Man, I love Apfelwein

[brewcephus]

So, made up a batch of this last night and just had a quick question.

I read in here already that since we are not using hops we do not have to worry about sunlight and skunky flavors. That being said is there a certain temperature we need to maintain during fermentation like there is with beer?

 

[pipapat]

lol excellent how do you loose this for 3 years? mine would have been drunk long before

I have about 20 kegs in my basement.
Mostly stuff i age, must have gotten pushed to the back of the room when my girlfriend decided to help me "clean" up.

 

[Ridenour64]

Also do you have to add metibisulphite or sorbate or anything before bottling?

 

[rideincircles]

To answer a few questions. No need to degas, but I do twist my carboy a little every now and then to relase any bubbles at the bottom.

It can sit fine for 6 months on the lees with no issues and even longer as some people have reported. Make a batch and wait a minimum of 3 months is best. Big difference from 2-3 months. I bottled mine at 3 months due to 5.5 gallons in 6.5 gallon carboy (did want any chance of oxidation) and it goes quick, but I made two batches when I did it and letting the 2nd one sit at least 5.5 months. I saved around 20 bottles which are in a box in my closet to see how it improves with time.

No sorbate or metabisulphite needed at all in this recipe. Just bottle like beer with 5 oz priming sugar.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

So I've decided I'm gonna make this is touch different and use Table Sugar instead of corn sugar, simply for cost, At my LHBS corn sugar is 5.99 for 4 pounds, at my local grocery store I can get 5 pounds of white sugar for like 3 bucks which we use for baking so for something this big I'm thinking of makign the switch and will see how the taste works out. I'll probably go short of 2 pounds of table sugar since I know that you use less Sucrose than Glucose in carbing and see how it turns out.

 

[lakeslad]

rideincircles any chance of posting the cinnamon Apfelwein recipe? sounds delicious...

 

[HopHeaven]

Finally got my first 5 gallon batch started. Followed the recipe exactly yet added yeast nutrient. Slight problem...it was wyeast beer nutrient blend. Is this going to be a problem as this is wine yeast. Can't wait for 6 more months!!

 

[Leadgolem]

Finally got my first 5 gallon batch started. Followed the recipe exactly yet added yeast nutrient. Slight problem...it was wyeast beer nutrient blend. Is this going to be a problem as this is wine yeast. Can't wait for 6 more months!!

No. There is virtually no difference in the nutrient requirements of different yeast strains.

 

[Ridenour64]

I just started a 1 gallon batch 2 days ago and at first I was very skeptical about the "Rhino Fart" smell. I've never smelled a rhino fart. But this does smell like a rhino fart.

 

[dannylerch]

Mine has been going strong for three days or so, Im getting no Rhino Fart smell. I think if you do get Rhino Farts, it is probably because you've used Apple Juice with Additives like Vitamin C, acids, etc. Stuff that gives the yeast a hard time to consume. This probably produces off flavor that take forever to condition.

I'm using wyeast cider strain. Haven't had any funky smells.

 

[mike_in_ak]

You used a different yeast than the majority of the people in this thread. That could certainly account for the difference in flatulence.

 

[HopHeaven]

Ah! 3 days in WITH yeast nutrient added at day one and it just got the Rhino Farts!!

Edit: It's only 2 days! I thought with the nutrient I was going to get around the farts. Maybe some enigizer also next time?

 

[emjay]

Ah! 3 days in WITH yeast nutrient added at day one and it just got the Rhino Farts!!

Edit: It's only 2 days! I thought with the nutrient I was going to get around the farts. Maybe some enigizer also next time?

Which yeast, and which yeast nutrient? Did you skimp on the nutrient? Adding a generous amount of nutrient seriously eliminated the yeast farts for me.

 

[emjay]

I read in here already that since we are not using hops we do not have to worry about sunlight and skunky flavors.

I have heard this claim too but I am extremely skeptical of it. I assume that it's based not on science, but rather the "logical" conclusion that since UV is notoriously bad for beer because it causes hops to go skunky, and cider does not contain hops, therefore UV is not a problem. Because skunky hops are a very dramatic result of UV exposure, it seems highly likely that people arrived at this conclusion and disseminated it among others online, making it common "knowledge".

So why am I so skeptical? Because long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation - and really any kind of ionizing radiation - can hardly be expected to be a good thing. Which is understandable, as knocking electrons out of cells is a pretty big effect. Because of this, the fact that it seems highly likely that people just make the erroneous connection that lack of hops means no skunking means UV is not a problem, and that not a single shred of scientific evidence ever seems to be provided to back up the claim, I am still going to keep my cider and wine out of unnecessary sunlight and recommend that others do the same. I'm not saying that it causes problems in unhopped products NEARLY as fast or dramatically as problems develop in (hopped) beer (a few hours or even days is probably not going to produce any detectable difference), but that also doesn't mean that ionizing radiation is somehow entirely okay.

 

[HopHeaven]

Which yeast, and which yeast nutrient? Did you skimp on the nutrient? Adding a generous amount of nutrient seriously eliminated the yeast farts for me.

I used wyeast beer nutrient. I know it's for "beer" but was told on this thread that all yeast like the same nutrient. I also used the amount listed on the bottle, I think 1/2 tsp for the 5 gallon batch? Not enough? Not the right type of nutrient?

 

[mike_in_ak]

That amount is probably low. The instructions are for beer. Beer wort provides its own nutrients. Apple juice + sugar doesn't. So this would require more than the beer dosage.

It doesn't matter in the end probably. They'll turn your sugar to alcohol in good time.

 

[timcadieux]

The correct amount is 1/4tsp per gallon

 

[HopHeaven]

That amount is probably low. The instructions are for beer. Beer wort provides its own nutrients. Apple juice + sugar doesn't. So this would require more than the beer dosage.

It doesn't matter in the end probably. They'll turn your sugar to alcohol in good time.

Well, that's what happens when you just follow directions and don't think critically about it. Oops. Well,next time...

 

[freemanmh]

I pitched EC1118 into a batch on 7/28. It's going into a keg this weekend. I haven't read through the whole thread to verify, but I'm assuming I can just set it to the same pressure I use to serve my ales (10-12) and let it sit until carbed. Hard to believe I let it sit this long, but it helped having plenty of other things in the pipeline to keep my palate occupied.

 

[Leadgolem]

I used wyeast beer nutrient. I know it's for "beer" but was told on this thread that all yeast like the same nutrient. I also used the amount listed on the bottle, I think 1/2 tsp for the 5 gallon batch? Not enough? Not the right type of nutrient?

Wow, I didn't realize the instructions vary so much. The instructions on my yeast nutrient specify 1 tsp/gallon. That would be 10x what you added. Then again, I've found that using that much I can easily ferment sugar water solution to about 7%... I'm using a 1lb package of ld carlson nutrient. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064H0MWY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[DaveVanO]

i realize that the main post says racking to a secondary is not necessary...but if you have lees at the bottom of your apfelwein. Should you rack it to a secondary after the 4 weeks. THEN bottle and age?

 

[Vox]

i realize that the main post says racking to a secondary is not necessary...but if you have lees at the bottom of your apfelwein. Should you rack it to a secondary after the 4 weeks. THEN bottle and age?

I just made a batch I plan to leave in the primary for four months, then bottle age at least two more months. From what I've read, this is fine especially if you are using a carboy filled up to the neck as buckets have more surface area at the surface to risk oxidation once the co2 isn't pumping out anymore after fermentation slows down. Feel free to correct me if this isn't true.

 

[DaveVanO]

I just made a batch I plan to leave in the primary for four months, then bottle age at least two more months. From what I've read, this is fine especially if you are using a carboy filled up to the neck as buckets have more surface area at the surface to risk oxidation once the co2 isn't pumping out anymore after fermentation slows down. Feel free to correct me if this isn't true.

I guess what im asking, is...if you leave it on the lees too long, wont it affect the taste and bring off flavors? I plan on at least doing the four weeks. then racking to secondary, topping up, and letting age after a taste test.

 

[BrewerBear]

You do not need to secondary this,it is not necessary.Go ahead and do it if it will make you feel better though.

 

[Krios]

So I brewed a 1 gallon batch of this but then I decided to go farther.

Now I'm only up to page 192 so I don't know if this has been done before, but...

I bought too many cans of apple juice concentrate and seeing that they were meant to be diluted into 1.13L of apple juice, I decided to try brewing twice the apfelwein at once. Three such cans means almost a gallon of apple juice, therefore if you dump 15 cans in a 5 gallon batch (3 in a 1 gallon batch) and fill the rest with apple juice, you get double apple juice which turns into double apfelwein.

So I brewed a 1 gallon batch of that.


But THEN, I still had 1 gallon glass jugs lying around so I also brewed this:

TrippelApfelwein

-A 1 gallon jug
-6 (SIX) x 283 mL cans of apple juice concentrate (the only ingredients must be vitamin C and apple juice). One can contains rougly 107 grams of sugar as per the ingredients label.

-A little over half a gallon of apple juice as with regular apfelwein (Just fill the gallon jug to 2-3 inches of top)
-EC-1118 yeast (required considering the acidity and OG will make the jug a yeast thunderdome)
-1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutrients

a) Let the concentrate melt into a liquid inside the can, on your countertop.
b) Sanitize jug/carboy (please don't make a 5 gallon batch of this...)
c) Use a sanitized funnel to pour the concentrate in the jug.
d) Add nutrients and fill up to near top with apple juice.
e) Shake it madly and then wait for it to go up to room temperature. (It will be quite chilly because of the concentrate)
f) Rehydrate and pitch EC-1118 yeast as per instructions.

Measured S.G: 1.110, potential alcohol around 13-14%, not an ounce of sugar that wasn't made by an apple.

I fully intend the apple taste to be comparable to being punched in the mouth by the greek godess of apples.

I pitched this yesterday, the EC-1118 is bubbling away nicely. It will probably be aged on medium toast oak for six months to make it drinkable.
If it's horrible I may just make it into applejack and sip the resulting 6X Apfelwein very carefully...

 

[blefferd]

So I brewed a 1 gallon batch of this but then I decided to go farther.

Now I'm only up to page 192 so I don't know if this has been done before, but...

I bought too many cans of apple juice concentrate and seeing that they were meant to be diluted into 1.13L of apple juice, I decided to try brewing twice the apfelwein at once. Three such cans means almost a gallon of apple juice, therefore if you dump 15 cans in a 5 gallon batch (3 in a 1 gallon batch) and fill the rest with apple juice, you get double apple juice which turns into double apfelwein.

So I brewed a 1 gallon batch of that.

But THEN, I still had 1 gallon glass jugs lying around so I also brewed this:

TrippelApfelwein

-A 1 gallon jug
-6 (SIX) x 283 mL cans of apple juice concentrate (the only ingredients must be vitamin C and apple juice). One can contains rougly 107 grams of sugar as per the ingredients label.

-A little over half a gallon of apple juice as with regular apfelwein (Just fill the gallon jug to 2-3 inches of top)
-EC-1118 yeast (required considering the acidity and OG will make the jug a yeast thunderdome)
-1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutrients

a) Let the concentrate melt into a liquid inside the can, on your countertop.
b) Sanitize jug/carboy (please don't make a 5 gallon batch of this...)
c) Use a sanitized funnel to pour the concentrate in the jug.
d) Add nutrients and fill up to near top with apple juice.
e) Shake it madly and then wait for it to go up to room temperature. (It will be quite chilly because of the concentrate)
f) Rehydrate and pitch EC-1118 yeast as per instructions.

Measured S.G: 1.110, potential alcohol around 13-14%, not an ounce of sugar that wasn't made by an apple.

I fully intend the apple taste to be comparable to being punched in the mouth by the greek godess of apples.

I pitched this yesterday, the EC-1118 is bubbling away nicely. It will probably be aged on medium toast oak for six months to make it drinkable.
If it's horrible I may just make it into applejack and sip the resulting 6X Apfelwein very carefully...

You might end up with high fusel alcohol due to the high amount of pectin in that batch. You might want to age that for 1+ year to calm it down a bit.

 

[Krios]

There's pectin in the concentrate and in clear apple juice? I thought they used pectinase industrially to clear it. It was perfectly clear before pitching the yeast, though dark amber and extremely sweet and appley when tasted.

Anyhow, what's done is done, I might be short 2$ of juice, 3$ of concentrate and 5$ of jug for a year if it's undrinkable in the first months...

 

[blefferd]

I am not knocking your recipe, just saying you might want to age it for a bit with that much sugar. No clue about removing the pectins but fruit high in pectins produce lots of fusels Apples are high in pectin. I made a batch with 4lbs of corn sugar due to a lapse of memory and it was extremely hot and high in fusels. It has aged 2 months in the bottle and has calmed down a lot from when I bottled it. I don't think it was over 1.080.

 

[jiggs_casey]

Sucking down my 2nd glass of the batch I did last month. I really need to do this more often. So good over ice.

 

[Leadgolem]

There's pectin in the concentrate and in clear apple juice? I thought they used pectinase industrially to clear it. It was perfectly clear before pitching the yeast, though dark amber and extremely sweet and appley when tasted.

Anyhow, what's done is done, I might be short 2$ of juice, 3$ of concentrate and 5$ of jug for a year if it's undrinkable in the first months...

Some manufactures use pectin enzyme commercially. Some use centrifugal clarification. Centrifugal clarification leaves the pectin dissolved in the liquid, but removes the particulates that usually get trapped in it and cloud the liquid. SO, eh maybe. I always add my own pectin enzyme, it isn't expensive and it eliminates one possible concern. Not that pectin will make your brew taste bad, it just won't completely clear.

You might end up with high fusel alcohol due to the high amount of pectin in that batch. You might want to age that for 1+ year to calm it down a bit.

I believe pectin is a non-fermentable carbohydrate. It's a dietary fiber because your body can't break it down. Chemically though, it is a water soluble carbohydrate. I fail to see how it's presence or absence would change the percentage of fusel alcohol produced?