Man, I love Apfelwein

[Goofynewfie]

OK, so, if I dont want it carboniated or keged, how do I store it?
Thanks.

Bottle it without carbonating

 

[Leadgolem]

I thought so. I mean the swmbo doesn't mind cuz its a lil sweeter, but now I need to pasteurize. How long should I wait to pasteurize? I've seen some put it in a pet bottle but mine is bottled and it bein such a small batch if I kept opening em they'll all be gone by the time its carbed. If I have to, I put another gallon of apple juice right on top after I transferred so I have another batch comin and ill be able to do it right then. Should I use a small 12oz soda bottle next time? This is only my second batch. I tried the 5 day cider and didn't care for it much. The sample of this I had was AWESOME and I look forward to aging my next batch a while. Thanks!

Yup, a soda or PET brew bottle is a good indicator for your carbonation level. When the bottle is hard to the touch, pasteurize.

I can't really say how long you should wait here. Nutrient mixture left after fermentation, yeast strain, temperature, and suspended yeast in the brew when it was bottled all impact your time factor. My personal paranoia says that without any way to monitor the pressure, pasteurize immediately.

Are you adding this at bottling or in place of the apple juice at the start?? I am wondering what to back sweeten with. O have heard Splenda or lactose or something thats not fermentable.

Also, is the ratio of sugar to carbonate the same as beer? About 4 oz dextrose for 5 gallons? Im thinking you would want it a little less carbonated.

That's more a matter of taste. I use a priming sugar calculator that has recommended volumes for cider. That recommends 2.25 volumes for cider, which I find a touch on the high side for my taste. I like it between 1.8 - 2.0 myself.

Bottle it without carbonating

+1 Don't add any sugar. Just bottle it still. I've got lots of corked claret bottles like this.

 

[whoaru99]

Bottled mine today...I'm at a disadvantage because my smeller is a bit stuffed at the moment but, otherwise, what should this stuff smell like? I seem to detect a little sulfury, maybe slightly yeasty smell. Used Montrachet, followed the recipe exactly other than ratioed for a 3-gal batch.

My taster is a bit screwed up too, considering the smeller is, but I can tell it's dry and a little tart. Not getting much else at the moment.

 

[HopHeaven]

Bottled mine today...I'm at a disadvantage because my smeller is a bit stuffed at the moment but, otherwise, what should this stuff smell like? I seem to detect a little sulfury, maybe slightly yeasty smell. Used Montrachet, followed the recipe exactly other than ratioed for a 3-gal batch.

My taster is a bit screwed up too, considering the smeller is, but I can tell it's dry and a little tart. Not getting much else at the moment.

How long did you age it for? With time, you get more of an apple-y taste

 

[whoaru99]

I started it 1/27 and left it in the primary until today, when I bottled it still.

 

[SFGiantsFan925]

Wow. I havnt read too much about how ad the sulphur smell is with the fermentation but JEEZ!! It's crazy strong. Fermenting away at about 65 degrees and our house reeks of sulphur. I just put my Carboy in our spare bedroom with open windows and shut the door. I'm assuming this is normal right???

 

[Leadgolem]

Wow. I havnt read too much about how ad the sulphur smell is with the fermentation but JEEZ!! It's crazy strong. Fermenting away at about 65 degrees and our house reeks of sulphur. I just put my Carboy in our spare bedroom with open windows and shut the door. I'm assuming this is normal right???

Uh, no. Some smell is. That, probably not so much. If you have some, add some yeast nutrient. Then stick something copper in the fermentor and shake the daylights out of it. Pennies from 1983 or earlier are copper. You want the h2s gas to come out. The copper oxide should bind some of the existing sulfur into something that will drop out of solution. Try not to cause a foam over.

 

[Txbigfoot]

I have a question. I am in week 3 now and i still see small bubbles. If I test the ABV and its low, can I add dextrose? Or should I leave it alone and chaulk it up. I followed the original page one recipe but used sucrose being a newbie... oh what i have learned. Thanks.

 

[Leadgolem]

I have a question. I am in week 3 now and i still see small bubbles. If I test the ABV and its low, can I add dextrose? Or should I leave it alone and chaulk it up. I followed the original page one recipe but used sucrose being a newbie... oh what i have learned. Thanks.

What do you mean when you test the ABV? Did you take a gravity reading after you mixed all your ingredients together?

An alcoholometer won't work correctly on a non-distilled liquid. The presence of the dissolved non-fermentables will give you an inaccurately low ABV measurement.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Pennies from 1983 or earlier are copper.

Almost. I think the changeover was mid 1982. They all contain zinc, nickel, etc back into the 1800s.

http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/fun_facts/?action=fun_facts2

 

[arborman]

Just curious, do most people carbonate this? Just by looking at this thread, I am thinking I will not carbonate. Also, once its done, is it best to drink it cold?

Gonna mix some up this weekend

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Just curious, do most people carbonate this? Just by looking at this thread, I am thinking I will not carbonate. Also, once its done, is it best to drink it cold?

Gonna mix some up this weekend

I do carbonate and serve it chilled. My advise would be to taste it warm and cool coming out of the fermenter. If you like it, great. If not, bottle carb a few and try it warm and cool. If you don't like any of them talk to someone more experienced in wine about acid blend and back sweetening.

 

[Leadgolem]

Almost. I think the changeover was mid 1982. They all contain zinc, nickel, etc back into the 1800s.

http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/fun_facts/?action=fun_facts2

I meant to say pre-1983. Though I had forgotten about the mixed production of the 1982 pennies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(United_States_coin)

Your link wouldn't load for me for some reason.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

I meant to say pre-1983. Though I had forgotten about the mixed production of the 1982 pennies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_%28United_States_coin%29

Your link wouldn't load for me for some reason.

Basically, new pennies are copper plated zinc. Less new pennies are alloys of copper/zinc/and other metals. Only extremely old pennies are solid copper. I wouldn't put them in my beer or wine. If you want copper I'd suggest a section of 1/2" copper pipe from your local hardware store.

 

[GenIke]

I just made my first batch of apfelwein and have a couple of questions. I followed Edworts recipe except I swapped 1lb of corn sugar for 1lb of dark brown sugar. I pitched on 3/18/13 and got a 1.060 og, and today I took a test and got 1.010. Fermentation temp = 61~62.

Does this look like roughly normal for a batch of apfelwein? My OG seemed low and my test seems high in my limited research.

 

[Leadgolem]

Basically, new pennies are copper plated zinc. Less new pennies are alloys of copper/zinc/and other metals. Only extremely old pennies are solid copper. I wouldn't put them in my beer or wine. If you want copper I'd suggest a section of 1/2" copper pipe from your local hardware store.

Oh, I'll eventually make a copper whisk for this. I just don't get h2s so often I've really needed it yet.

I just made my first batch of apfelwein and have a couple of questions. I followed Edworts recipe except I swapped 1lb of corn sugar for 1lb of dark brown sugar. I pitched on 3/18/13 and got a 1.060 og, and today I took a test and got 1.010. Fermentation temp = 61~62.

Does this look like roughly normal for a batch of apfelwein? My OG seemed low and my test seems high in my limited research.

Apple juice varies in sugar content both between manufactures and seasonally, so I don't think you are to much off the mark for your OG. Your FG does seem a little high. Are you sure it's stable? 3 consecutive reading being the same with at least a full day between readings.

I do have a concord wine that finished way higher then I expected. I let it sit in my bottling bucket for the last month and it's now dropped another 0.010. So, sometimes your fermentation hasn't stopped so much as slowed to a crawl.

 

[GenIke]

Apple juice varies in sugar content both between manufactures and seasonally, so I don't think you are to much off the mark for your OG. Your FG does seem a little high. Are you sure it's stable? 3 consecutive reading being the same with at least a full day between readings.

I do have a concord wine that finished way higher then I expected. I let it sit in my bottling bucket for the last month and it's now dropped another 0.010. So, sometimes your fermentation hasn't stopped so much as slowed to a crawl.

I dont really know if it's stable, this is the first time I've touched it since pitching. I just brought it upstairs which will raise the ambient temp to 67~68. I was planning on 4 weeks in primary and then batch age for a while in secondary.

 

[Leadgolem]

I dont really know if it's stable, this is the first time I've touched it since pitching. I just brought it upstairs which will raise the ambient temp to 67~68. I was planning on 4 weeks in primary and then batch age for a while in secondary.

That sounds about right. It's probably just slowed down a lot. If you have the same gravity reading in a week or so, then it's probably done.

 

[mdpickle]

Hi all from Halifax Nova, Scotia

I recently tried making my very first batch of apfelwein. This is my first attempt of brewing anything other than wine kits and fiesta brew so i'm a newbie.
My batch consisted of the following;

- 5 gallons of wal mart brand "great value" apple juice from concentrate.
- 1 pound of brown sugar
- 1 pound of dextrose
- Lavlin yeast, pretty sure it was 17b-122. The person at the local brewing center said it is the closest to the montrachet yeast.

I plan to add more dextrose at bottling time to carb it for more of a cider drink.

I was going to go with two pounds of brown sugar but I had problems with it mixing and dissolving in the applejuice. It must have been old. It was a bit dry and chunky. So I cut it down to 1 pound of brown sugar and dextrose.
I mixed it all up as suggested by most of the threads and youtube vids I have watched.

This was completed on March 24 and my initial gravity reading was 1.056. Completed at my parents house.

It was slow starting, but after a day or so it started working. The airlock looked like it was boiling from all of the bubbles.

Yesterday I went to check on it yesterday (April 8), and my father had told me that it has stopped working. (bubbles once about every 5 min or so). It has cleared quite a bit, however not as much as other finished products that I have seen on the threads. I realize that mine will be a bit darker because of the brown sugar, but I am unsure how clear it should get. I have posted a pic of that it looks like, taken yesterday. This means that it has been in the carboy for 15 days as of today.

My question is this. Due to the fact that it has pretty much stopped working, should I bottle it right away or should I leave it for the month (or longer) as suggested in the directions.

What should I do to achieve the best results?

 

[idrinkstuffnthings]

Hi all from Halifax Nova, Scotia

I recently tried making my very first batch of apfelwein. This is my first attempt of brewing anything other than wine kits and fiesta brew so i'm a newbie.
My batch consisted of the following;

- 5 gallons of wal mart brand "great value" apple juice from concentrate.
- 1 pound of brown sugar
- 1 pound of dextrose
- Lavlin yeast, pretty sure it was 17b-122. The person at the local brewing center said it is the closest to the montrachet yeast.

I plan to add more dextrose at bottling time to carb it for more of a cider drink.

I was going to go with two pounds of brown sugar but I had problems with it mixing and dissolving in the applejuice. It must have been old. It was a bit dry and chunky. So I cut it down to 1 pound of brown sugar and dextrose.
I mixed it all up as suggested by most of the threads and youtube vids I have watched.

This was completed on March 24 and my initial gravity reading was 1.056. Completed at my parents house.

It was slow starting, but after a day or so it started working. The airlock looked like it was boiling from all of the bubbles.

Yesterday I went to check on it yesterday (April 8), and my father had told me that it has stopped working. (bubbles once about every 5 min or so). It has cleared quite a bit, however not as much as other finished products that I have seen on the threads. I realize that mine will be a bit darker because of the brown sugar, but I am unsure how clear it should get. I have posted a pic of that it looks like, taken yesterday. This means that it has been in the carboy for 15 days as of today.

My question is this. Due to the fact that it has pretty much stopped working, should I bottle it right away or should I leave it for the month (or longer) as suggested in the directions.

What should I do to achieve the best results?

Try reading the New York Times through the carboy. Can't read it? Wait

 

[SFGiantsFan925]

Uh, no. Some smell is. That, probably not so much. If you have some, add some yeast nutrient. Then stick something copper in the fermentor and shake the daylights out of it. Pennies from 1983 or earlier are copper. You want the h2s gas to come out. The copper oxide should bind some of the existing sulfur into something that will drop out of solution. Try not to cause a foam over.

So, since I work for a fire department, and have not been home for 2 days, can I still do this tomorrow? I wrote the initial post as I was leaving the house for my shift.

Was I supposed to add yeast nutrient initially? I dont remember seeing that on the original recipe. I have some that I can add. And maybe a length of copper from a hardware store? Anything that needs to be done to it, other than sanitize it before placing into the carboy? Not sure if they typically have an oil or something on the outside of it.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

So, since I work for a fire department, and have not been home for 2 days, can I still do this tomorrow? I wrote the initial post as I was leaving the house for my shift.

Was I supposed to add yeast nutrient initially? I dont remember seeing that on the original recipe. I have some that I can add. And maybe a length of copper from a hardware store? Anything that needs to be done to it, other than sanitize it before placing into the carboy? Not sure if they typically have an oil or something on the outside of it.

You would definitely want to give the copper a bath with hot soapy water. Spray or dip it in a no rinse sanitizer and its good to go.

 

[bleme]

You would definitely want to give the copper a bath with hot soapy water. Spray or dip it in a no rinse sanitizer and its good to go.

Or boil it.

 

[citingzero]

So I made a 3 gallon batch 2 weeks ago. I didn't have a spare carboy but I did have a square 4 gallon mayo bucket. I filled it water and shook it around to see if it had a good seal. It didnt leak a drop. The initial idea was to drill a hole for an airlock, but I'm lazy so I just decided to put the top on and leave on corner open. Considering that there is about a gallon of space for the CO2 to sit in the bucket, I figured it would be fine. The question is should I close the bucket and occasionally vent it? Or should I just leave it assume that there isn't enough of a draft to clear the CO2?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Or boil it.

That would be best. Might have to boil one side then the other unless you boil a 5+ gallon pot.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I just did a scaling exercise to replace the sugar in EdWort's recipe with an equivalent amount of honey.

If you are interested in doing this, pick up a 40 oz. bottle of honey while you are picking up your 5 gallons of juice. One 40 oz. container of honey is almost exactly the perfect amount. How easy is that!?!

For each 1 gallon, 1/2 lb. or 8 oz. of honey (also a standard container size) will do the trick.

Just bottled my first 1-gallon batch replacing sugar with honey in the recipe - dry but very smooth and good apple notes. It's definitely more wine-like than cider-like. I did a few liters still and primed a few bottles. It is going to be fabulous this fall.

I'm going to throw together another 5-gallon batch with honey and hide it for a while and try to keep occupied with ciders and beers.

 

[whoaru99]

but I am unsure how clear it should get

Try reading the New York Times through the carboy. Can't read it? Wait

When I bottled mine at 9 weeks it was as clear as the bottled apple juice I started with. Since you used brown sugar it may be darker but I think it'd still clear with sufficient time.

 

[Txbigfoot]

$15.00 for 5 gallons of Tree Top Apple Juice from Costo or Sam's
$ 3.00 for 2 pounds of Dextrose
$ 0.79 for a packet of Red Star Montrachet Wine yeast

$18.79 for 5 gallons of kick your butt 8.5% Apfelwein or about 35 cents per 12 oz. serving.

Did that -racking week 2 still nawing

modified to add :
wineyeast wlp 720
1lb boiled raisins- cut in a bag
1lb dextrose
2lbs local honey
1cup light brown sugar
pissed off carbonition as it statted to ****- glad i moved to bathtub


I hope it uplaoded... looked explosive with "rhino farts"

Texas weather... u dont like it stick around- it changes. --Ugh

 

[Leadgolem]

So, since I work for a fire department, and have not been home for 2 days, can I still do this tomorrow? I wrote the initial post as I was leaving the house for my shift.

Was I supposed to add yeast nutrient initially? I dont remember seeing that on the original recipe. I have some that I can add. And maybe a length of copper from a hardware store? Anything that needs to be done to it, other than sanitize it before placing into the carboy? Not sure if they typically have an oil or something on the outside of it.

That would be best. Might have to boil one side then the other unless you boil a 5+ gallon pot.

Yeast nutrient was not called for in the original recipe. This recipe is borderline on whether you really need it or not. It sounds like you got a batch of juice that's particularly nutrient deficient. So you ended up with more of an issue then is typical.

Yes, it will still work, but the sooner the better. Over time h2s changes composition a little bit and the copper thing doesn't work anymore. I'm not exactly sure what the chemistry involved is, so don't ask.

Hmm, I'm not sure if hardware store pipes are oiled or coated in something either. I usually just use pennies. For safeties sake, I'd scrub them anyway, even though what you want is the copper oxide. The corroded copper. Really bright shiny copper isn't actually going to work as well.

Normally, you don't want to expose copper oxide to an acid. It has a tendency to come off into your liquid, and we want it in the brew not the sink. So, boiling would definitely be the best approach. I'm thinking the sanitizers would tend to remove the copper oxide. Yes, I know acids cause copper to oxidize. First they tend to dissolve the existing copper oxide so it washes away. So, not a great idea if you already have a reasonable amount of copper oxide.

I'm thinking, scrub, then treat with the oxidizing solution from here, then thoroughly rinse and boil the copper the next day.

I've got some vague plans to make a whisk out of some spare electrical lines. After you strip the sheathing, they aren't coated in anything else.

 

[tg123]

is it normal for fermentation to pause and resume again?
the level in the S-airlock had pretty much leveled out so I thought fermentation was complete. A couple of days later it seems to be back at it and producing CO2 again.
started it about 2.5wks ago. Maybe I'm just crazy and it's just due to temperature change.