Man, I love Apfelwein

[nealf]

Just ordered the yeast. Gonna use Lalvin EC-1118, can't get the montrachet here (JHB, South Africa) so we'll see how it comes out.

I'm going to pitch 10g in, should I just go ahead and make a starter according to John Palmer? (How to Brew - By John Palmer - Preparing Yeast and Yeast Starters)

It would probably be easier and quicker to just pitch 2 packets of yeast.

 

[gramps]

I have made an attempt to make this recipe..However I have a few questions.
1. Can I use sure jell pectin it contains dextrose/citric acid and fruit pectin
2. For the acid nuetralizer could I use some sodium bicarbonate?
I live in the country and it's a long way almost 65 miles to the nearest brew shop. Thanks

 

[deepsouth]

I have made an attempt to make this recipe..However I have a few questions.
1. Can I use sure jell pectin it contains dextrose/citric acid and fruit pectin
2. For the acid nuetralizer could I use some sodium bicarbonate?
I live in the country and it's a long way almost 65 miles to the nearest brew shop. Thanks

health food stores sell dextrose as well. if you have one near you, you may give them a shot.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I have made an attempt to make this recipe..However I have a few questions.
1. Can I use sure jell pectin it contains dextrose/citric acid and fruit pectin
2. For the acid nuetralizer could I use some sodium bicarbonate?
I live in the country and it's a long way almost 65 miles to the nearest brew shop. Thanks

DO NOT ADD PECTIN! It will cause your apfelwein to be extremely cloudy & never clear. I always add pectic enzyme to help break down the pectins that are naturally in juice/fruit. If you cannot get dextrose (corn sugar) you can use ordinary, everyday white cane sugar, the same stuff in your sugarbowl. Regards, GF.

 

[Nablis]

I have some apfelwein that is about 10 months old. I drank 2 22ozs the other day and man I had a horrid hangover. I actually threwup the next mourning.

I would be interesed in fermenting this at a lower temp to reduce higher alcohols and see if that helps.

 

[knappster]

I'm looking to buy some supplies for this from Midwest Supplies online. They have 1 pound bags of corn sugar for $2.00 each or a 4 lb. bag for $4.95. I've thought about getting the 4 lb. bag so I can use it multiple times, but is there much of a risk of infecting it during measuring? I assume priming sugar is normally boiled in order to sanitize it, but I saw no mention of boiling the corn sugar in EdWort's recipe.

I'm interested in your guys' opinions. Thanks

 

[Hegh]

I'm looking to buy some supplies for this from Midwest Supplies online. They have 1 pound bags of corn sugar for $2.00 each or a 4 lb. bag for $4.95. I've thought about getting the 4 lb. bag so I can use it multiple times, but is there much of a risk of infecting it during measuring? I assume priming sugar is normally boiled in order to sanitize it, but I saw no mention of boiling the corn sugar in EdWort's recipe.

I'm interested in your guys' opinions. Thanks

Sugar is like salt -- when it's pure, it will kill anything by dehydration. Don't worry about it, but keep it dry and sealed.

 

[masonsjax]

I kegged my first batch of apfelwein last week. It's only a little over 2 months old, but I was having some friends in town and wanted to have it available for them. My opinion, meh, it's ok. I'm not a huge fan of white wines in general and to me this tastes like a slightly appley, cheap chardonnay. I kinda like it but it's not really my bag baby. As soon as my friends leave I'm gonna put the keg back in storage for another couple of months and try it again then.

 

[rmchair]

Anybody have any luck using the fresh hard-pressed juice from costco? The juice starts out cloudy. I got one that doesn't seem to be clearing up 6 weeks out and tastses pretty rank. Not sure if it spoiled or what. I guess i will sit on it for awhile longer.

 

[JSherwood]

So, I kegged my first 3 gallon batch of Apfelwein a few weeks ago. Followed the original recipe (ended up 8.51% ABV), and even though It's still a bit "green", it's getting better by the day (maybe that's just me acquiring the taste for dry Apfelwein). The next batch will be much better as I threw it together shortly after my first batch (now 7 weeks old), and it will be aging as long as it takes for the first one to go. I am currently fermenting 5 gallons to bottle for Christmas Presents as well. Gotta love this stuff!

 

[wcarter1227]

heres a pic of my supercarbed apfelwein 2 months in the bottle. Wow, this stuff gets so much better with time. After 1 month in bottles it was slightly carbed with a strong yeast bite and smell and a huge alcohol burn. Now after 2 months in the bottle this stuff has started to lose the yeast bite, the burn is almost gone, and its insanely carbed. I opened up a 1 liter swingtop bottle and it blew off like a bottle of champagne.

Here is a link to a pic.

Warren Carter's Photos | Facebook

Cheers to Ed and his amazing recipe!

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I'm not a huge fan of white wines in general and to me this tastes like a slightly appley, cheap chardonnay.

Have you carbed it yet? I'm of the same opinion, when it's flat: cheap white wine! However, the carbonation takes it to a whole different place, and it becomes refreshing and very enjoyable.

 

[RandalG]

Cracked open a couple of 5 month old bombers yesterday.This stuff really does get better with age. The apple flavor is really starting to shine through.Also tasted buttery to me. Anyone else notice that?

 

[masonsjax]

Have you carbed it yet?

Yeah, I carbed it. I don't know, it's definitely dryer than tyour typical hard cider, but it still tastes too sweet to me. I had OG of 1.066, FG 0.996. Maybe I just need to let it age longer, but to me i's similar to some of the cheap local white wines in the MD/VA area, only carbonated. I do like the kick it has, and how simple it is to make, I just wish I loved the flavor as well.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Yeah, I carbed it. I don't know, it's definitely dryer than tyour typical hard cider, but it still tastes too sweet to me. I had OG of 1.066, FG 0.996. Maybe I just need to let it age longer, but to me i's similar to some of the cheap local white wines in the MD/VA area, only carbonated. I do like the kick it has, and how simple it is to make, I just wish I loved the flavor as well.

Give it time.... its an acquired taste for some people. I served this at an event in June and the people raved about how good it was. I had people who lived in Germany for 10+ years tell me its as good if not better than what they drank when they were there. These people were not beer drinkers either, just cider and wine.

 

[Cincy_Ron]

Does anyone know approx how many calories are in a 12 oz. serving? I'm trying to slim down, watch what I eat and all that. I'm guessing at least a couple hundred based on the alcohol content but honestly I have no idea how to figure it out...

Looking forward to that buttery taste I've seen others mention.

 

[Hegh]

Does anyone know approx how many calories are in a 12 oz. serving? I'm trying to slim down, watch what I eat and all that. I'm guessing at least a couple hundred based on the alcohol content but honestly I have no idea how to figure it out...

Looking forward to that buttery taste I've seen others mention.

If you go back a few pages, you'll find someone asking how many carbs are in this. I posted a calculation showing the approximate residual sugars (I don't remember the result). That'd be a good start for you.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Accidentally opened a bottle of this last night.
Returned from long weekend vacation and needed a couple beers to downshift before bed. had a Wit from the keezer and found a bottle of what I thought was an old extract batch I had done with a buddy to show him the process. opened and thought....hmm not much carbonation. Started pouring and thought, man, this thing will not foam at all and hmm..that's wierd, never saw the yeast layer come towards the neck at all. Upon lifting the bottle to look inside I smelled my doom. Whoops. this was the bottle I put in to chill after bottling my apfelwein last week. Only had one 12oz bottle and one beer, but on a very tired body. Son woke me up at 2:30 with either teething pains or a nightmare. Regardless it was hellacious screaming for a half hour and I'd had 2 hours sleep after my Apfelwein. Felt like a full on hangover!!

 

[RecruitNBrew]

Just had to add my 2 cents...

So I mixed up the first batch of Apfelwein and through it in my bedroom closet. The next evening, my wife comes out of our room and asks me, "Did you just let out a bad fart?"

I went into the room and smiled with delight at the sweet sulfuric acid eminating from the airlock. I said, "Honey that is a wonderful smell because it means that the yeast is working hard and doing its job"

She gave me that You're an Idiot look and stomped out of the room. To be nice, I moved it into a hall closet and stuffed a towel under the door to contain the odor. In a sick way, I kind of enjoy the smell because it makes me think of how good the finished product will be. In fact, I'm gonna stuff my head in the closet when I get home tonight. :cross:

Disclaimer: She is pregnant, so I did the nice thing and moved it to avoid sleeping on the couch!

 

[JSherwood]

My first two batches smelled horribly (But it's not tough to get used to), however this last batch, made with Safeway brand Apple Juice (No preservatives other than Vitamin C) didn't have much of a smell to it at all. The yeasties are definitely still hard at work though, so that may be an option for some of you who can't stand the smell. It was a bit more expensive, but I was there, and it worked.

 

[celts]

about how long do you bottle condition before you are able to drink it? I know patience is my friend, so I'm willing to wait, but I'm just looking for round numbers. This will be my 3rd homebrew. Its been in the primary for about 1.5 months at 64 degrees. Any input?

 

[Dloucks]

So, I'm 5415 posts late to the party. But I sloshed up my first batch of this yesterday afternoon.

happily churning away this morning.

This is the first since I started brewing (~2 years) that I've had all of my fermenters going at once (well, I will have them all going this afternoon when I brew BM Cent Blond)

 

[RandalG]

about how long do you bottle condition before you are able to drink it? I know patience is my friend, so I'm willing to wait, but I'm just looking for round numbers. This will be my 3rd homebrew. Its been in the primary for about 1.5 months at 64 degrees. Any input?

My first batch was drinkable after 11 weeks counting 8 in the fermenter and 3 in the bottle but I carbed mine. Just tried some the other day after 5 months and it was much better though.

 

[Drew_101]

I tried mine for the first time last night it stayed in the fermenter for 11 weeks then I carbed it in bottles. It hasn't been in the bottle for about a 1 1/2 weeks and this stuff is awesome. I am glad I started another batch like Edwort suggested. Thanks Edwort...

 

[knappster]

I bought a better bottle online specifically for this. I just "brewed" a batch today hoping that I'll be able to leave it in the bottles until Christmas time. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to start another in 2 weeks.

BTW, I went to Sam's and had to get 8 of the 86 oz. bottles of Mott's to get enough. It was like 4.76 per 2-pack I think. My total cost was probably be less than $25 besides the equipment I bought for it.

I'll check back with you in a few months when I bottle

 

[ODP]

Does anyone know approx how many calories are in a 12 oz. serving? I'm trying to slim down, watch what I eat and all that. I'm guessing at least a couple hundred based on the alcohol content but honestly I have no idea how to figure it out...

Looking forward to that buttery taste I've seen others mention.

Watching what you eat will be harder if you leave your avatar like that! If that were me, I'd get hungry for a burger everytime I logged into HBT

 

[IrregularPulse]

Watching what you eat will be harder if you leave your avatar like that! If that were me, I'd get hungry for a burger everytime I logged into HBT

That does look why a Mighty Tasty Burger!

 

[Liquisky]

I just cracked open a bottle that bulk aged for 3 months then in the bottle for 6. It's really really good. It tasted like crap the last time I tasted it 3 months ago. This really has to age at least 9 months to appreciate.

 

[KCPyrate]

How did this turn out for those of you who tried Lalvin 71B-1122?

I went into my LHBS and asked for Montrachet but she talked me out of it saying this was almost the same without the sulfury aromas.

 

[BigNastyBrew]

Gonna do this one real soon. I'm sure it's in here somewhere but how about strict temp control on this one? "Room Temperature" for me is 74-80°. I sure as hell don't want fusels in this thing.

At bare minimum, if I were to control it to 68-72 for a week or so (during yeast development), could I simply "let it go" after that?