Man, I love Apfelwein

[balrog]

Quick research says bubbly, but not like champagne, although that is my preference. Chilled? Oh yes. And I suppose served from a Bembel (stoneware pitcher) in a geripptes glass.

 

[MaxStout]

I've made this 5 or 6 times and have experimented with various levels of carbonation. For me, about 2 volumes seems to be about right. Once I carbed one up to 3 vols, but it had too much bite, as the Apfelwein is dry to begin with. Stille (no carb) is good, too.

And yeah, served ice-cold.

 

[balrog]

Yeah, there is such a thing as too much bubbly, I agree with @MaxStout . I"ve only made it about 8 times, which is about 200 times too few for my grown kids who clean me out when they come to visit.

 

[MaxStout]

I can never have too much of this on hand. Not everyone I know likes beer, but they love some Apfelwein. They are shocked to learn it's just store-bought juice, some sugar and a one-buck packet of yeast.

 

[thefojizzle]

Question guys,
I started a batch a while back. Something seemed off when the yeast wasn’t bubbling like it usually does. I finally got a correct hydrometer and measured today…..zero alcohol content. Any suggestions to revamp this batch or do I have to scrap it and start another? Thanks in advance.

 

[balrog]

How long is a while back?

 

[thefojizzle]

August, but past batches I’ve made has had abv fairly quickly

 

[balrog]

Taste the hydrometer sample. Sour or off putting like old sneaker sweat or the underside of a yak? Toss. Apple juice? Thtow another montrachet pkg at it, or whatever name they use these days for Montrachet.

 

[thefojizzle]

I’ll try that and post results. Thanks a ton for the quick response. So bummed. Never had this happen in 5 yrs of making this. I bought a pack of yeast. Hope they aren’t all duds.

 

[marc1]

Question guys,
I started a batch a while back. Something seemed off when the yeast wasn’t bubbling like it usually does. I finally got a correct hydrometer and measured today…..zero alcohol content. Any suggestions to revamp this batch or do I have to scrap it and start another? Thanks in advance.

Just to be clear, did the hydrometer give a reading of 0 potential alcohol, or is it reading the same specific gravity that it did when you started the batch?
Or are you trying to measure ABV directly from the hydrometer (reads in % alcohol)?
What is the specific gravity now?

 

[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:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/
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:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/
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.