Man, I love Apfelwein

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I would also pull some out so that the whole neck is free and about have of the rise of the bottle is showing. (are you using a better bottle or glass?) if your using a better bottle just moving it will make it overflow. just pop off the air lock rinse it out, use a turkey baster and pull some out throw it in a sealed jar in the fridge and then you can always add it back later after its settled down.
 
Came across this thread today and this stuff looks awesome. Read the first 35 pages or so and also the last 10. Im not a huge fan of it being so dry so I was thinking about sweetening with lactose, as it is unfermentable and wont need to worry about any yeast eating at it. Not overwhelming sweetness but just a hint. Any suggestions on how much to use and how to do it? (For a 5 gallon batch) Thanks in advance!

Cheers
 
So, I've had 5 gallons of this bad boy fermenting away in my closet now for about 5 weeks. Last night I pulled a sample out of it and GOOD GOD DAMN it was tasty. No joke, I could drink this stuff right now. Btw, it tastes much better dry. I put a little splenda in the glass for my swmbo, but thought it tasted kinda gross and fakely sweet. Dry isn't a great word for the taste either. I would just say "not candy sweet" Great stuff!
 
munklunk said:
So, I've had 5 gallons of this bad boy fermenting away in my closet now for about 5 weeks. Last night I pulled a sample out of it and GOOD GOD DAMN it was tasty. No joke, I could drink this stuff right now. Btw, it tastes much better dry. I put a little splenda in the glass for my swmbo, but thought it tasted kinda gross and fakely sweet. Dry isn't a great word for the taste either. I would just say "not candy sweet" Great stuff!
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Uh huh. I've got one at the five week mark and getting an itch to sample again. SWMBO didn't like the first taste, but, that was at two weeks and full of yeast.
 
BrewBud07 said:
Came across this thread today and this stuff looks awesome. Read the first 35 pages or so and also the last 10. Im not a huge fan of it being so dry so I was thinking about sweetening with lactose, as it is unfermentable and wont need to worry about any yeast eating at it. Not overwhelming sweetness but just a hint. Any suggestions on how much to use and how to do it? (For a 5 gallon batch) Thanks in advance!

Cheers
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If you make it, I suggest trying it as is first. You might like it! I thought I was going to have to sweeten it too, but I LOVE it the way it is. As i've said before... it's kind of reminiscent of a green apple jolly rancher. I wanted my sparkly too, but upon leaving it I've discovered that a splash of sprite provides a pleasant sweetness and bubblyness :) But straight up is my favorite way to drink it!! :mug:
 
Just made my 5th batch of this, pitched directly on the cake of the last 2 batches. I've switched to cane sugar just because it's at the grocery and people say not to use it in beer because it will give a cidery flavor. No complaints here. Compliments abounds.
 
I didn't have time to read 700 pages of this thread, but do most of you guys carbonate your Apfelwein or not? I can't wait to try it out! Thanks!
 
bendavanza said:
Just made my 5th batch of this, pitched directly on the cake of the last 2 batches. I've switched to cane sugar just because it's at the grocery and people say not to use it in beer because it will give a cidery flavor. No complaints here. Compliments abounds.
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Seems to me a cidery flavor might be welcome in a cider :drunk:
 
I prefer carbonated.
BTW my pitching on the cake worked last time but the yeast must be worn out by now so I pitched the only wine yeast I have in the house, some champagne yeast. It's working now.
cheers
 
So I usually make 4 or 4 1/2 gallon batches since I use 5 gallon buckets I got free at the bakery. I use Premier Cuvee' yeast since it is supposed to make a less dry more sweet Apfelwein and I think it needs more headroom than Montrachet since I have had a blowoff when I went with 4 1/2 gallon batches before.

So I usually do 4 or 4 1/2 gallons of juice, cuvee and 2lbs of sugar, whether dextrose, table or brown. I assume my ABV is around 8%. Since I am hydromitically challenged I have no OG to know for sure.

I gave a buddy a bottle of 3 month old Apfelwein. He said it was good but thought I should add more sugar seemed to think it would boost the ABV but also that the yeast wouldn't be able to process all the sugar and there would some left over to make the final product sweeter.

So I made a batch using 10lbs of table sugar. I heated up enough water and the sugar to dissolve the sugar I planned on using 4 gallons of juice but ended up only being able to fit 3 1/2 gallons of juice into the bucket with the sugar.

So what do you guys think I will end up with.
 
I just took a sample from my five gallon batch that has been sitting in the primary fermenter for 2 months. It tasted allright but had a horrible yeasty smell. It really ruined the whole experience. Will this dissipate with time, or somehow go away when I bottle?
 
akthor said:
...So I made a batch using 10lbs of table sugar. ... So what do you guys think I will end up with.
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Rocket fuel, I think. :p

Actually, it will likely taste like slightly apple-y cheap port or sherry (you know, the $6 bottles of fortified wine in the liquor store that all taste the same). It should be drinkable, though, but in small quantities.
 
I like it the regular 2lbs of sugar way tho I have messed around with different juices and sugars. Apple/pineapple/cranrasp is smoother than just apple and tatses a little better. I think it's the pineapple. I am gonna try a 1/2 apple 1/2pineapple batch soon.

My other "experiments" aren't ready yet. I used brown sugar in another and in another I used 2lbs brown and 2 lbs white.

This extreme 10lb experiment is really just to shut my friend up. He brewed beer decades ago and thinks he still knows what he's talking about. I figure this will probably come out pure alcohol pretty much as far as taste, he seems to think it will be all sweet. If it gets up around 18% which is what cuvee can do I bet it won't have a lot of sugar left.

I figure after 2 or 3 months in primary I will add sorbate to kill the yeast and put a couple cans of frozen concentrate in the keg and keg it. Or maybe don't kill the yeast and add the concentrate to naturally carb it.

Of course after tasting it first, who knows it could be awesome as is???

Hegh said:
Rocket fuel, I think. :p

Actually, it will likely taste like slightly apple-y cheap port or sherry (you know, the $6 bottles of fortified wine in the liquor store that all taste the same). It should be drinkable, though, but in small quantities.
Click to expand...
 
I just mixed up batch number 2. I have gone through two of my five gallons with a third promised to be served at a museum Christmas party next month.... The apfel wein even at six weeks kicks derriere.
 
I had a bottle from the half of a batch I left flat last night (that I started back in January), and it was a slightly carbonated. I would have expected that after 10 months that any carbonation would have been gone and all fermentable sugars had been consumed. Is a small bit of carbonation normal?
 
Having read about 150 pages, I probably forgot half of the stuff I read. One question, I may be completely wrong but I dont even know.

So I want this stuff to be on the sweeter side and I think I remember reading that using an ale yeast might do the trick. I think I also read that someone has used Safale US-05. I might be making it up, having forgot so much...but has anyone reading used this? and what were the results? or would anyone say to absolutely not use this?

Thanks, Cheers!
 
KC10Chief said:
I didn't have time to read 700 pages of this thread, but do most of you guys carbonate your Apfelwein or not? I can't wait to try it out! Thanks!
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I carb the hell out of mine. About two cups of corn sugar dissolved at bottling - I like it to be bubbly like champagne or soda, not beer. I think this really makes it pop... and the ladies love it. Heck, the guys love it too....
 
i purchased a couple of commercial ciders based on the SWMBO requests over the weekend to give her an idea of whats going on in the fermenter.

decided to take a SG sample yesterday, after a month its at 1.001 and tasted darn near like the commercial stuff, with more kick. Its got a bit of harshness to it, that i think will mellow with time. I may be bottling soon just to open up my fermenter for more though.
 
Just got home with my 6 gallons of Indian Summer aj and yeast and sugar. Looking forward to this!

I do have a quick question though. Since I'll be bottling still into wine bottles and corking, is there anything I should add before getting ready to prevent bottle bombs, or should I be safe?
 
Folken said:
Just got home with my 6 gallons of Indian Summer aj and yeast and sugar. Looking forward to this!

I do have a quick question though. Since I'll be bottling still into wine bottles and corking, is there anything I should add before getting ready to prevent bottle bombs, or should I be safe?
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Since you are bottling still you will be safe as long as fermentation is completed.
 
Folken said:
Just got home with my 6 gallons of Indian Summer aj and yeast and sugar. Looking forward to this!

I do have a quick question though. Since I'll be bottling still into wine bottles and corking, is there anything I should add before getting ready to prevent bottle bombs, or should I be safe?
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De-gas first. Easiest way is to sanitize a bottle brush and stir vigorously for a few minutes. All those little bristles help knock the gas out.
 
steinsato said:
Wouldn't this greatly increase oxidation?
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Try to keep the brush below the surface, and there won't be any oxygen to get in.

It's up to you whether to do it, but I recently lost the last two still bottles of January 2009 wine because the corks popped out on their own.
 
akthor said:
I like it the regular 2lbs of sugar way tho I have messed around with different juices and sugars. Apple/pineapple/cranrasp is smoother than just apple and tatses a little better. I think it's the pineapple. I am gonna try a 1/2 apple 1/2pineapple batch soon.

My other "experiments" aren't ready yet. I used brown sugar in another and in another I used 2lbs brown and 2 lbs white.

This extreme 10lb experiment is really just to shut my friend up. He brewed beer decades ago and thinks he still knows what he's talking about. I figure this will probably come out pure alcohol pretty much as far as taste, he seems to think it will be all sweet. If it gets up around 18% which is what cuvee can do I bet it won't have a lot of sugar left.

I figure after 2 or 3 months in primary I will add sorbate to kill the yeast and put a couple cans of frozen concentrate in the keg and keg it. Or maybe don't kill the yeast and add the concentrate to naturally carb it.

Of course after tasting it first, who knows it could be awesome as is???
Click to expand...

What kind of juices are you using? I would love to try a pineapple or some sort of tropical myself, but cant find any 100% juice versions without any additives. How important is this?
 
Pineapple juice (Dole) comes in a can, the other's are typically Ocean Spray. As long as the juices don't have preservatives likw sorbate. Absorbic Acid and similiar are ok. Typically if the label says 100% juice no preservatives you are golden.
 
Holy crap, Pineapple apfelwein sounds amazing! What would yalls be thinking in terms of ratios of concentrate to apple juice? Just add to taste, I'd presume?
 
Uh oh.... Its only been about 4 hours, and I know that its way too early to be paranoid, but I may have an issue.


I used about 50/50 Dole pineapple and Treetop apple juice. There is a separation of about 3 different types of liquid, like there is when use different types of juices. But since the Dole juice in unfiltered there is a bit of pulp that seems to be holding the yeast down slightly.

I'm probably just worrying over nothing, but do you guys have any input?
 
Disaster averted. When I got home today I noticed some bubbling going on in the pulpy mixture towards the bottom of the carboy. So I grabbed the top of it and twisted the carboy back and forth a couple times and it released a bunch of stuff towards the top and now its evenly distributed throughout the carboy like it usually is when I make this stuff :)

Very excited to try the pineapple brew:)


Forgot to add that I put a package of frozen raspberries to sit on the top
 
Holy Crap! Tried year old Apfewein today and I almost died it was so good! A buddy sent it to me, it was carbed and unsweetened. I drank 2 bottles and it was a mistake. I had the worst midday hangover lol. BUT YUMMY!
 
pkincaid said:
Holy Crap! Tried year old Apfewein today and I almost died it was so good! A buddy sent it to me, it was carbed and unsweetened. I drank 2 bottles and it was a mistake. I had the worst midday hangover lol. BUT YUMMY!
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This makes me very happy that I have put a 12 pack of 12oz bottles of every batch that I have made so far, away for storage.
 
this may be a stupid question but is all tree top apple juice preservative and addative free?

going to go get some and make this up after reading a bunch of pages this sounds awesome

ETA 6999 post holy crap
 

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