Man, I love Apfelwein

[thefojizzle]

I’ll have to check it again tomorrow. I don’t have the specific gravity from when I started. I didn’t have the right hydrometer. I’m getting abv directly from the proper hydrometer. It shows 0% potential alcohol. .

 

[mullet6577]

0% POTENTIAL alcohol means all of your sugars have fermented, you do not have the proper hydrometer at this point. You can't know abv by a single hydrometer reading after fermentation

 

[thefojizzle]

Ugh. Ok. Thank you. So I really won’t have any way now of knowing, other than drinking this, whether there’s any abv? I guess I’ll just make sure it’s not gone bad and then bottle, drink. I’m bummed. I’ll post a pic here of my hydrometer when I can so that you can see if it’s ok or not.

 

[marc1]

Ugh. Ok. Thank you. So I really won’t have any way now of knowing, other than drinking this, whether there’s any abv? I guess I’ll just make sure it’s not gone bad and then bottle, drink. I’m bummed. I’ll post a pic here of my hydrometer when I can so that you can see if it’s ok or not.

If you made the recipe then it's going to have plenty of alcohol from the apple juice and sugar that fermented out.
If your apple juice was 1.050, and you added 2 pounds of sugar to 5 gallons, and it all fermented out (which if it is saying your potential alcohol is 0%, then it basically did), then you are going to be ~9.3%. If your apple juice was a little higher gravity than that, you'll be closer to 10% ABV.

 

[thefojizzle]

 

[thefojizzle]

Here is the hydrometer I got. I’ll taste the batch today and see if it went sour or if I’m ok. Thanks again for the help

 

[mullet6577]

That seems to be a triple scale hydrometer. If it is, check with the specific gravity scale (the only one not shown in your pic). You still won't know your exact abv since you don't have any measurements pre-fermentation but can get an idea based on recipe and current gravity reading.

 

[thefojizzle]

Ok. Tasted it. Tastes great! Refilled the hydrometer and took pics for you. This is what I’ve got

 

[thefojizzle]

Second pic from other side

 

[balrog]

oh you are done.

bottle it

[Edit: and get a real hydrometer or a refractomer!]

 

[thefojizzle]

Haha! Thanks! So just for future knowledge…..
When I first carboy it: take a specific gravity and write it down.
Do it again after fermentation.
Then again before bottling and compare to know? Thanks and sorry if I should know this already.

 

[marc1]

Haha! Thanks! So just for future knowledge…..
When I first carboy it: take a specific gravity and write it down.
Do it again after fermentation.
Then again before bottling and compare to know? Thanks and sorry if I should know this already.

Yes, and "after fermentation" and "before bottling" should be the same. You can plug the numbers into a calculator to find out your ABV:

Alcohol By Volume ABV Calculator | Brewer's Friend

Use our ABV Calculator to show alcohol by volume based on gravity change & eliminate the guess work. Sign up for a free Brewer's Friend account & get brewing!

www.brewersfriend.com

Your hydrometer looks like it does have a specific gravity scale on it, you just didn't get a picture of that part. I think it's the part the has "Sp G..." at the top with 60 underneath it. The numbers should go from something like 0.990 at the top and increase towards the bottom of the hydrometer, probably going up to something like 1.150 at the bottom.

The 60 underneath the Sp G... is probably the temperature it is calibrated at, and the ideal temperature to take the reading. Calculator for temperature correction:

Hydrometer Temperature Calculator | Brewer's Friend

Use our Hydrometer Temerature Adjustment Calculator to show actual specific gravity, correcting for the sample wort temperature & the hydrometer's calibration.

www.brewersfriend.com

It also says on there to take the reading below the meniscus, so where the liquid curves at the top, take the reading from the bottom of the curve.

But yes, it looks like it has fermented quite a bit by how far down the hydrometer has sunk into the liquid.

 

[thefojizzle]

Thank you. So helpful. I really appreciate it.

 

[501irishred]

Ok. Tasted it. Tastes great! Refilled the hydrometer and took pics for you. This is what I’ve gotView attachment 755201

You already have the most important parts of using a hydrometer down pat. 1) fill 2.5) "sample" (all of it) 3) repeat

2) measure if you must.......

 

[thefojizzle]

Hahha

 

[RackEmUp]

Second batch is now a month old in the secondary. Still zero activity as far as bubbling goes and my hyrdrometer shifts in the wine thief whenever I try to take a measurement. It seems to drift up to around 1.070. Initial gravity reading was 1.075 so I don't think all of the sugars have been consumed.
Should I just throw another pack of Montrechet in? Is my hydrometer busted? Very confused by it moving around in the sample as I'm trying to take a measurement.

 

[marc1]

Second batch is now a month old in the secondary. Still zero activity as far as bubbling goes and my hyrdrometer shifts in the wine thief whenever I try to take a measurement. It seems to drift up to around 1.070. Initial gravity reading was 1.075 so I don't think all of the sugars have been consumed.
Should I just throw another pack of Montrechet in? Is my hydrometer busted? Very confused by it moving around in the sample as I'm trying to take a measurement.

Maybe the scale inside your hydrometer shifted. Does it read 1.000 in water?

 

[balrog]

Drifting up to me sounds like dissolved co2 is collecting on hydrometer whilst measuring, @RackEmUp .

Twirl that thing between fingers to knock off the bubbles making it rise

 

[thefojizzle]

Had some of my batch today. Bottled 3 days ago. Tastes great but no fizz at all. Do I have to wait a bit longer? I bottled with some simple syrup as I have in the past. Thank you

 

[MaxStout]

Had some of my batch today. Bottled 3 days ago. Tastes great but no fizz at all. Do I have to wait a bit longer? I bottled with some simple syrup as I have in the past. Thank you

You won't have much carbonation after only 3 days. Carbonation will take ~3 weeks at room temp. Patience, Grasshopper.

 

[thefojizzle]

Awesome. Thanks!

 

[MaxStout]

Awesome. Thanks!

Until then, drink the ones you didn't prime.

 

[Beermeister32]

Ciders benefit from about 90 days aging if you can resist drinking them. 3 weeks conditioning time is about right depending where you store the bottles. In winter, sometimes bottles are stored in colder areas which can lengthen the carbonating time.

 

[squibload]

Bottled first batch, cleared up pretty good. A little tart, a little sweet from the priming sugar.
I'll leave it alone as long as I can. That shouldn't be too hard, I have a 2-hearted IPA clone that I forgot all about, 2 weeks plus, turned out pretty good.

 

[scubatech]

Have a 5G batch of Ed's Apfelwein in my SS Brewbuilt. iSpindel says it has been at 1.000 for about 4 days. Was going to add k-sorbate and k-meta and then keg as I need the conical for next batch. But I have read that cider is an evolving thing that gets better with age if you don't stabilize it. Adding sorbates and sulfites would keep the cider from aging wouldn't it, since they essentially stabilize it? Not worried about fermentation continuing so much as I just don't want it turning to vinegar either. FYI, it's sitting at 8.27%

 

[Beermeister32]

I still have about 24 bottles of a batch of cider I made 3 years ago in dark storage. It's still in great shape. If I were you I'd back sweeten it with Splenda, keg it with a 5 oz charge of corn sugar and call it a day. Stabilizers not really needed, if there is any residual sugar (not much if you are at 1.00) it will just carbonate the keg a bit. Let the keg sit out at room temp in a cooler area in your residence for several weeks, that will uptake any 02. Let it age out 90 days. It does make a difference on ciders.

 

[tagnik]

A bottle of the Apfelwein. Been using this recipe for years now.

Bloodrock?

 

[Vrishnak]

I have to give you credit. You managed to find just about every site I've used Vrishnak on.

 

[friarsmith]

I must have scrolled past the “Man I love Apfelwein” link in New Posts a dozen times this month.

Today, I figured “what the hell is this all about” and went down the rabbit hole. Guess a Costco run for juice is in my future.

I may take the ingredients tomorrow to a Big Brew Day event. I’ll be done, relaxing with a beer while everyone else is sweating over their kettles

 

[balrog]

I must have scrolled past the “Man I love Apfelwein” link in New Posts a dozen times this month.

Today, I figured “what the hell is this all about” and went down the rabbit hole. Guess a Costco run for juice is in my future.

I may take the ingredients tomorrow to a Big Brew Day event. I’ll be done, relaxing with a beer while everyone else is sweating over their kettles

Don't forget the activated charcoal for the inevitable Rhino Farts
If I don't use activated charcoal over the airlock, the basement do get smelly.

 

[friarsmith]

That is a great idea!

 

[balrog]

That is a great idea!

Not my original idea; someone here had a yogurt container, a small disc of cloth, cut to fit the three piece airlock, maybe some McGuyver duct tape and dental floss. I dumbed it down to painters tape. I suggest hop sock of charcoal and painters tape. Less messy to de-install. At least without a shop vac.

 

[TheWhale13]

One of my first real homebrews, tastes pretty great with both sparkling water and sprite. Thanks for this, will make more.