Man, I love Apfelwein

[thefojizzle]

Awesome. Thanks!

 

[MaxStout]

Awesome. Thanks!

Until then, drink the ones you didn't prime.

 

[Beermeister32]

Ciders benefit from about 90 days aging if you can resist drinking them. 3 weeks conditioning time is about right depending where you store the bottles. In winter, sometimes bottles are stored in colder areas which can lengthen the carbonating time.

 

[squibload]

Bottled first batch, cleared up pretty good. A little tart, a little sweet from the priming sugar.
I'll leave it alone as long as I can. That shouldn't be too hard, I have a 2-hearted IPA clone that I forgot all about, 2 weeks plus, turned out pretty good.

 

[scubatech]

Have a 5G batch of Ed's Apfelwein in my SS Brewbuilt. iSpindel says it has been at 1.000 for about 4 days. Was going to add k-sorbate and k-meta and then keg as I need the conical for next batch. But I have read that cider is an evolving thing that gets better with age if you don't stabilize it. Adding sorbates and sulfites would keep the cider from aging wouldn't it, since they essentially stabilize it? Not worried about fermentation continuing so much as I just don't want it turning to vinegar either. FYI, it's sitting at 8.27%

 

[Beermeister32]

I still have about 24 bottles of a batch of cider I made 3 years ago in dark storage. It's still in great shape. If I were you I'd back sweeten it with Splenda, keg it with a 5 oz charge of corn sugar and call it a day. Stabilizers not really needed, if there is any residual sugar (not much if you are at 1.00) it will just carbonate the keg a bit. Let the keg sit out at room temp in a cooler area in your residence for several weeks, that will uptake any 02. Let it age out 90 days. It does make a difference on ciders.

 

[tagnik]

A bottle of the Apfelwein. Been using this recipe for years now.

Bloodrock?

 

[Vrishnak]

I have to give you credit. You managed to find just about every site I've used Vrishnak on.

 

[friarsmith]

I must have scrolled past the “Man I love Apfelwein” link in New Posts a dozen times this month.

Today, I figured “what the hell is this all about” and went down the rabbit hole. Guess a Costco run for juice is in my future.

I may take the ingredients tomorrow to a Big Brew Day event. I’ll be done, relaxing with a beer while everyone else is sweating over their kettles

 

[balrog]

I must have scrolled past the “Man I love Apfelwein” link in New Posts a dozen times this month.

Today, I figured “what the hell is this all about” and went down the rabbit hole. Guess a Costco run for juice is in my future.

I may take the ingredients tomorrow to a Big Brew Day event. I’ll be done, relaxing with a beer while everyone else is sweating over their kettles

Don't forget the activated charcoal for the inevitable Rhino Farts
If I don't use activated charcoal over the airlock, the basement do get smelly.

 

[friarsmith]

That is a great idea!

 

[balrog]

That is a great idea!

Not my original idea; someone here had a yogurt container, a small disc of cloth, cut to fit the three piece airlock, maybe some McGuyver duct tape and dental floss. I dumbed it down to painters tape. I suggest hop sock of charcoal and painters tape. Less messy to de-install. At least without a shop vac.

 

[TheWhale13]

One of my first real homebrews, tastes pretty great with both sparkling water and sprite. Thanks for this, will make more.

 

[squibload]

In the bottles
in the basement
they been sit-tin all this time.
Done forgot they
were a down there
gotta try my Apfelwein!

If you sang that you're a folk song genius.
Or just really old.
I put two more batches away as well, have only tried the first one
(too soon), not bad, tasted kinda like cider. That was a few moons ago.
They better be good. 'Course there's no effort involved in waiting, and
I've been making simple ciders & depleting my stock of HB ales, tasty imports,
etc. Maybe I'll brew again tomorrow, supposed to be cool.

 

[bracconiere]

Or just really old.

or really young, and can't make out the words or meaning of a song? just think it sounds kewl?

Maybe I'll brew again tomorrow, supposed to be cool.

brewing is always cool! don't let them tell you different!

 

[squibload]

I don't know if it was "Clementine" I was hearing in my head, or something like that, I don't even know the words to that any more. Maybe I'm just up too late.
Again...

 

[Willnel11]

Just kegged my batch from October of last year. Can’t wait to dig into it once it’s carbonated. Smelled fantastic.

 

[MilesBFree]

I started reading all 341 pages but didn't get through it all

Any recommendations or concensus on apple variety? I am heading to an apple orchard bear here to pick apples - they have winesaps which are my favorite eating apples. Winesaps are one of the standards for cider. But I love Granny Smiths in pies. Different horses for different courses...

What will give best flavor for apfelwine?

 

[balrog]

I started reading all 341 pages but didn't get through it all

Any recommendations or concensus on apple variety? I am heading to an apple orchard bear here to pick apples - they have winesaps which are my favorite eating apples. Winesaps are one of the standards for cider. But I love Granny Smiths in pies. Different horses for different courses...

What will give best flavor for apfelwine?

I use Motts.
Juice.
Can't help you with using real apples.

 

[MilesBFree]

I split the difference - the orchard had winesap cider (not alcoholic, so basically un- or less-processed apple juice).

I have a chokecherry wine started in the primary fermenter needing to go for another day or two and will rack to a carboy this weekend, and start the apfelwine then.

 

[bleme]

In my very limited experience, my favorite has been the TreeTop 3 Apple Blend, which is Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious. I’d expect GS and Winesap would go great together.

 

[MilesBFree]

A few questions on my batch, which is about ready for bottling:

1. It has kind of a flat taste; I may be expecting more of an alcohol bite and more acid as other fruits wines I have made have had.

I can't remember if I added acid blend but think I followed EdWort's recipe fairly closely.

In any event, i pulled a bit out of the carboy with a wine thief and added some acid blend and sugar and it tastes better but still not great. I am wondering if the airlock wasn't air-tight and it has gotten a bit oxygenated?

2. Why dextrose instead of plain ol' white sugar? I used white sugar since it was what I had on hand. Could that have resulted in the flat flavor?

3. Has anyone made it with more sugar to get the alcohol level up (in case I am just missing that bite...)?

4. Or do I just need to bottle it and wait a year? Is the initial flavor usually meh and it gets a LOT better over time?

 

[Miraculix]

4. Yes.

 

[MilesBFree]

Thanks @Miraculix, I will bottle it and let it ride.

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks @Miraculix, I will bottle it and let it ride.

It's just how it is... These things don't taste right when they are coming out of the fermenter.

 

[MilesBFree]

Yep. I know they get better with age. But this one seemed worse than most of the other ones I have made. e.g., I bottled a chokecherry and a rhubarb (separate ones) today as well, and the chokecherry was nearly drinkable now and the rhubarb you can se what it will become. The appfelwine was just blah compared to those.

But I added some acid blend and sugar after bottling (along with K-sorbate) and the appfelwine is tasting better, more like I can see it getting with the program after a year

Thanks again.

 

[Miraculix]

Yep. I know they get better with age. But this one seemed worse than most of the other ones I have made. e.g., I bottled a chokecherry and a rhubarb (separate ones) today as well, and the chokecherry was nearly drinkable now and the rhubarb you can se what it will become. The appfelwine was just blah compared to those.

But I added some acid blend and sugar after bottling (along with K-sorbate) and the appfelwine is tasting better, more like I can see it getting with the program after a year

Thanks again.

You probably shouldn't have done that actually.... At least some bottles without the additions would have been nice to have a direct comparison in eight months.

 

[Beermeister32]

I always ago out ciders 90 days. They really improve in flavor.

 

[balrog]

Question for the others here who have made this, as I have, many many times.
I love the upstate NY Beak & Skiff Cranberry 1911 cider.
I'm thinking I could do something fairly close with ApfelWein and cranberry juice.

Anybody ever put cranberry in their ApfelWein? How much? How tart?

 

[MilesBFree]

You probably shouldn't have done that actually.... At least some bottles without the additions would have been nice to have a direct comparison in eight months.

Good idea - I should have saved at least one so I would know.