Apfelwein questions

[illin8]

Just made my first 5 gallons tonight and have a couple of questions.

1. I'm dyin to try this stuff after ALL that I've read. Today is 4/4/09...how long before it is actually really good? We are throwin a party on the 4th of July, how will it be by then, after 3 months?

2. Do I need to rack to another secondary to get it off the yeast until it clears (say 4 weeks)?

3. I have an extra bottle of raspberry extract, anyone have any idea or experience on how well the extract would work if I were to try it?

This wait is gonna kill me!!!

 

[Tusch]

1 It should be starting to get good in time. It will be better 3-6 months after the party, so save at least some so that you can see how good it can be.

2 Not necessary as per ed's instructions, he's mentioned leaving it on the lees for months. Granted if you want to, you could rack it when it is starting to clear and get all the sediment out. But if you, make you there is minimal headspace when you do.

3 It could go quite well, I would certainly either hold off for a second batch (which you could start right now ) or only add the extract to some of the brew. You're going to want to know what the apfelwein tastes like straight prior to changing it up.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Tusch is so right...make your first batch exactly as the recipe states, so you'll have a baseline on how it SHOULD taste. And definitely hang onto some, it smooths out a lot as time goes by.

Personally, the two times I've strayed from the recipe at all, I regretted it. Once was substituting turbinado sugar for the dextrose, the other was swapping in 1.5 gallons of grape juice. Both came out OK and quite drinkable, but not as good as the basic recipe.

 

[illin8]

Thanks for the advice. It just so happens that when I was at BJs today buying apple juice, I somehow walked out with 10 gallons...and this morning at the LHBS, all they had were 4lb bags of corn sugar...and I just happen to have several packets of montrachet hangin around too. I'll be starting batch #2 next week...that one I'll let go until the fall along w/ my Oktoberfest.

 

[Tusch]

Sounds like you bought what you need for batches 2 AND 3, get em started buddy! haha