Man, I love Apfelwein

[DerrangedPOJO]

aAAAA&AAap pp (iiiyttreww qq q a

Ok just read the posts after this one. Very funny! My daughter must of typed that msg.

 

[arborman]

So, I just mixed this up earlier today. Question: I see most of the sugar has fallen to the bottom, even though I mixed it up very well in a half full bottle, then poured in. Will this be an issue, and do I need to shake it up? My carboy is quite full, so actually shaking could prove to be a bad idea.

I am thinking the yeast will find the sugar on the bottom and its not a problem that its not diluted into the actual juice?

 

[lumpher]

So, I just mixed this up earlier today. Question: I see most of the sugar has fallen to the bottom, even though I mixed it up very well in a half full bottle, then poured in. Will this be an issue, and do I need to shake it up? My carboy is quite full, so actually shaking could prove to be a bad idea.

I am thinking the yeast will find the sugar on the bottom and its not a problem that its not diluted into the actual juice?

the yeasties will find it there

 

[Walter_Whites_Batch]

i just found a 2 year old quart bottle of it ( very well sealed ) earlier tonight, but i'd already had a few brews, so i left it alone. it's crystal clear, and i can read newspaper through it. gonna drink it tomorrow

...so, how was it?

 

[integra93ls]

If I bottle this into used 1gal wine jugs and use the used screw tops do you think it would be a problem? What if I added some sugar to carb it up? Would they hold the pressure ?

 

[Leadgolem]

I doubt the screwtops for the wine jugs would hold the pressure. A soda bottle and cap will though. Make sure it ferments dry, and use a priming sugar calculator. Like Rika said, it will go cloudy for a bit during the refermentation.

 

[integra93ls]

It has already fermented out, its been in Carboy for almost 2mo now

 

[scotty2]

Started my first batch on Saturday night. Used 2lbs of sucrose and pitched 2 packs of champagne yeast. Had my nutrients standing by. Less than 24 hours later, it took off like a shot and smells like cinnamon.

 

[Walter_Whites_Batch]

I put together my 3rd batch of this last night following Ed's recipe exactly. The Montrachet finally arrived in the mail, and I put 3 packages of it, 6lbs dextrose and 15 Gallons of pure %100 apple juice from Costco into my 54 litre demijohn. This brings my total made since March 29, 2013 to a whopping 100 litres, except the 1st 2 batches were made using Lalvin yeast. I've never tasted a drop of apfelwein before, so I 've placed a lot of faith in what surely must be the most popular recipe on this site.

 

[detlion1643]

My most recent batch (2nd one) was a disaster at bottling time. It was completely turned .

I let it sit in the primary for about 5 1/2 months before noticing that the airlock was drying up. Not completely dried up yet though. Filling it up again took a backburner to other things I was doing that day and a couple days later, noticed the airlock did not have enough liquid in it to prevent o2 from getting inside. O2 could've been exposed for a little less than half a day when I filled it up again.

Since I was bottling it in the coming weekend I didn't campden it or anything. In the bottling bucket I normally dissolve my campden with a little water. Did that and my normal bottling routine and tasted a sample. Very watery apple taste with a bitter aftertaste. Yuck! I could tell it was turning. I ended up with 23 bottles of it. Tried 1 a week later and it was even worse...

So, there ya have it. I ruined a 5 gallon batch in less than half a day after 5 1/2 months. Keep an eye on your airlocks folks, don't make my mistake...

Going for my 3rd batch of it tonight. Won't make the same mistake twice .

 

[high5apparatus]

Last night I poached pork chops in this cider with a little garam masala before broiling them with Montreal steak seasoning. Oh. Meh. GERD.

 

[Walter_Whites_Batch]

My most recent batch (2nd one) was a disaster at bottling time. It was completely turned .

I let it sit in the primary for about 5 1/2 months before noticing that the airlock was drying up. Not completely dried up yet though. Filling it up again took a backburner to other things I was doing that day and a couple days later, noticed the airlock did not have enough liquid in it to prevent o2 from getting inside. O2 could've been exposed for a little less than half a day when I filled it up again.

Since I was bottling it in the coming weekend I didn't campden it or anything. In the bottling bucket I normally dissolve my campden with a little water. Did that and my normal bottling routine and tasted a sample. Very watery apple taste with a bitter aftertaste. Yuck! I could tell it was turning. I ended up with 23 bottles of it. Tried 1 a week later and it was even worse...

So, there ya have it. I ruined a 5 gallon batch in less than half a day after 5 1/2 months. Keep an eye on your airlocks folks, don't make my mistake...

Going for my 3rd batch of it tonight. Won't make the same mistake twice .

That is sad to hear, but thanks for the tip. Reading through this thread (I think I have at least touched every page) I saw a lot of "put it together, and tuck it away and forget about it for 3 months minimum" I will be sure to check my airlocks daily. And since I am using vodka, I think it evaporates even more quickly. The peak fermentation in the 54 Litre Demijohn is amazing to watch. It almost looks like boiling water!

 

[Maverick22]

That is sad to hear, but thanks for the tip. Reading through this thread (I think I have at least touched every page) I saw a lot of "put it together, and tuck it away and forget about it for 3 months minimum" I will be sure to check my airlocks daily. And since I am using vodka, I think it evaporates even more quickly. The peak fermentation in the 54 Litre Demijohn is amazing to watch. It almost looks like boiling water!

Hey Walter, I didn't know you home brewed

Anyways I'm wondering this, everyone seems to put the cal on the airlock, does this not pop up during fermentation?

Oh, and please post pics :cross:

 

[Hawaiibboy]

Just got the dextrose and yeast for this! Need to pick up some juice and get to filling my carboy! Pics to come!

 

[Loodachris]

Finally put this in bottles a couple days ago after being the in the carboy for 2 months. My wife and I tried it and both think it needs to be a bit sweeter. What could I do to make this a bit sweeter and not so dry? Great apple and white wine flavor but really dry and we really don't want to add any Sprite or anything with carbonation. Any suggestions?

 

[Goofynewfie]

Finally put this in bottles a couple days ago after being the in the carboy for 2 months. My wife and I tried it and both think it needs to be a bit sweeter. What could I do to make this a bit sweeter and not so dry? Great apple and white wine flavor but really dry and we really don't want to add any Sprite or anything with carbonation. Any suggestions?

You could add nonfermentable sweeteners ex. Splenda

 

[detlion1643]

That is sad to hear, but thanks for the tip. Reading through this thread (I think I have at least touched every page) I saw a lot of "put it together, and tuck it away and forget about it for 3 months minimum" I will be sure to check my airlocks daily. And since I am using vodka, I think it evaporates even more quickly. The peak fermentation in the 54 Litre Demijohn is amazing to watch. It almost looks like boiling water!

Live and learn... I already had a replacement batch going the next day. Also picked up another better bottle to get a semi-rotation of it going. Everyone loves it and keeps wanting more, plus I want to get a stockpile of it going so I can age some for years without being tempted to open it because nothing else is around.

 

[bleme]

Finally put this in bottles a couple days ago after being the in the carboy for 2 months. My wife and I tried it and both think it needs to be a bit sweeter. What could I do to make this a bit sweeter and not so dry? Great apple and white wine flavor but really dry and we really don't want to add any Sprite or anything with carbonation. Any suggestions?

With it already bottled, I would just add a splash of apple juice when I serve it.

 

[Walter_Whites_Batch]

Well, I took my first taste of this stuff today at lunch time. It was 3 weeks old, and appeared to have stopped fermenting and was starting to clear, and I was dying to take a gravity reading.

It was around .997, looked clearer in the hydro tube, and tasted like a lightly sparkling dry white wine, with a hint of sour apple. I quite liked it, and did not find it too dry or too sour.. And this was using lalvin K1 V-116. I am quite relieved, because I have so much in the pipeline. I cannot wait to bottle carb, chill, age, and then drink lots of this. With the amount my wife and I drink and spend weekly on wine, This apfelwein just might save me a luxury car payment per month. (Up here in Quebec, a cheap bottle of 750ml of wine is $10)

 

[Carros]

If I ever get brave enough to open this thing, part of my next batch of Apfelwein is going to go in this.



Not sure I will be able to leave it sit for 40 years like what is in it now though...

 

[DerrangedPOJO]

If I ever get brave enough to open this thing, part of my next batch of Apfelwein is going to go in this.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80466824@N05/8662558094/

Not sure I will be able to leave it sit for 40 years like what is in it now though...

What is that?

 

[Carros]

A bottle of wine. There's not a whole lot that I can make out on the label anymore. What I can see is: produce of Italy, 1 gallon, red table wine. And the smaller label says it is from the 1973 harvest.

 

[DerrangedPOJO]

Sweet lookin bottle.

 

[carlk47]

Standard recipe Apfelwein on the right and a new batch of Cran-Apfelwein on the left!

 

[MrMonkey]

derp

 

[Cahowell]

My first apfelwein has been in the fermenter for 6 weeks now and it is still bubbling away. How much longer should I wait to bottle? I don't want any bombs.

 

[cimbaliw]

Edvard, you are the man! About 6 years ago I took the wife and son to Europe. on the way back we had an 8 hour layover in Frankfurt. We took an opportunity to ride the high speed train into town. For lunch I had a frankfurter and apfelwein. I really enjoyed the apfelwein but never thought I'd have it again.

I was thrilled to find your recipe and now have three batches going. At the 5 month mark, I've bottled two gallons worth of the first 5 gallon batch. Your recipe crushes the "bottled too soon" German street vendor stuff. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Bill C.

 

[arborman]

Well, my batch had a blow out and I had to rig up a blow off tube. Totally did not expect this after reading through this thread. Has anyone else had this happen?

 

[Wings13]

Well, my batch had a blow out and I had to rig up a blow off tube. Totally did not expect this after reading through this thread. Has anyone else had this happen?

What yeast did you use?

 

[arborman]

What yeast did you use?

Well, I used Notti, which I've found many others have used. Another change was I used table sugar, not corn sugar. Watcha think?