Better than Apfelwein...

[Brandon O]

Three weeks out my batch from post 234 above is at 1.011. I personally like the flavor a lot better than from using corn sugar, but I sure wish I had remembered to steep that half pound of 60L Crystal.

I did not boil the apple juice. I heated about 2 quarts to 155°F and stuck a cinamon stick and some cloves in it for about 45 mintues.

What I have could use some more mouthfeel and a little deeper, maltier flavor. I am well on the way from cidery hooch to a keg I can label "Funky Cold Medina." The tart apple-ey taste I want is there and the vinegar-ey hooch feel I don't want is much faded.

Tart apple with malt sweetness, half a pound of 60L it is. I think I'll bottle in another week or so to free up a fermenter.

SUCCESS!!! glad to hear it worked out for you. Yes, that 60L will definately balance the tart. I have thought about doing some 120L just for the hell of it.

I am starting to like the Amber DME over the light DME.

 

[Poindexter]

I am going to go with all grain next time, I can handle three pounds of pale and a half pound of specialty no problem.

Probably I'll stick with my 3068 cake on a three gallon batch with just pale ale malt and the 60L crystal next. I am curious about the hops in small quantities, also curious abotu Special B or biscuit malt, kinda. Still catching up, but off to a great start here.

EDIT: I did a three gallon test batch with MO, 60L and 0.3 ozs of 4.0% Fuggles. On Notti yellow it got down to 1.010 in about two weeks, has been stable a week. Planning to bottle this weekend. Flat it has potential, I am definitely going to prime it and let it carb up. Next time around I am going back to a wheat yeast but switching to Pilsner malt, 60L Muhich and Saaz.

 

[Poindexter]

Has anyone tried Wyeast 4766 with either the suggested yeast nutrient, or enough malted barley bits to fill out the nutrtional requirements of the yeast?

Wyeast Laboratories. Ciderâ„¢ 4766

EDIT: from the related "product information" page:

Since apple and pear juice, like grape must, are deficient in nutrients essential to proper yeast cell growth and metabolism, additional Wyeast Vintner’s Choice Nutrient Blend is recommended.

 

[jhazel]

For the wine yeasts I added 2 pounds of sugar and for the beer yeasts I only added 1 pound of sugar. I followed the same procedure with all the batches using Tree Top apple juice. I was very sanitary with everything and I just followed the basic Apfelwein recipe. Both of the wine yeasts were approx. 8.5% ABV and the beer yeasts averaged 7% ABV give or take.

~Airtight

Old thread, I know...but...

Any reason why you couldn't add that second pound of dextrose when using the Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen Yeast? It has a tolerance of 10%...so is getting 8.5% out of the question?

 

[Brandon O]

Old thread, I know...but...

Any reason why you couldn't add that second pound of dextrose when using the Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen Yeast? It has a tolerance of 10%...so is getting 8.5% out of the question?

people cut back on the dextrose because the more dextrose you add the more it tastes like hooch.

Other have even begun to use more complex sugars like DME and LME.

The extra sugar you want to add will help with potency and harm flavor, but everyone has their own preferences.

 

[RayInUT]

I kegged and forced carbed my first batch of Graff today. I'm having a glass right now and all I can say is "QUIT WASTING YOUR TIME AND CIDER ON APFELWEIN!!!". I oaked mine with lightly toasted chips in the primary and it is amazing. The color is lighter than Brandon's and the only reason I can think of is because I used Briess Pils DME instead of the light DME. It really is a great drink. THe Saaz and oak gave is a slightly spicy wassilish taste. Should I age it for a few weeks? Probably. Should I serve it to everyone tomorrow at our BBQ? Absolutely. Less than three weeks from pitch to keg and it is crystal F'ng clear after cold crashing it at 31* and adding gelatin. Best $20 I've ever spent. Thanks Brandon!

 

[Halaster]

I finally bottled my first batch made with WLP300 the last weekend. Had some left over during bottling and gave it to my brother in law to finish since he wanted to try it. The version he had was room temp and tasted dry to me. Then again it was 2am and this was the second batch we had bottled that night and drank alot of home brews. I can't wait to try it in a couple months after it's been in the bottle. Will be a grand total of 5 months in the fermenter and then almost 3 months in the bottle. I may try a couple around labor day to gauge it and splash some sprite if needed.

I think for this round though I will try the Notty Ale Yeast and see how that comes out since the goal is a sweeter version.

 

[Brandon O]

I kegged and forced carbed my first batch of Graff today. I'm having a glass right now and all I can say is "QUIT WASTING YOUR TIME AND CIDER ON APFELWEIN!!!". I oaked mine with lightly toasted chips in the primary and it is amazing. The color is lighter than Brandon's and the only reason I can think of is because I used Briess Pils DME instead of the light DME. It really is a great drink. THe Saaz and oak gave is a slightly spicy wassilish taste. Should I age it for a few weeks? Probably. Should I serve it to everyone tomorrow at our BBQ? Absolutely. Less than three weeks from pitch to keg and it is crystal F'ng clear after cold crashing it at 31* and adding gelatin. Best $20 I've ever spent. Thanks Brandon!

Glad you like it. I love the stuff.

 

[Brandon O]

I finally bottled my first batch made with WLP300 the last weekend. Had some left over during bottling and gave it to my brother in law to finish since he wanted to try it. The version he had was room temp and tasted dry to me. Then again it was 2am and this was the second batch we had bottled that night and drank alot of home brews. I can't wait to try it in a couple months after it's been in the bottle. Will be a grand total of 5 months in the fermenter and then almost 3 months in the bottle. I may try a couple around labor day to gauge it and splash some sprite if needed.

I think for this round though I will try the Notty Ale Yeast and see how that comes out since the goal is a sweeter version.

WPL300 will ferment it out dry. Notty is the way to go IMO

 

[MikeFlynn74]

I just did a batch with Windsor yeast and no sugar. I will let you know in a week or 2 how that turns out

 

[Halaster]

Just started my newest batch

5.38 gallons of Motts Apple Juice
2 pounds 6 ounces of corn sugar
8 Table Spoons of Brown Sugar
2 Table Spoons of Cinnamon
Nottingham Ale Yeast

Going to let this sit about 5 months before bottling

Came to be 1.070 SG

 

[Brandon O]

Just started my newest batch

5.38 gallons of Motts Apple Juice
2 pounds 6 ounces of corn sugar
8 Table Spoons of Brown Sugar
2 Table Spoons of Cinnamon
Nottingham Ale Yeast

Going to let this sit about 5 months before bottling

Came to be 1.070 SG

5 more months in the bottle and it should taste alright.

 

[kjones]

You guys are crazy using dextrose. It tastes like hooch.



.75 lbs crystal 10L, 1oz torrified wheat steeped for 30 mins at 155.

Then add

1lb light DME and 1lb Amber DME boil for 15 minutes.

Throw that in with your 5 gallons of apple juice with some safale-05 or some notty.

That's a high quality apple drink at 2 weeks in the bottle or keg.

I think a lot of people have desensitized their taste buds and aquired a taste for hoochy apple juice, sugar, and wine yeast.

Unless apfelwein is a year old, it tastes hoochy or like cheap white wine.

Start using DME and some crystal grains and you will make an 8% cider which is really REALLY good.....even women like it.

this sounds awesome my wife hates apfelwien but loves woodchuck should this be close to it?

 

[Brandon O]

The recipe has been perfected and can be found in the recipe section under ciders. GRAFF is the name of this cider.

Yes, your wife will love this. In fact, anyone I know who has tried this and also tried various juice, sugar, yeast variations say the same thing. They say, THIS is what I was looking for in a CIDER!

 

[suenodos]

I have a cider I made with:

5 Gallons of Tree Top Apple Juice
.75 pounds of organic cane sugar
Wyeast 3068 yeast cake

-fermenting at 68-70 degrees
-no energizer



I have lost where the original gravity reading was written down. I started it on August 1st. I was really hoping to have it ready to bottle by September 1st. I want to free up my carboy to make some beer for Thanks giving. After reading everyone else's results, I'm beginning to think my time line isn't going to happen.

Would it be ok to take it off of the yeast cake and rack it into a secondary fermenter on September 1st?

Do you think it might be ready to bottle after a month?

Is it better to bulk age or bottle condition?

Thank you!

 

[skx]

i used Wyeast Sweet Mead Yeast #4184 in my 3 gallon batch. It is about ready to drink now. samples were dry and quite tasty.

 

[SwampassJ]

After my hefeweizen finishes carbing I'm going to make a 1 gallon test batch of this with apple juice and maybe a splash of light dme. I would start it today but I can't bring myself to sacrifice an uncarbed hefeweizen right now.

 

[HpN44]

Has anyone tried variations on the apple juice? Perhaps cider or another fruit juice? I have 5 gallons of fresh cider from my family's orchard and was going to try and sub that in for a batch. Any thoughts on how this would turn out?

 

[Indiana Red]

After reading this thread I have a 3G batch ging right now. Using the 3068 Yeast and it is 3G of Costco (Kirkland) Juice, 1# rasbperry (flower, not fruit) Honey, and 2# of Granny Smith apples purree'd and dumped in. it look slike i am going to loose a bit more than I planned due to all the "apple trub" but I am excited about the apple flavors that this yeast is reported to leave behind, plus a little more tartness from the Granny's
We'll see. primary is just starting to die down.

 

[smizak]

I've been using 2 lbs of amber candi syrup and Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast. Still ferments really dry but leaves a lot of flavor and subdues some of the acidity which makes the Apfelwein a little harsh sometimes. The syrup leaves a slight residual sweetness as well.

 

[gregkeller]

Just started up a batch of this, with 4.5 gallons of store brand apple juice (didn't even list vitamin C as an ingredient), 2 cans of apple juice concentrate and 1.5 lbs of corn sugar. Pitched with the wyeast 3068 and had some bubbles started this morning. If it's not nice and vigourous when i get home, i'll throw in another pack of yeast, as the SG was 1.072. Pack of yeast said, i might need to pitch more if it was a high SG.

 

[33cash]

Sorry if this has been asked but my brain hurts from reading so many posts on apfelwine. Has anyone had success using concentrate without adding juice to. I was thinking of using concentrate,water, and corn sugar. Any ideas?

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Sorry if this has been asked but my brain hurts from reading so many posts on apfelwine. Has anyone had success using concentrate without adding juice to. I was thinking of using concentrate,water, and corn sugar. Any ideas?

I don't see any problem with that, as long as the concentrate has no preservatives. After all, most juice from concentrate is just that, from concentrate!

M_C

 

[loftybrewer]

After reading this thread I popped the bung on my first batch of edwort's apfelwein (4 days in) and dumped in the bottom dregs from my wl653 vial that I kept from a berliner- added warm water and shook it up first. I know, I know - horribly underpitched. BUT first of all it's still chock full of easily digestible sugars AND the acidity and time that montrachet takes might let the brett multiply and add some complexity while the extreme attenuation of montrachet will keep it from stealing the show in the end...How is my logic?

 

[grumpydaddy]

Found the Answer from a bit more searching: Yes, you need more room or a blowoff with the beer yeasts.

I'm about to try this with Wyeast 3056. My LHBS warned that I'll need more head room with this yeast than I would with the Montrachet. I was planning on doing a 5 gal batch in a 5 gal carboy per the Ed Wort recipe, but I was told to expect a lot more aggressive fermentation using the 3056 and I should use a 6 gal or larger primary. Any thoughts on this?

Mike

 

[solavirtus]

Yeah, larger space for fermentation is needed with 3056. More like a beer fermentation, so I'd say 6 or 6.5gal

 

[Reno_eNVy]

I'm about to try this with Wyeast 3056. My LHBS warned that I'll need more head room with this yeast than I would with the Montrachet. I was planning on doing a 5 gal batch in a 5 gal carboy per the Ed Wort recipe, but I was told to expect a lot more aggressive fermentation using the 3056 and I should use a 6 gal or larger primary. Any thoughts on this?

Mike

Definitely use 6 gallon. I've got some huge krausen from 3065, up to a foot of krausen in a 7.5 gallon bucket.

 

[SkipperNC]

Found the Answer from a bit more searching: Yes, you need more room or a blowoff with the beer yeasts.

I'm about to try this with Wyeast 3056. My LHBS warned that I'll need more head room with this yeast than I would with the Montrachet. I was planning on doing a 5 gal batch in a 5 gal carboy per the Ed Wort recipe, but I was told to expect a lot more aggressive fermentation using the 3056 and I should use a 6 gal or larger primary. Any thoughts on this?

Mike

Definitely use 6 gallon. I've got some huge krausen from 3065, up to a foot of krausen in a 7.5 gallon bucket.

Uh oh. I just came here to check this after pitching on 5 gallons in a 6 gallon container with 3068. Time to scramble another small fermenting vessel.

 

[SkipperNC]

Uh oh. I just came here to check this after pitching on 5 gallons in a 6 gallon container with 3068. Time to scramble another small fermenting vessel.

Hopefully this works, 3 gallon BB on the left, 6 gallon BB on the right.

 

[MrMcPeach]

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