Apfelwein and Potassium Sorbate

[barrys]

My first attempt at making Ed's Apfelwein is turning out great. I had a glass tonight after sitting for 2 months and it does taste a little dry but I think it's good. On the other hand, to keep my wife happy which in turn allows me to continue brewing, I need to sweeten a bit to her taste. Last night I added potassium sorbate to stop any additional fermentation when adding sweetener. Here's a few questions...

1. How long does the potassium sorbate have to be in the carboy before I add sweetener (apple concentrate) and bottle?

2. I was planning to filter it using a sterilized dish towel prior to adding sweetener to make it as clear as possible - is this going to cause taste or bacteria problems?

3. How much apple concentrate should I add to 5 gal to make it sweet but no so sweet that you don't enjoy the apfelwein taste?

 

[Yooper]

1. Not long. Maybe a few days or so.

2. Don't do that. You'll oxidize it as well as have a risk of contamination. If you're patient, it'll be crystal clear. all the yeast and stuff will drop out and you can just rack it after it clears.

3. Well, when I've sweetened wines in the past, I've taken out a large sample and divided it into smaller glasses. I added the sweetener until it tasted good, then measured the sg of the sample. Then, sweeten the whole batch to just a bit under that level. (it'll taste sweeter after it's been bottled a little while). For me, that level might be 1.000, but for you it might be 1.010.

 

[barrys]

Thanks for the answers. It's pretty clear now so I think I'll wait a few days and add the sweetener.

 

[barrys]

Just wanted to follow up on the sweetener and bottling. After letting the potassium sorbate take affect for 2 days, I added 3 cans of frozen (thawed to temperature) 12 oz apple concentrate juice and bottled. The taste is excellent and a few glasses gets you in just the right mood. I've definitely found the right recipe for Ed's Apfelwein...

 

[EdWort]

Cool! Nothing beats finding the right mood for SWMBO. Enjoy!