Man, I love Apfelwein

@ksbrain: Thanks for the insight! I'm sure I looked silly sitting there staring a 6-gallon carboy of apfelwein

So, should I prime the bottles? Natural cork or synthetic? How long should I let it sit in the bottles before drinking (or is it ready now)?

Thanks again!

 

I didnt prime my first 4 batches, just bottled them and drank them flat. One of the batches carbed itself after about a month. About a week ago, I primed a batch by adding half a can of frozen apple juice to it before bottling, and it is slightly carbed right now.

I think that unless you kill the yeast, Apfelwein will push out corks. I bottle in 22oz bottles and just cap them

 

I just made my first batch I can't believe how easy that was. Only thing, my LHBS was out of Montrachet yeast so I got Pasteur Red instead. Any thoughts on taste? Will I need a blowoff?

 

Nope and Nope. I am four weeks into my latest batch with Pasteur Red, champagne like bubbles with no high krausen. I have five measured gallons in a five gallon carboy - minimal head space, just the neck of the thing - and an airlock. Good Fermenting!

 

Not really wanting to look through 700 pages. What do you ferment this at?

Going to brew a batch of this soon!

 

70 or below I don't think it's that picky I got batches going now at 58F

 

started on the 20th, so its been all of a week and a half. Took a hydro sample, right around 1.002. The sample: amazing. I mean, I am shocked. I thought it would be a yeasty mess, but no! Delicious! Can't wait for two months!

 

I just finished up my first batch and couldnt be happier. It finished up at .998 and is nice and tart. I think im gonna carb half and bottle the rest in small wine bottles flat.
any suggestions?

 

I am in a bit of a bind here, trying to free up a carboy.

 

This is my first post on HBT.com. I have been lurking for several weeks and been trying to read through the 700+ pages on EdWorts Apfelwein. With so many good things said, I decided to go for it. On 12/2 I started my first batch of Apfelwein following EdWorts directions to a T. I used Motts Natural Fresh Pressed Apple Juice, 2lbs dextrose and Red Star Montrachet yeast. After 48 hours I have a nice 1 inch Krausen and airlock activity. Now I sit back and wait.

 

GOOD! because I thought I ruined the stuff. My wife has been yelling at me to throw it out because it smells like she threw up CiderJack! I made this the other day and when it started fermenting I went over the the airlock to take a whiff and ......EWWW! btw, does this stuff ever stop fermenting? It seems like it's been on a wild ride since it started.

 

I have some that has been aging for 6 months or longer and it really does get better and better.

 

I'm glad mine ferments in the basement. Stinks up the whole thing in the first week or two!

 

Says can keg or bottle at 4 weeks. Is it immediately drinkable if uncarbed?

 

Drinkable? Yes. Enjoyable maybe not?

 

I've got an apfelwein that is 6 months, 4 months, and 3 months old. Still waiting for them to condition I guess. They are ok but I haven't had one that was exceptional yet. Maybe it just isn't my thing.

 

Mine is 8 months, and I think finally starting to taste a little more like a wine. I carbed mine, so its more like a really dry champagne. So far I have just used it for cooking, so I don't have to open a large bottle of wine just for a recipe.

 

Would getting this be a bad idea?

 

It's not really my thing either........until I put it in a glass with ice and a couple of packets of splenda and let it sit a couple of minutes. Then I really, really, like it!

I suggest to anyone that is not a wine person to try it this way.

 

I found this while doing some google searching, within 5 hours had it brewed up and now im in for the long haul Thanks for the recipe EdWort, Ill let you know how this turns out. I pitched the yeast at about 4PM yesterday and its up to about 5 bubbles a minute in the airlock(23 hours). W00t I cant wait to drink this stuff. Bottling will be on 1-2-11. Thanks to everyone for contributing to the MASSIVE thread!

5 Gal. 100% Apple Juice
2lb light Brown Sugar
Red Star Montrachet Yeast

Next up:
EdWort Original recipe!

 

Just put my 5 gallon batch into the fermenter. Got 100% apple juice for $1.89 per 101 fl oz. So I got 6 of those, turned out to be about 16 bucks for the entire batch (not including the extra fermenter I bought. Can't have WINE tying up space in my beer line )

 

HOLY CRAP!! Drinking a crystal clear batch of 7-month old Apfelwein right now, and it is LEGEN

wait for it












DARY!

 

7 months in the fermentation vessel, or bottle, or keg?

 

6 months in the primary, 1 month in the keg.

 

Maybe I should keg mine...hmmm.

 

I was thinking of making some applejack with this recipe. My idea was to make 5 gallons and when its done put in a plastic bucket and slowly pack dry ice around it to remove the frozen water. Any thoughts on how this would turn out or does anyone have a applejack recipe? Thanks.

 

Didnt Notice the closed thread on this subject until now...Message removed.

 

Sooo, yeah... I just had my first glass of this stuff. I had to change the recipe as the day I went to put it together, 11/7/10, I didn't have any dextrose.

I had 1.5 lb of cane sugar and .5 lb of light DME. So, that's what I used!

Using the cane sugar, I expected it to be 'off'. Well, it's not! This is really good... Tomorrow could be a long day...

 

I notice that the batch that I made with frozen cherries on top was too tart. I'm going to try to put the cherries in halfway through next time to see if I still get the flavor without it being really sour.

 

So... I've got a 5 gallons of this stuff in primary for a month. When is it appropriate to bottle it? After 3 months? 6 months? When do people bottle this stuff?

 

If this is your first batch and you're anxious to drink it, make sure that the FG is correct (should be around 0.996 or so) and then you can bottle (or keg) no problem.

Otherwise, if you can make yourself wait, do so. This stuff only gets better the longer it sits in the primary. You'd be doing yourself a big favor to wait another month or 3. :rockin:

 

I just bottled a batch yesterday that I made on February 03,2010 and man...is it good. They are for Christmas gifts and today I am going to bottle a batch of Strawberry Applewine I made in June. I just added two cans of Strawberry Daiquiri mix to the apple juice.

 

I've made about 6 batches so far and havent left any of them in primary for more than a month.

I have some put away from each batch in bottles to age.

 

After coming across this post I really felt like having some Apfelvein.
Mixed it up last night and going strong in less than eight hours.
The only change I did was using cider instead of apple juice,
It will probably take linger to clear, anyways I want it ready for
the summer as for me, Apfelwein is a summer
beverage unless it is made as Gluhwein.

Thank you EdWort for the recipe.
A truly epic thread with over 700+ pages and going strong!

 

OK..it happened. Two months ago, made this and provided a keg for one of those Latke type parties.

The next morning my wife turned to me and said "ooh..I have a headache". I laughingly told her the warning that was posted on the recipe....big mistake not telling her last night! I'm still sore.

So, maybe before you make this for public consumption, you might want to make a BIG SIGN with a warning.



Thanks, ED!

 

So I just had the crazy idea of using Sake yeast for apple wine, do you think this would work? Cheers.

 

Someone mentioned 6-8 months, is that in the primary, or sitting in the keg. Thanks

 

I don't know if it was me you are talking about, but I recently mentioned my second batch that sat in the primary for 6 months and how fabulous it is. From what I've gathered reading through this massive thread is that the longer you can leave it in the primary, the better it gets.

 

I got my apfelwein started on 12-5 and I wanted to add 1 gallon more of apple juice mixed with cinnamon sticks, is it a problem to remove the airlock and add the extra gallon or should I just save this for the next brew?

 

DO NOT ADD IT! Anyone who drinks it will spontaniously combust.


How do you have a gallon of headspace anyway?