Man, I love Apfelwein

[smurfjuice]

Just bottled 10 gallons of this fine spirit. i use 3 gallons apple, 2 gallons grape.
and montrachet yeast per 5 gallons. comes out great ...

 

[GNBrews]

As most have also noticed, Apfelwein tastes better after a good aging period. Does anyone know the chemistry/process that facilitates this?

 

[Rys06Tbss]

I belive it's called ageification

 

[GNBrews]

I belive it's called ageification

I'm not sure that's actually a word.

 

[Rys06Tbss]

It is now. I just made it. Actually I Google it and there wasn't any actual proof that the word exists.

 

[elkshadow]

As most have also noticed, Apfelwein tastes better after a good aging period. Does anyone know the chemistry/process that facilitates this?

There is tons of stuff on Google about general science of wine aging but I've searched a lot and can't find anything specific to apple wine/cider. With regular wine there are lots of processes at play but apple wine just doesn't seem as complex as grape wine. *shrugs

 

[GNBrews]

There is tons of stuff on Google about general science of wine aging but I've searched a lot and can't find anything specific to apple wine/cider. With regular wine there are lots of processes at play but apple wine just doesn't seem as complex as grape wine. *shrugs

Yeah, I was seeing the same thing. The only thing that sounds fitting is a maybe a malolactic component...reducing the really potent malic acid to a "softer" lactic acid. If indeed that's the case, maybe we should be selecting a fermentation profile (and yeast) that facilitates that process.

 

[pfytche]

My pressed apple juice i bought is cloudy from carton. Will this clear or should i add some pectolase when finished fermenting?

 

[Karson]

Just kegged this after a 4 week run in the primary. It tastes great now, I can't imagine how well it will improve with some aging.

 

[Renoun]

I've not been a fan of the apfelwein batches I've made until I've modified them. One got an addition of ginger that greatly improved it. I also just bottled a five month old batch that wasn't all that great until I dry hopped it, half an once of my home grown whole leave Yakima Goldings for a week in a three gallon batch has been awesome.

 

[Gareth68]

I hope I like it as much as everyone else, since I now have 17 gallons going.

 

[Pontiac_Guy]

Wow that's some balls right there. I hope you do too.

 

[emarshallp]

So, would you ferment and store this at @ 70 deg. F. for the six to nine months? Or would you do the primary ferm. for the first mo. at 70 deg. and then age at say 55 deg.? That is my basement temp almost year round, and where I age wine.

 

[atli126]

If mine is not sweet enough I just add about 5 cans of apple juice concentrate to a keg and it brings it right around to amazing

 

[BrewerBear]

So, would you ferment and store this at @ 70 deg. F. for the six to nine months? Or would you do the primary ferm. for the first mo. at 70 deg. and then age at say 55 deg.? That is my basement temp almost year round, and where I age wine.

Your good to age it at cellar temps. I would try temp keep primary under 70 if you can though.

 

[emarshallp]

Thanks for the advice. I am actually at 68.3 deg.

 

[EdWort]

The weather has finally cooled off in Texas, so time to whip up a 10 gallon batch.

It's been a long while.

 

[BrewerBear]

The weather has finally cooled off in Texas, so time to whip up a 10 gallon batch.

It's been a long while.

Haven't seen you on here in quite awhile,glad to see you're still around.

 

[Edless]

Dunno if this applies in the USA, but up here in Canadaland, Safeway has their own proprietary brand of pure apple juice. When it goes on sale, its for fifty cents a litre ($2 a gallon). My poor, poor liver....

 

[Pyg]

I am thinking of giving this recipe a spin, just 2 questions:

1-can I do the primary in my bucket instead of a carboy?

2- how is this different than other apple wines?

 

[atimmerman88]

I am thinking of giving this recipe a spin, just 2 questions:

1-can I do the primary in my bucket instead of a carboy?

2- how is this different than other apple wines?

1 - Buckets are cool.

2 - what other apple wines? I didn't know there was anything else besides Apfelwein, it's pretty much the bomb.com

 

[Frostbrewer]

I've made 15 gallons of this delicious treat. Fermented at or around 72-74 each time like the first post says to.

EdWort I have temp control to whatever I need, should I be fermenting less than 70?

This stuff truly does age beautifully. current kegged batch was batch aged three months. I have another batch in primary, hoping to.go for at least 6. Should I be racking to a secondary fermentor?

Lastly, I like the idea of adding apple concentrate like mentioned above. If I added this as I racked to keg, would it act as priming sugar and carb for me? Or would that be possible

 

[Subdivisions]

I've made 15 gallons of this delicious treat. Fermented at or around 72-74 each time like the first post says to.

EdWort I have temp control to whatever I need, should I be fermenting less than 70?

This stuff truly does age beautifully. current kegged batch was batch aged three months. I have another batch in primary, hoping to.go for at least 6. Should I be racking to a secondary fermentor?

Lastly, I like the idea of adding apple concentrate like mentioned above. If I added this as I racked to keg, would it act as priming sugar and carb for me? Or would that be possible

The idea of concentrate is to backsweeten it. You'd want to keep the keg cold so that it wouldn't ferment any more. The carbonation comes from your co2 tank. I think the wine yeast likes the mid 70s

 

[Dominic1920]

eed, should I be fermenting less than 70?

This stuff truly does age beautifully. current kegged batch was batch aged three months. I have another batch in primary, hoping to.go for at least 6. Should I be racking to a secondary fermentor?

I've never been able to keep it around that long, someday I hope to allow it to age a bit....

 

[Pyg]

1 - Buckets are cool.

2 - what other apple wines? I didn't know there was anything else besides Apfelwein, it's pretty much the bomb.com

APPLE JUICE WINE
from good ole jack keller.

1 gal fresh or bottled apple juice
SG to 1.090
1 tsp acid blend
1-2/3 tsp pectic enzyme
1/4 to 1/2 tsp tannin
1-1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
Lalvin 1118

After the wine cleared and degassed I bottled and stored on shelf for a year before drinking.

 

[spark_plug]

Had a few bottles of this aging for a year and a half, pulled one out the other day and I will say A-FREAKIN-MAZING! This mellows out soooo nice after aging, no sharp taste and super smooth. Its worth triple batching to have some aging.

 

[Recluse]

Had a few bottles of this aging for a year and a half, pulled one out the other day and I will say A-FREAKIN-MAZING! This mellows out soooo nice after aging, no sharp taste and super smooth. Its worth triple batching to have some aging.

Was this still or carbed? I have noticed that aging doesn't do much for the Apfelwein I bottle prime (in fact I sometimes get off flavors), but the stuff I bottled STILL improves just as you have said. I prefer it carbonated, and it goes pretty fast, but I am going to start putting away a bottle or two from each batch directly into wine bottles before priming.

 

[spark_plug]

Yes I bottle still, I have carbbed some as well and really enjoyed it. But when I hit the taps its always for beer.

 

[devoted101]

well, 3 years ago I made plum wine for the first time because my plum tree had a bumper crop. I had never done it before, but my grandfather used to always make wine and he has given me all of his old stuff since he is 92 and not making wine anymore.

I basically just asked a brew shop, besides the hardware, what do I need?

Believe it or not, it turned out really nice. Oddly, the consistency was a bit strange, but the flavor and strength were great. I never used my hydrometer because frankly, I don't know how.

I am not a complete idiot, I have 4 college degrees and I'm bilingual, but sometimes I get too excited to do my homework and I jump right into things like a 5 year old.

ANYway, my aunt and uncle had a decent amount of apples left on their trees when I paid them a visit in early October so I picked a bushel of apples, juiced them, DID NOT pasteurize the juice, which gave me about 2 gallons of juice, then added a gallon of apple cider from the farmer's market (not exactly market, I live in farm country so basically farmer bob's apple cider - which is pasteurized).

Now, idiot me thinking my carboy was 5 gallons (in actuality it is 3 gallons) proceeded to use EdWort's recipe.. for 5 gallons. My dextrose had not arrived so i scrounged the house for sugar. I used maybe a cup of corn syrup, honey, some molasses, brown sugar, and regular white sugar. I was not trying to be creative and take risks, I just wanted what I felt would be about 2 lbs. of sweetner for my 3 gallons (which I somehow still was thinking could be 5 gallons), and I used the montrachet yeast - and followed the recipe and instructions as laid out.

I had an additional 3 gallons of bought apple cider that is in another carboy.

I did watch some instructional videos on youtube, and I did sanitize as per directed - so there is that... at least...

So, I put in the bungs, the airlocks with the vodka, and put them in the same place in the basement where I did the plum wine.

24 hours later....

The carboy that is 2/3 freshly juiced apples and 1/3 farmer/store bought apple cider ERUPTED overnight. Not a considerable amount but it was like a foam that had somewhat hardened into clay-like apple smelling brown goo.

I cleaned up the mess, re-sanitized the bung and airlock, popped it back in, and left it. Meanwhile, the carboy with 3 gallons of farmer/store bought apple cider was fine.

Juicy-Phresh was "breathing" as I could witness with the airlock, while Phat-Farm was, for lack of a better term, effervescent, but not "breathing" as noticeably at least.

5 weeks later... (aka Present Day)

Juicy-Phresh and Phat-Farm are drastically different colors, yellow and brown respectively, both with about the same amount of sediment at the bottom. Juicy-Phresh is cloudier than Phat-Farm as well. (The names are just to be more fun than saying carboy A & B and I have no intention to call it that when drinking.. well, I mean, depends on how much I drink I guess...)

I still see some little bubbles in Phat-Farm, there is a bit of foam on Juicy-Phresh but no mold or foul odor. They both smell, basically, like apple cider. No vinegar smell, no off smell. I've included some pictures...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qb40hxn9iqt8450/apfelwein.jpg?dl=0

Comments? Advice? What Say You?

 

[Pyg]

Started a batch of Apple (not sure if I call it wine or Apfelwein)

The Cider is made up of Macs,(75%) Ellis Bitter (17%) Northern Spy (8%). The pH is 3.4 and the gravity is 1.060.

3 gallons, fresh apple cider
1 teaspoon, acid blend
1 teaspoon, yeast nutrient
1 1/4 teaspoon, pectic enzyme

(rough estimate, since my notes are at home)
it is currently bubbling away. I am considering throwing an apple or 2 in there to add some body, before it finishes fermenting.