontaneous fermentation. Either way, Apfelmost is most certainly has a lower alcohol content since the initial gravity is not increased by the use of concentrate or corn sugar.
What’s the difference between apple juice and cider?
Cider is made by pressing apples. Juice is then filtered to remove all of the stuff that makes it cloudy.
Can I use apple cider instead?
Sure! You can use whatever you want. However, there is not enough information in this thread to give you any better details as to how it will turn out. I recommend starting a new thread or ask more experienced cider-makers.
What kind of Apple Juice should I use?
Ideally, you want to use 100% natural apple juice with no preservatives. The only acceptable preservative is ascorbic acid, which is a source of vitamin C and does not affect fermentation. Pasteurized juice is preferred, since it will have less bacteria.
How much will this recipe cost me?
5 gallons of Apfelwein can be made for between 20 and 25 dollars.
What else can you do with this recipe?
EdWort says, "this makes a great Grog in the winter time. Take a quart in a sauce pan, add some rum, turbinado sugar, and float a cinnamon stick in it and simmer for a while. Serve hot in mugs. It'll warm you right up."
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 the next morning!
turkey said:Here's a question. For those of you who rehydrate your yeast, do you heat up some apple juice, cool it down, and add the yeast? Or do you use water? Or pitch it dry?
turkey said:Here's a question. For those of you who rehydrate your yeast, do you heat up some apple juice, cool it down, and add the yeast? Or do you use water? Or pitch it dry?
I simply pitched it dry, as noted in the directions. I poured 4 gals. in the carboy, then poured the packet of D47, then poured the 5th gal through the funnel to rinse out the yeast that stuck to the wet funnel. I had light airlock action (1 bubble per minute) within 2 hours, a bubble every 5-6 seconds after 24 hours, a bubble every .5-1 second after 48 hours, and after a week and a few days I'm back to a bubble about every 5-6 seconds.turkey said:Here's a question. For those of you who rehydrate your yeast, do you heat up some apple juice, cool it down, and add the yeast? Or do you use water? Or pitch it dry?
mrfocus said:So let's say I was thinking of making it champagne style, and used EC-1118 and have decided that I wanted to bottle it still (mainly because I have a bunch of free wine bottles, not champagne bottles). The must is quite bubbly and I currently have less than a week left in the fermentation. When it hits the FG I want, could I just start shacking it a bit to get most of the bubbles out? Would I have to add Sodium metabisulfite (Campden tablets) to it to be sure that the yeast is dead, to avoid bottle bombs and corks blowing off?
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