Alternative yeast for Apfelwein

[cabledawg]

I finally got all the equipment for a small batch of Apfelwein. So went down to the LHBS to get the yeast and they are out of Montrachet Wine Yeast. What is the next best thing. I have the following yeast on on hand: Red Star Cote de Blancs, Red Star Pasteur Champagne and Red Star Pasteur Red. Which would be the best choice.

 

[Klondike]

I have had good results with the Champagne and with the added bonus of no foul smell, I would do it again.

 

[BigKahuna]

I'd go with the Pasteur...yellow pack. The Cote Des Blanc is a great yeast for this kind of wine, but it really lacks the twang for good Apfelwein.

 

[fratermus]

Yeast experimentation with with AW is part of the fun.

My last batch (last night) was with cultured 3068 weizen yeast, and the one I'm bottling on Sunday was made with Danstar Munich (dry weizen yeast).

 

[BigKahuna]

My last batch (last night) was with cultured 3068 weizen yeast,

I know I've indicated to you that you should....but are you gonna dry hop that?

 

[cabledawg]

Thanks for all the info. Just started a batch using white house apple juice and red star pasteur champagne yeast. O.G. 1.060

 

[fratermus]

I know I've indicated to you that you should....but are you gonna dry hop that?

I hadn't intended to, but I've got some 1gal testbatch jugs hanging around empty, so maybe I'll throw a bit into secondary with a bit of Hallertauer or similar.

 

[snazzy]

Yeast experimentation with with AW is part of the fun.

My last batch (last night) was with cultured 3068 weizen yeast, and the one I'm bottling on Sunday was made with Danstar Munich (dry weizen yeast).

Just set2 gallons pitched with munich, and you are the only one I could find that has tried it in cider. You never said how it turned out. If anyone else has tried it chime in.

 

[williec30]

i have read a few people doing this batch with a dry ale yeast... anyone else have success with this over the wine yeast?

 

[devlzluv]

ive used nottingham and have had good results with no funky ELEPHANT FARTS. SWMBO wouldnt have liked that and would say never make that again. Next batch ima try the motrachet since I have yet to use the exact recipe and see but try nottingham turned out good but then again I dont know what the orginal taste like

 

[AlTheGud1sRtaken]

i have read a few people doing this batch with a dry ale yeast... anyone else have success with this over the wine yeast?

i've only brewed one 2L batch of apfelwien as an experiment, but i used dry ale yeast (didn't write it down for some reason, it was just an extra pack i had lying around) but it was great! i didn't notice any bad smells, but it was only a 2L batch, so that could have been why.

 

[williec30]

ive used nottingham and have had good results with no funky ELEPHANT FARTS. SWMBO wouldnt have liked that and would say never make that again. Next batch ima try the motrachet since I have yet to use the exact recipe and see but try nottingham turned out good but then again I dont know what the orginal taste like

this is what i used... i will report back in two months

 

[treemuncher]

I've used the Red Star Cote de Blancs because it was what I had on hand. I make only fruit wines from what is wild on my farm property so that is usually the only wine yeast I purchase. I did not want to try beer yeast for my first batch.

The end result, after about 10 months or so, has been a very smooth product with a sour apple taste, lightly dry. I still need to bottle this first batch. We've only used the wine thief to sample on occation but the wait is well worth making a superior product.

I purchased more corn sugar yesterday so I will be making more this week.

 

[JoeMama]

Im a ******* (cause I forgot to pick up the 'appropriate' yeast during my visit to the HB shop)

So I used a block of the squishy, refridgerated 'Fleishmans' from the grocery stores deli section. Appropriate for making Apfelwein? Dunno... All I know is that its been on tilt for the past few days. Bubbling and burping like a madjug. How this will affect my end product I dont know. It should be paletteable nonetheless, and will give me a standard to compare my future batches to.
Besides, time heals most.
-Me

 

[fratermus]

Just set2 gallons pitched with munich, and you are the only one I could find that has tried it in cider. You never said how it turned out. If anyone else has tried it chime in.

I tasted the Munich hydro sample; it was obviously still young but was less vinous and more beer-like somehow. I think it will be good, but it's just been bottled.

 

[bkvail]

I tasted a tiny bit of my 3 week old apfelwein - and it's extremely dry and not so good right now. I can't wait for it to age so I can stabilize and backsweeten!

 

[Hegh]

I just put together a batch with Kolsch yeast, so we'll see how that turns out in a month or so... I haven't seen anyone else post about using that, so I have no idea what'll happen. This is my first batch, but the LHBS was out of Montrachet. Everything else follows EdWort's original recipe (except I used Adam & Eve apple juice, 'cause they don't sell TreeTop around here).

 

[GooBrew]

Well I have a batch brewing with bread yeat lol. It was my only my second attempt at fermentation ever

 

[JoeMama]

Well I have a batch brewing with bread yeat lol. It was my only my second attempt at fermentation ever

Woo welcome to the club bro!
-Me

 

[Mellman]

What yeast should I use if i wanted to make the apfelwein less dry. I was hoping for more of a cider than the wine result I got. I like what results came using the exact recipe...but my neighbor and I were hoping for more of a cider outcome (think woodchuck cider) with more apple flavor. It seems a lot of the apple flavor got lost in fermentation. I get a hint of it, but definitely does not taste like the apple juice pre-fermentation.

Could it be the apple juice I used? I used Mott's as i can't find tree top here. It is still 100% juice.

Thanks!

 

[Mellman]

Im a ******* (cause I forgot to pick up the 'appropriate' yeast during my visit to the HB shop)

So I used a block of the squishy, refridgerated 'Fleishmans' from the grocery stores deli section. Appropriate for making Apfelwein? Dunno... All I know is that its been on tilt for the past few days. Bubbling and burping like a madjug. How this will affect my end product I dont know. It should be paletteable nonetheless, and will give me a standard to compare my future batches to.
Besides, time heals most.
-Me

wow...I'll be interested in seeing how this turns out!!

 

[fratermus]

What yeast should I use if i wanted to make the apfelwein less dry. I was hoping for more of a cider than the wine result I got. I like what results came using the exact recipe...but my neighbor and I were hoping for more of a cider outcome (think woodchuck cider) with more apple flavor. It seems a lot of the apple flavor got lost in fermentation. I get a hint of it, but definitely does not taste like the apple juice pre-fermentation.

AW is supposed to clone a specific german beverage (Apfelwein proper) instead of what Americans might think of as cider.

AW is quite dry and ferments down into the .990s if the original EdWort's recipe is followed.

I have found that it is less harshly dry when I add no sugar (juice only) , and even more pleasant when using no sugar and a beer yeast like liquid 3068 or dry danstar munich. You may also want to consider stopping fermentation and sweetening, or backsweeting with something nonfermentable.

I think the thing to do is make about 10 1gal batches with different yeasts and sugars and see what you like. So far my favorite is 3068 with no sugar.

 

[Hegh]

I have also heard that, with some aging, the apple flavor comes back. I don't remember the timeframe, but 3-6 months sounds about right. How long was yours aging before you tasted it and found the lack of apple flavor?

 

[Mellman]

I have also heard that, with some aging, the apple flavor comes back. I don't remember the timeframe, but 3-6 months sounds about right. How long was yours aging before you tasted it and found the lack of apple flavor?

Mine has been aged 1 month + 1 week. I just kegged it last night, and force carbed it. Needs more carbonation still, but I just was really surprised at the lack of appleness to it.

We'll see if mine lasts long enough to age. Like I said it's not undrinkable, and I'm sure some people will like it. But it's certainly not living up to MY expectations of what it was going to taste like.

AW is supposed to clone a specific german beverage (Apfelwein proper) instead of what Americans might think of as cider.

AW is quite dry and ferments down into the .990s if the original EdWort's recipe is followed.

I have found that it is less harshly dry when I add no sugar (juice only) , and even more pleasant when using no sugar and a beer yeast like liquid 3068 or dry danstar munich. You may also want to consider stopping fermentation and sweetening, or backsweeting with something nonfermentable.

I think the thing to do is make about 10 1gal batches with different yeasts and sugars and see what you like. So far my favorite is 3068 with no sugar.

Yeah mine was around .998ish...

Maybe i'll try a batch with juice only and a 3068 like you recommend. I don't have the facilities to make 10 1 gal batches unfortunately. I do need to find some 1 gal carboys so I can start experimenting like that