Recent content by DrJerm

Me too.

+1 You could ferment multiple small batches in their original containers for side by side comparison. I seem to recall that it cost me around $6 per 3/4 gal batch incl juice, yeast, stopper & airlock.

Didn't notice any. I would guess that any oils would stay behind on the surface when racking to the bottling bucket.

My 8 test batches are in secondary at the moment. I hope to finish them this month and post results. We bottled my buddy's 5 gal batch last month, so I can comment on that. In the days leading up to bottling, we added cinnamon, nutmeg, a vanilla bean, toasted almonds and toasted oats...

17331 + 6 = 17337 A bit bland using walmart apple juice (to be expected). I added 1 12 oz can of apple raspberry concentrate to 1 gal of the finished apfelwein for a variation, and people loved it! Next time I will also add apple juice concentrate (or other juice concentrates) at the...

Both. It boosts apple flavor as well as ABV. (Or perhaps one could say it replenishes apple-juicy flavor that can get lost during sugar to alcohol conversion.)

Technically you can bottle after you're certain it's done fermenting. Many would say you can be certain when after 2 days the gravity has not dropped. If you're in a hurry, test it every couple days when the airlock activity dies down (like 2 min or more per bubble). Keep testing until the...

I would like to know which tastes better as well. Maybe a direct comparison is called for. You could ferment it as usual, and when it slows down pour yourself a couple samples then sweeten each differently. Choose the one that seems best. I don't think adding apple juice upon serving will...

Couple hours, maybe. Unless there is significant micro settling that should happen, I get clarity usually within 30 min and have bottled within 2 hours. (Though more often I go for over-cautious and wait 24 hours.)

Yeah - remove them somehow. Assuming they're already in there loosely, perhaps use some long chopstick sort of maneuvering or tongs or suction...? Hopefully you won't have to rack just to get 'em though. A few ways people do it is to put whole spices (not ground) in a bag of sorts (tea bag...

Might want to taste it every few days until the cinnamon flavor is just right, 'cause it has a tendency to get overpowering. Looks tasty though!

Yes it will fit. Bungs come in many sizes, just bring your bottle in to the LHBS. Like in cooking recipes, you can scale down these recipes (divide each ingredient by 5). You may not want to scale the yeast down quite as much though (maybe 1/2 packet instead of 1/5) - it'll ferment...

I'll second that. Your yeast has a 15% alcohol tolerance, so you could add more honey (or fermentable of your choice) to bring up the ABV - the yeasts are probably still healthy enough to eat it. If they don't respond by a few days after you feed 'em, add some more yeast and/or nutrients...

I'd add new yeast. Who knows if those old yeasties are even still alive and able to perform. And if they are, they'll probably take a lot longer than fresh healthy ones to carbonate.

2 days might be perfect. I'd taste it each day and see. Probably no more than a week though, unless you want it to develop bitter flavors.