@deadguynick reminds me a bit of pappy's pub cider.
Man, I love Apfelwein
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macs
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DeadGuyNick,
If I was you, I would start another batch. Table sugar might cause off flavors. Undissolved sugar at the bottom of the carboy may not get processed because the solution just above the sugar will be too concentrated for the yeast to do it's thing. I may be wrong but I think anything over 20% concentration becomes toxic to the yeast. I never mix after adding the yeast. I just sprinkle it on top and let it go to work.
Let that crazy batch do it's thing since you already have it going. If you have the gear and ingredients, get another batch going, made the right way so you know you will have something good to drink later.
If I was you, I would start another batch. Table sugar might cause off flavors. Undissolved sugar at the bottom of the carboy may not get processed because the solution just above the sugar will be too concentrated for the yeast to do it's thing. I may be wrong but I think anything over 20% concentration becomes toxic to the yeast. I never mix after adding the yeast. I just sprinkle it on top and let it go to work.
Let that crazy batch do it's thing since you already have it going. If you have the gear and ingredients, get another batch going, made the right way so you know you will have something good to drink later.
DeadGuyNick
Well-Known Member
Whelp, I didn't go that far, so let's let it ride!
It's going fine, came home to a room smelling like apple farts!
I looked up Red Star Montrachet, and it's got an alcohol tolerance of 13%. If it gets stuck, I'll pitch some Lalvin EC-1118, which goes up to 18% to finish it off, same yeast in the thread that Baabaad00 shared with me where the guy uses 10lbs of table sugar. That oughta do it. I don't have any more spare equipment to start another batch, so I'm just gonna ride this out. I'm sure it'll come out fine, if not a little bit more harsh. I can always back sweeten if needed.
Terranova1340
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I posted this elsewhere on the forum but haven't yet gotten a response. I was wondering if this looks to be potentially infected or not. There is a thin I guess what I would describe as a "Line" of bubbles on the top of one of my batches which simple won't go away unless I ever so slightly shake the carboy. There location in the middle, in a somewhat circular pattern is mainly what is concerning to me. There is no odd smell or anything. What do you guys think?
GrogNerd
mean old man
Looks ok to me. Guessing it's just CO2 bubbles
No odd smell, I'd say you're good
No odd smell, I'd say you're good
I think you should have a neighbor over and have him/her test a few pints.
jmcdaniel0
Well-Known Member
I have beem making this for years. I love it. I always start10-15 gallons going early enough to have them ready by thanksgiving. My family loves the stuff. I decided to mess with my brother and made a 3 gallon batch using distillers yeast instead of a wine yeast. Man that stuff was hot. But still pretty darn good.
ApolloMC
Active Member
So I ignored the OP's suggestion of starting a new batch 2 weeks after bottling, and I regretted it. The 5 gallons went in less than a week. Everyone loves this stuff!
This pic is from the new batch I started last week. Cutting it a little close I'd say!
This pic is from the new batch I started last week. Cutting it a little close I'd say!
First time posting, I'm about to make this recipe and I have two questions, first, can I use a different type of wine yeast(Lalvin EC-1118)? And also is there a reason no yeast nutrient is added to this recipe? I always use it in my hard ciders that are around 6.5-7.5%ABV so I wasn't sure if not adding it adds something to the final product. Thanks in advance!
andrewmaixner
Well-Known Member
I add some nutrient. Reduces the chances of sulfur aromas.
Also I prefer Nottingham yeast
I used EC-1118. It was OK, but I'll use another yeast next time.
If you get a carboy cap you can squeeze in a couple more ounces next time.
I've gone up to where the shoulder meets the neck, but I might try your idea on the next one.
ApolloMC
Active Member
If you get a carboy cap you can squeeze in a couple more ounces next time.
I've gone up to where the shoulder meets the neck, but I might try your idea on the next one.
It was about where the shoulder meets the neck before peak activity. All to get an extra 2 or 3 ounces of deliciousness. Ha.
I'll definitely be starting a new batch as soon as this one is bottled. I may need to keep it running non stop to keep up with demand!
My first batch I didn't have Notty or Montracet so went with the ec1118 and I had a good bit of overflow by filling to the neck so I always leave a bit of head space just in case. The S04 based one I just began slow started (new pack plus an old expired one dry to pitch) but today just as I was going to goto the lhbs for another yeast, I woke up to vigorous movement. It's got a good 1.5" rise now too (in a 7-8" neck).
Jako
Well-Known Member
i added nutrient and Nottingham for my 9% hard cider and it smelled like Sulfur for a week! but in the end it was great.
Ive thought about trying lavlin 71b for my next batch, been quite a few years been thinking about getting one started, down to 4 bottles from 2011, tried mangrove jacks cider yeast turned out okay but that was only a gallon small batch
Aged this for three and a half years. This is commercial quality sparkling wine and it was my first attempt. Great stuff.
gladius270
Well-Known Member
I've had a batch in the primary using K1-V116 for five weeks now. It's been bubbling away the whole time at 60 degrees. The gravity is measuring at about 1.01, and I'm still getting bubbles in the carboy. I'm not sure how much further this thing could possibly ferment.
The samples are tasting really nice - getting a semi-dry white wine feel from it.
The samples are tasting really nice - getting a semi-dry white wine feel from it.
I had a batch in the primary for 405 days. I am such a procrastinator! I almost poured it out, but I tasted it first and it was good. I kegged it and carbed it a few weeks ago. Tastes pretty good so far.
We finally got around to making a batch, but aren't sure how well it's turned out.
Started in early November.
Looks like a lot of trub at the bottom. Is that a problem or it's fine?
If we're not planning on drinking it all immediately, is it bad to store back in the apple juice containers? (i.e. better to bottle it?)
Started in early November.
Looks like a lot of trub at the bottom. Is that a problem or it's fine?
If we're not planning on drinking it all immediately, is it bad to store back in the apple juice containers? (i.e. better to bottle it?)
andrewmaixner
Well-Known Member
The trub is not a problem, but, rack it to a new carboy to get it off the trub (before autolysis potentially sets in), or directly to bottles if you are not planning to do anything else with it before drinking.
You could use the store containers, but wine/beer bottles will look a lot classier and probably store better
gladius270
Well-Known Member
I pitched K1-V116 yeast into my apfelwein on January 13, and it's down to 1.000, samples taste really good. I'd like to bottle this to free up a carboy, but there are still bubbles rising in the carboy and the airlock is still popped up. It's almost like it has carbed in the carboy, but I don't think the Carboy would hold that much pressure without blowing the stopper out.
Has anyone experienced this before? I don't want to creat any bottle bombs.
Has anyone experienced this before? I don't want to creat any bottle bombs.
andrewmaixner
Well-Known Member
Ambient carbonation level after fermentation is about 0.70 volumes. That is completely normal.
gladius270
Well-Known Member
Thanks. Bottled tonight - decided to do this batch still, didn't prime. The wife already wants me to make more after tasting from the bottling bucket. Might put the next one on tap.
I've just done a 5 gal batch. The juice is non-sweetened and non-pasteurized. Before I only did 1 gal batches - one with cinnamon stick (kinda like apple pie). On this batch I used 1 lb. Organic brown sugar and 1 lb. Organic Coconut Palm sugar - and some cinnamon sticks. Wonder what that Coconur Palm sugar will taste like or if it will be overpowered by the cider and the Brown sugar? Had to use these sugars up before they get harder than a rock!
Working on another 5 gal. batch as well, but it's not just apple, it's Cranapple juice. The juices are a year out of date, so I wanted to use them up rather than keep them around for another year ;>). This batch is using Jaggery - raw, non-refined sugar from India. The next batch will be with Panela, (South American raw, non-refined sugar), and after that Piloncillo from Mexico.
I'm not actually a health nut, I just like the smokey/molasses flavor in my Apfelwein, although some might not like it. I live remotely in a town of 100, so I rarely get visitors. So far, any feedback I have gotten has been positive.
I may prime half of each batch when I bottle, so I can compare the carbonated and the still, but that's a month off ..... plenty of time to make that decision!
NOTE to self, (and anyone else that might be interested): Cranapple juice is very foamy when poured into the carboy - it may require a blowoff hose for a few days if it foams up with krausen! I've not had Apfelwein blow off as Ed Wort said, but I got ready to install a blowoff hose in the Cranapple just in case!
Working on another 5 gal. batch as well, but it's not just apple, it's Cranapple juice. The juices are a year out of date, so I wanted to use them up rather than keep them around for another year ;>). This batch is using Jaggery - raw, non-refined sugar from India. The next batch will be with Panela, (South American raw, non-refined sugar), and after that Piloncillo from Mexico.
I'm not actually a health nut, I just like the smokey/molasses flavor in my Apfelwein, although some might not like it. I live remotely in a town of 100, so I rarely get visitors. So far, any feedback I have gotten has been positive.
I may prime half of each batch when I bottle, so I can compare the carbonated and the still, but that's a month off ..... plenty of time to make that decision!
NOTE to self, (and anyone else that might be interested): Cranapple juice is very foamy when poured into the carboy - it may require a blowoff hose for a few days if it foams up with krausen! I've not had Apfelwein blow off as Ed Wort said, but I got ready to install a blowoff hose in the Cranapple just in case!
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Both batches are percolating like an old coffee pot; Apfelwein within 4 hours, and CranApple by 8 hours after assembling these brews! No blowoff on the Cranapple, but some really dark foam on the top, thanks to the molasses in the Jaggery, I suppose.
The smell coming out of the Apfelwein is great (Someone earlier described it as "apple farts!"), but it doesn't smell like I would imagine them to smell like, to me - actually, I don't go around trying to determine what each different gas bomb smells like, regardless of who passes it!
The smell coming out of the Apfelwein is great (Someone earlier described it as "apple farts!"), but it doesn't smell like I would imagine them to smell like, to me - actually, I don't go around trying to determine what each different gas bomb smells like, regardless of who passes it!
CORRECTION!! About an hour or two after I posted that there was no blowoff in the Cranapple, it blew all over the place - filled the bubbler/airlock (wasted the cheap vodka), and made a general mess of the area where it was stored. It's now comfortably "perking away" with a huge blowoff tube and a bottle of water, and still building up krausen, so we have to change out the water every so often. It may be a few days before I can trust it to a airlock again - this has given me notice that IF I ever do Cranapple again, I'll start out with a blowoff tube, rather than an airlock for the first few days.
Mr impatient
Well-Known Member
Apfelwein - Fermenting
Award Winning Apfelwein Recipe (German Hard Cider) Apple Wine Recipe
Placed 1st in the Cider & Apple Wine category at the BJCP sanctioned Alamo Cerveza fest (out of 11 entries) and took 2nd place for Best of Show for the main category of Meads & Ciders (out of 50 entries).
Ingredients
5 Gallons 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives) I use Tree Top Apple Juice
2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) in one pound bags
1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast
Equipment
5 Gallon Carboy (I use a Better Bottle)
Carboy Cap or Stopper with Airlock
Funnel
There’s no need to worry about filling up a carboy so full when you use Montrachet wine yeast. There is no Kreuzen, just a thin layer of bubbles (). I'm able to fit all but 4 oz. of my five gallons in the bottle. Ferment at room temperature.
- First sanitize the carboy, airlock, funnel, stopper or carboy cap.
- Open one gallon bottle of apple juice and pour half of it into the carboy using the funnel.
- Open one bag of Dextrose and carefully add it to the now half full bottle of apple juice. Shake well.
- Repeat Steps 2 and 3, then go to step 5.
- Pour in the mixture of Apple Juice and Dextrose from both bottles into the carboy.
- Add all but 1 quart of remaining 3 gallons of apple juice to the carboy.
- Open the packet of Montrachet Yeast and pour it into the neck of the funnel.
- Use the remaining quart of juice to wash down any yeast that sticks. I am able to fit all but 3 ounces of apple juice into a 5 gallon Better Bottle. You may need to be patient to let the foam die down from all shaking and pouring.
- Put your stopper or carboy cap on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka. No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv.
It will become cloudy in a couple of days and remain so for a few weeks. In the 4th week, the yeast will begin to drop out and it will become clear. After at least 4 weeks, you can keg or bottle, but it is ok to leave it in the carboy for another month or so. Racking to a secondary is not necessary. It ferments out very dry (less than 0.999, see here)
Apfelwein really improves with age, so if you can please let it sit in a carboy for up to 3 months before bottling or kegging, then let it sit even longer. Here's what some folks think.
If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of corn sugar will work fine. Use as you would carbonate a batch of beer.
Remember to reserve judgment till after 3 glasses. It grows on you.
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND START ANOTHER BATCH 2 WEEKS AFTER YOU START THIS ONE.
YOU WILL THANK ME LATER!
GENERAL QUESTIONS
compiled by Dammed Squirrels from the first 37 pages of this thread. Thanks DS!
How does it taste?
It ferments quite dry. Some people have tried different yeasts in order to achieve a sweeter taste. It may take you a few glasses to get a feel for the flavor. It is very reminiscent of a sort of apfelwein produced locally in Germany. There really is no comparable product in the United States. It's drier and less sweet than commercial hard ciders. It gets better with age and at 6+ months, the apple flavor really comes out.
How do you sweeten it?
Many folks back sweeten it with Wine Conditioner. Wine Conditioner is a blend of sucrose and sorbic acid. The addition of 2-4 oz. per gallon adds sweetness and prevents renewed fermentation. It can be purchased as any LHBS that caters to wine makers. Others will use Splenda or lactose (other non-fermentable sugars). Germans who prefer it sweet (or Suß as they say) will add a splash of Sprite or 7up to a glass. This is the easiest method as you don't have to make a whole "sweet" batch that way.
What is the difference between Apfelwein and hard cider?
EdWort says, “Most ciders are a bit sweeter. Ciders and Apfelwein are about 6% abv, but I like the little boost I give it with 2 pounds of Dextrose. It adds no body or flavor and still tastes like Possmann's Apfelwein, only it will kick your butt much quicker.”
Is this like Apfelmost / Apfel Korn?
No. Apfel Korn is a german liqeur made from wheat spirits. Apfelmost is spontaneously fermented with fresh-pressed apples or apple juice. It is probably similar, but the results may vary as a result of the spontaneous fermentation. Either way, Apfelmost is most certainly has a lower alcohol content since the initial gravity is not increased by the use of concentrate or corn sugar.
What’s the difference between apple juice and cider?
Cider is made by pressing apples. Juice is then filtered to remove all of the stuff that makes it cloudy.
Can I use apple cider instead?
Sure! You can use whatever you want. However, there is not enough information in this thread to give you any better details as to how it will turn out. I recommend starting a new thread or ask more experienced cider-makers.
What kind of Apple Juice should I use?
Ideally, you want to use 100% natural apple juice with no preservatives. The only acceptable preservative is ascorbic acid, which is a source of vitamin C and does not affect fermentation. Pasteurized juice is preferred, since it will have less bacteria.
How much will this recipe cost me?
5 gallons of Apfelwein can be made for between 20 and 25 dollars.
What else can you do with this recipe?
EdWort says, "this makes a great Grog in the winter time. Take a quart in a sauce pan, add some rum, turbinado sugar, and float a cinnamon stick in it and simmer for a while. Serve hot in mugs. It'll warm you right up."
Drink a quart of water and take 3 aspirin before going to sleep tol help reduce the effects of excessive Apfelwein consumption as well as the urge to call EdWort a M'F**kR the next morning!
You have done what I did almost, I used 3 1/2 Lb of sugar per gallon, it was before I knew what I was doing and got a hydromiter, not that I know what I'm doing now, but the wine was realy good, strong but crisp and the tast of apple necter, anyway it was afantastic. So in my headlong rush to share this sudden new wealth of produce, I gave a 2ltr platic bottle to a couple dowm our road, but he called me over today and gave it me back, its been in his sideboard for 18 months and neither of them drink wine, and he thanked me for the intention.
I feel a taste session coming on, and a new thread with a photo.
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Mine are 'perking away' at high 70's and almost up to the 90's some days here and doing fine - when all you've got to cool with ia a 30-40 year old swamp cooler, you do what you can - Summer in Montana, Love it!
You don't have to let it sit in the chamber for a year. Just while it's fermenting. Then rack it to a carboy and let it bulk age at room temp. But you can ferment this at pretty warm ambient temperatures. I've only done it around 65-70, but i don't see why this would be an issue. I think this has been brought up previously in this thread.
wiggybrewer
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Just opened a bottle from 09! This stuff ages really well. I used honey instead of corn sugar, so technically a cyser. I have a 3 gallon batch that I'll keg in a few weeks. Can't wait!
MisterGreen
Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever added oak cubes? I'm getting ready to start another batch and was thinking of trying this. I'm guessing I'll soak them in vodka as to not add any flavor?
