Man, I love Apfelwein

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Id probably use a gallon less juice there, so maybe dont use the grape at all. With the grape the acidity will be approx 0.79% (a bit on the high side), without it it will be just below 0.7% (perfect).

I am currently drinking a wine from just apple juice and apricots, and it is excellent, so you wont miss the grape. If you are planning on back sweetening quite a bit, it will hold up to the additional acidity though!
 
jamesbsmith said:
Id probably use a gallon less juice there, so maybe dont use the grape at all. With the grape the acidity will be approx 0.79% (a bit on the high side), without it it will be just below 0.7% (perfect).

I am currently drinking a wine from just apple juice and apricots, and it is excellent, so you wont miss the grape. If you are planning on back sweetening quite a bit, it will hold up to the additional acidity though!
Click to expand...

well, I'm a little impatient and I had already mixed up the juice and pitched the yeast before I saw your reply...so hopefully .79% isn't too high when it's all done.
How are you estimating that acidity (trying to learn).

I might split the batch and just sweeten half of it. I'll drink it either way, but the girls are partial to sweet wine (peach Moscato in particular).
 
Do you have a one gallon demijohn? You could take out a gallon of the wine and put it into the gallon demijohn and see how that works out. You could then add 800g of sugar to the main batch and top it up with water when ferm slows. That would give you an acidity of approx 0.67 and the addition of the sugar would bring the ABV back up.

I use the Wine Calcs Spread sheet which is free from http://www.yobrew.co.uk/ to design recipes. It is without a doubt the best and most reliable wine making guide I have ever found! It cant stop the user chosing silly ingredients which just dont go, but if you know what flavours go (which is sounds like you do), it helps you know how much fruit, juice and sugar to put in to give you the right acid, tannin and alcohol levels.
 
Brewed this in July 2014, bottled in Oct, had a very noticeable kind of sour aftertaste / finish (almost like vinegar). The weird taste gotten more subtle, but still has this weird flavor now. Anyone else get this? Does it eventually go away?
 
rwgaro said:
Brewed this in July 2014, bottled in Oct, had a very noticeable kind of sour aftertaste / finish (almost like vinegar). The weird taste gotten more subtle, but still has this weird flavor now. Anyone else get this? Does it eventually go away?
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I bottled in early dec, every bottle I have tried far has that flavor.
Don't know why!
 
If its a vinegary taste it may have oxidised :-(. Apples are very prone to oxidation (note how quickly they brown one you bite into them). If you make from real apples, one you cut them, make sure you pop them into some water and campden until you juice them, then treat the juice with a bit more. If using juice or apples, make sure as little oxygen gets to your must and wine at all times, i.e. Syphon over pouring. When using carboys, there can be more chance of air gaps then using glass and rubber, so make sure these are sealed. When you bottled, did you use one crushed campden per 5L?

Sorry to hear about that, especially if u made 5 gallons worth. I wouldnt have thought the recipe was at fault. Here are some possible faults and cures for winemaking
 
If its a vinegary taste it may have oxidised :-(. Apples are very prone to oxidation (note how quickly they brown one you bite into them). If you make from real apples, one you cut them, make sure you pop them into some water and campden until you juice them, then treat the juice with a bit more. If using juice or apples, make sure as little oxygen gets to your must and wine at all times, i.e. Syphon over pouring. When using carboys, there can be more chance of air gaps then using glass and rubber, so make sure these are sealed. When you bottled, did you use one crushed campden per 5L?

Sorry to hear about that, especially if u made 5 gallons worth. I wouldnt have thought the recipe was at fault. Here are some possible faults and cures for winemaking

View attachment FAULTS AND CURES.pdf

View attachment LESSON7 -FaultsAfter Dinner.pdf
 
jamesbsmith said:
Do you have a one gallon demijohn? You could take out a gallon of the wine and put it into the gallon demijohn and see how that works out. You could then add 800g of sugar to the main batch and top it up with water when ferm slows. That would give you an acidity of approx 0.67 and the addition of the sugar would bring the ABV back up.

I use the Wine Calcs Spread sheet which is free from http://www.yobrew.co.uk/ to design recipes. It is without a doubt the best and most reliable wine making guide I have ever found! It cant stop the user chosing silly ingredients which just dont go, but if you know what flavours go (which is sounds like you do), it helps you know how much fruit, juice and sugar to put in to give you the right acid, tannin and alcohol levels.
Click to expand...

Thanks jamesbsmith, that's a handy little spreadsheet. I do have an empty 1 gal I can use so I'll give that a shot and see how they turn out with different acidity levels (and I'll know what not to do next time).
 
Just bottled a spur-of-the-moment run of Apfelwein from 6 weeks ago.
... this...
ApfelweinWarning.jpg
 
The spread sheet really is brilliant! I think there is a version with imperial and US measures which will make things easier for you. It takes a little while to get used to the spread sheet but I use it all the time now! I run every single recipe I think up through it and it helps me stay within drinkable parameters! I am currently drinking a wine which is very similar in ingredients to the one you are making, and its one of the best ones Ive made yet! I was really suprised how much just like sauvignon blanc it tastes when it doesnt have any grape in it!

For a UK gallon (4.5L) I used:
Apple Juice 3 litres
Canned Apricots (2 Tins) 820g
Sugar 620g
Gervin No. 5 yeast & Nutrient

For a US gallon, that would have been:
Apple Juice 2.5 litres
Canned Apricots (2 Tins) 680g
Sugar 515g
Gervin No. 5 yeast & Nutrient

I have put a load of recipes for wines I have made onto a website, which the calcs were invaluable in producing. The site has received quite some slating on here, mainly due to its incorrect title of BREW book! www.thewinemakersgoodbrewbook.com
 
I made a 6 gallon batch on 12/13/14. Tried it at a month and it was very good. Let it age in the primary and tried it again today (2/14/15) and it was even better. Keep hearing that it will blow your mind at 6 months and it has me wondering. I like it a bit too much now, how's it going to be then.

Wife is having a strange reaction to it though. She describes it as severe heartburn. Hasn't had this reaction to other forms of alcohol. I'm wondering if I use a different yeast if this reaction will go away. Used the original recipe to the letter.
 
I made a 6 gallon batch on 12/13/14. Tried it at a month and it was very good. Let it age in the primary and tried it again today (2/14/15) and it was even better. Keep hearing that it will blow your mind at 6 months and it has me wondering. I like it a bit too much now, how's it going to be then?

Wife is having a strange reaction to it though. She describes it as severe heartburn. Hasn't had this reaction to other forms of alcohol. I'm wondering if I use a different yeast if this reaction will go away. Used the original recipe to the letter.
 
I have read that apple wines are best drunk young (between 3 and 6 months aging), due to apples tendency to oxidise quite readily. I.e. the quick browning of apples when you have bitten them.

The addition of acid to a bitten apple (eg lemon juice) slows the oxidation process. The recipe for Apfelwein uses pure apple juice with no water added (unlike most apple wines which will use about 3/5th apple juice), which will mean that the acidity of the Apfelwein will be very high (approx 1.5% acidity is gained from fermentation, also the reason why sweetening it works). Apfelwein therefore probably does get better and better for quite a while after fermentation due to being less prone to oxidation, so after 6 months itll probably be excellent if it is great already!

The high acidity may also be the same reason for your wifes heartburn. Funnily enough I have been getting quite a bit of heartburn lately. I havent made Apfelwein, but I have been drinking more wine and strong coffee lately which can cause it. I just eat Rennies to neutralize the acidity. Id prefer to do this than drink less! I love wine and coffee (not together though)!
 
Wow. I finally got my keezer built (still need to stain and tile, but it's working!). This is one of the first two things on tap. First glass I was like mmmm, this is decent. Third glass and I'm buzzing and it's delicious!!!
 
Hey guys I have a question, my apfelwein came out with a very high acid taste, not sure if that's normal but it is tasty still. I was wondering what food pairings would go well with it? can anyone help me out?
 
I noticed the acid was high with certain batches myself, back sweetening and aging seems to mellow out the harshness somewhat. but be careful if you sweeten it with more juice or concentrate with ascorbic acid. I sweetened a harshly acidic batch with bartenders simple syrup that really mellowed well and it brought the apple flavor out well.
 
Ah, I didn't back sweeten, I just carbonated with dextrose, I guess I can always serve it half and half with applejuice or something else sweet, it's been aging almost a year now so maybe some of it has dropped out. :mug:
 
HebrewedsoIbrew said:
Ah, I didn't back sweeten, I just carbonated with dextrose, I guess I can always serve it half and half with applejuice or something else sweet, it's been aging almost a year now so maybe some of it has dropped out. :mug:
Click to expand...

I like mixing it with 50-50% ginger ale, really makes a nice tonic. Maybe a splash of vodka and lime. yum. :tank:
 
When making it, you could use 3/4s Apple Juice and 1/4 water and 140g per litre for 11% Apfelwein but giving an acidity approx 0.65%.
 
I was wondering if anyone has tried this with unfiltered apple juice? I have 5 gallons at the house and was thinking about making a batch. Any comments would be helpful thanks.
 
Yes I have. Make sure you add pectic enzyme. It will require about 4 teaspoons per US Gallon! Once it has fermented all the "bits" will fall out. Any left you will get with finings.
 
AkBrew907 said:
Brewed my first batch tonight. Now to wait

Photo%20Feb%2019%2C%2010%2052%2016%20PM.jpg
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you can top off very close to the top to get more out of it and reduce headspace. It wont krausen up like a beer will if you used montrachet. Cant speak from experience on other yeasts, beer or wine, but I cant imagine they would cause much krasuen either.
 
jamesbsmith said:
Yes I have. Make sure you add pectic enzyme. It will require about 4 teaspoons per US Gallon! Once it has fermented all the "bits" will fall out. Any left you will get with finings.
Click to expand...

Recommended dose of Pectic Enzyme is .5 t ( half a teaspoon ) per gallon. I find this amount works just fine
 
finsfan said:
you can top off very close to the top to get more out of it and reduce headspace. It wont krausen up like a beer will if you used montrachet. Cant speak from experience on other yeasts, beer or wine, but I cant imagine they would cause much krasuen either.
Click to expand...


Was going to ask. I used the Montrachet yeast. I Just happen to have another gallon of apple juice left so will top her off.

:cheers:
 
bembel said:
Recommended dose of Pectic Enzyme is .5 t ( half a teaspoon ) per gallon. I find this amount works just fine
Click to expand...

I would use 1 tsp per UK gallon when making from cartons or bottles of supermarket juice, but he was making with real apples which may have 4 times as much pectin in as the filtered juice. I would therefore use approx 4 times as much as usual, otherwise he may find it struggles to clear!
 
About to try this with 2 jugs of unfiltered apple juice I picked up from Whole Foods primarily for 1 gal carboys and now I'm getting pretty excited about the Apfelwein!

I plan on boiling 1/2 lb table sugar in some of the juice for each plus adding pectic enzyme and then splitting a pack of Montrachet wine yeast into them. Don't want to waste any on hydrometer readings since it's so little, just going to let it ferment in the low 60's for at least a month. Been doing a bunch of reading on the forum, but I've barely put a dent in this thread so I wanted to ask if I'm missing anything?
 
Dont put your pectic enzyme in the boiling solution as it will break it down. Put it in with your yeast and nutrient once it has cooled!
 
Oh yeah, wasn't planning on that! Although wasn't entirely sure when to add it so thanks. And you recommend also adding yeast nutrient then?
 
Good enough for me! I've been using nutrient in my beers ever since I started saving my yeast, so I can't see any reason not to here either. Just hadn't seen it mentioned so thanks for the heads up!
 
Been pondering on doing this for 2 years now. I finally made a 5 gallon batch i used 1 lb corn sugar and 1lb table sugar. Is this going to be a problem?
 
Did the last batch by the book. I started a new batch on 2/20. Only change I made was to use Premier Cuvee instead of the Montrachet yeast. Guess I'll know in a couple of months if it made a difference.

The Montrachet got a little smelly about the 4th day. Be interesting to see if the Premier Cuvee has the same issue. Didn't seem to affect the batch at all, never got to the rhino fart point. Was just a little smelly. Wife wasn't buying it when I blamed it on the dog.
 
bwdilli said:
Did the last batch by the book. I started a new batch on 2/20. Only change I made was to use Premier Cuvee instead of the Montrachet yeast. Guess I'll know in a couple of months if it made a difference.

The Montrachet got a little smelly about the 4th day. Be interesting to see if the Premier Cuvee has the same issue. Didn't seem to affect the batch at all, never got to the rhino fart point. Was just a little smelly. Wife wasn't buying it when I blamed it on the dog.
Click to expand...

Just fair warning, Premier Cuvee in my experience is a more aggressive yeast in the way of sugar consumption, depending on how dry you want the wine that might not matter though

Also the bad smell could be sulphur dioxide (not harmful) being released as a byproduct of maliolactic fermentation (mlf) which can sometimes occur with wines.
 
Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out the best way to bottle this stuff. I intend to give a fair bit of it away. I have dozens of 12 oz beer bottles I've been saving. Was also thinking of ordering some 22 oz bottles. Also considered some 1/4 gallon growlers because it looks cool and has a screw cap because I plan on bottling still, not carbed. Any thoughts?
 
If you're bottling still then all of those should be fine. Just make sure fermentation is complete before you go and bottle.
 

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