TVarmy
Well-Known Member
5 gallons. On the wiki, it said 7.5 oz made for a good carbonation. I'm a bit squeemish about bottle bombs, though, so unless I get near unanimous advice to go for it, I'll just go with 3/4 cup, as with beer.
Man, I love Apfelwein
- Thread starter EdWort
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I think going up to 1 cup would probably be a good compromise. I bought a kitchen scale so I weigh everything. There is a lot of variability in going by volume and the fact that so many people DO it by volume and get good results means there is a lot of leeway here.
I heard a funny (and so true) quote on an old Basic Brewing Radio podcast to the effect that "The major flavor constituent in the classic American Light Lager is CO2"
I have 5 gallons of apfelwine fermenting right now. I used apple juice but it was not filtered so it looks more like apple cider than juice. I'm guessing that this will not clear up with time. Has anyone else made apfelwine with unfiltered apple juice? I'm sure it isn't going to effect the taste but drinking a murky wine just doens't sound appetizing to me. Do you think putting some gelatin in it would clear it up?
It may well clear with no intervention but time. Rather than gelatin, I would try adding some pectinase (aka pectic enzyme). It is usually added at the beginning of fermentation, but there is probably a window of opportunity before any pectin really sets up. I made a cyser with really cloudy chunky natural apple juice adding pectinase at the beginning and it went crystal clear, though it may have anyway.
The classic German Apfelwein is actually cloudy!
Apfelwein lovers...
I bottled my first batch yesterday, after patiently awaiting the arrival of a new hydrometer so I could check the final specific gravity [0.998, incidentally]. I did taste it, and it sure was good! I'm sure, after some aging time, the taste will be even better!
And I started a new thread on the "bottle-carb in #1 PETE apple juice bottles" theory, rather than constantly hi-jacking this thread. If you are interested, look it up: "Bottle-Carbing in #1 PETE."
glenn514
I bottled my first batch yesterday, after patiently awaiting the arrival of a new hydrometer so I could check the final specific gravity [0.998, incidentally]. I did taste it, and it sure was good! I'm sure, after some aging time, the taste will be even better!
And I started a new thread on the "bottle-carb in #1 PETE apple juice bottles" theory, rather than constantly hi-jacking this thread. If you are interested, look it up: "Bottle-Carbing in #1 PETE."
glenn514
seabrew8
Well-Known Member
I'm getting the rhino farts personally. 
rwagner23
Well-Known Member
Bottled after six months in the primary. I decided to carb it up. 1.5 weeks after bottling it is carbed a bit and tastes wonderful!
sheckywilliams
New Member
So I did it! I have been thinking about getting into homebrewing for a while and then one day came across this recipe and decided "Lets give it a whirl. Well it's now 5 weeks later and I just bottled my first ever homemade hooch! I bottle carbed half the batch and still bottled the rest. I must say this stuff is amazing! Even the wife was impressed with it. I can't wait for the carbed bottles to be ready and give that a go. Thanks a TON EDWort for your recipe and getting me into homebrewing! Up next is my version of Dgofish Head 120 minute IPA. Thanks again!
PHBalanced
Well-Known Member
This is good stuff but it's more that loved by SWMBO......
Well, bottled a batch on Saturday that had been in the better bottle since Dec. 23rd and started another batch right behind it. Yesterday (Wednesday) SWMBO produces a positive pregnancy test. So I guess we'll have 10 gallons with a really good age on it.
Well, bottled a batch on Saturday that had been in the better bottle since Dec. 23rd and started another batch right behind it. Yesterday (Wednesday) SWMBO produces a positive pregnancy test. So I guess we'll have 10 gallons with a really good age on it.
Just finished an experimental gallon and it was very VERY drinkable. nom nom nom. I'll agree with the main man though, it is oh so very dry. But, after the first glass it gets very good. Had 6 wine bottles last night and now have only 2.5 left. Ooops...
This morning I had a conversation with my girlfriend that went something like this:
ME: Wow. I drank a skinfull last night and I feel fine! That Apfelwine is awesome.
The Missus: No. Your still drunk.
ME: Oh.
This morning I had a conversation with my girlfriend that went something like this:
ME: Wow. I drank a skinfull last night and I feel fine! That Apfelwine is awesome.
The Missus: No. Your still drunk.
ME: Oh.
Good job! And you didn't even have to call Ed Wort a M%&^*% F#$%^& in the morning!!
BSBrewer
Well-Known Member
So my Apfelwein has been fermenting for a month and I decided to take a gravity reading and its at 1.010...I know it says it should ferment below 1.000 so should I just leave it be or should I throw in another pack of Monach yeast?
Hegh
Well-Known Member
This is good stuff but it's more that loved by SWMBO......
Well, bottled a batch on Saturday that had been in the better bottle since Dec. 23rd and started another batch right behind it. Yesterday (Wednesday) SWMBO produces a positive pregnancy test. So I guess we'll have 10 gallons with a really good age on it.
Wow, congratulations! Oh, nice job on the kid too
Mista_Sparkle
Well-Known Member
So I just bottled my "4th" batch last night, this time the only substitution I made was to use some washed WLP500. It smelled delicious in the fermenter, fermented at 68º, however, when i went to bottle it, it was not so great. I had it in primary for about 2 months and it was at .997.
So, yeah, not sure if my yeast was unhappy from the previous beer or that it didn't agree at all with it.
So, yeah, not sure if my yeast was unhappy from the previous beer or that it didn't agree at all with it.
Bought another 5 gallons of apple juice today, at $2.38/gallon...a whole lot cheaper than gasoline! I'll get my second batch started in a bit. Meanwhile, my first batch is happily bottle-carbing in the same bottles it came in! No problems yet.
glenn514
glenn514
What was wrong?
All mine seem to go to about .997
Don't seem to matter which yeast I use.
Even the not as good batches seem to all get drank pretty quickly.
Mista_Sparkle
Well-Known Member
the stuff just tastes like something died in it or something. Im almost thinking i left it in primary too long and maybe autolysis set in. Whatever, im gonna leave it in bottles for a while and then see if it gets better.It came out still hazy, which i didnt expect at all after 2 months. it was clear when it went in and even when i had used hazy juice, it cleared up,
somecallmetex
Well-Known Member
Wait, I thought that you wanted to leave this in the primary for as long as possible, is that wrong? Because my batch from January is still in the primary (very clear).
Mista_Sparkle
Well-Known Member
you should be fine, I think its just that i used yeast from a previous strong ale which werent quite up to the challenge. my batches that i used montrachet for turned out fine with a couple months in primary.
So, anyway, there I was this morning, watching the wort of a Scottish Light Ale boil merrily away, and I thought, "Hey, Dummy, why don't you mix up that second batch of apfelwein while this is boiling?" Doh!
Got out another Better Bottle, and started pouring. Only took about ten minutes, even with weighing the corn sugar. So, I'll have the beer AND the apfelwein fermenting at the same time.
Meanwhile, the first batch of apfelwein continues to bottle-carbonate and condition. We'll try some chilled in another week.
glenn514
Got out another Better Bottle, and started pouring. Only took about ten minutes, even with weighing the corn sugar. So, I'll have the beer AND the apfelwein fermenting at the same time.
Meanwhile, the first batch of apfelwein continues to bottle-carbonate and condition. We'll try some chilled in another week.
glenn514
JoeyFumes
Member
...my local Grocery Outlet discounter had 1 gallon jugs of Martinelli Apple Juice (NOT from concentrate) for $4.99. I grabbed 3 to mix in with the cheap juice for my next batch.
We all know that stuff is awesome as is, so I am hoping it will make some killer brew!!
We all know that stuff is awesome as is, so I am hoping it will make some killer brew!!
smizak
Well-Known Member
...my local Grocery Outlet discounter had 1 gallon jugs of Martinelli Apple Juice (NOT from concentrate) for $4.99. I grabbed 3 to mix in with the cheap juice for my next batch.
We all know that stuff is awesome as is, so I am hoping it will make some killer brew!!
Nice.
We have a semi-local(Niagara County) cider mill that makes some of the best cider I've ever tasted. Problem is it's not pasteurized, so I'll have to research some wine making techniques next fall. I chickened out this year.
Any of you wine guys have any advice? I hate the idea of loading the must up with campden tablets and hoping that kills any unfriendlies. How would heating the cider up to pasteurization temps in my kettle work? I'm thinking it would kill all of the subtle flavor nuances that make it great.
jim_reaper1066
Well-Known Member
Don't worry about it and make up a batch like you normally would with apple juice. I bough 5 gallons unpasturized, unfiltered cider from the local market, added 1 lb sugar, 1 lb honey and pitched EC-1118. After a month in the primary it was crystal clear, but had a TONNE of sediment from the cider. So I racked it to a secondary and thats where it still is at, clearing and ageing again. Tastes fine too.
Just carbed a batch for the first time and I have a question. When I was filling from the bottling bucket, the bottles already appeared to have tons of bubbles rising to the surface like it was already carbed.
I primed with 5 oz. of corn sugar. Even after capping and sitting for awhile, I held a bottle to the light and bubbles were still rising. Totally normal for apfelwein??
I primed with 5 oz. of corn sugar. Even after capping and sitting for awhile, I held a bottle to the light and bubbles were still rising. Totally normal for apfelwein??
sheckywilliams
New Member
So our Apfelwein tastes GREAT! However, I've noticed that after about 2 I (and SWMBO) start getting quite a headache, not the next morning, but right then and there. Now we're not exactly "boozehounds" however we both have the ability to down quite a few adult beverages at one sitting and still remain "unharmed". Is this normal with this stuff or did I mess up somewhere and now I'm poisoning myself with some sort of apple based migrane fluid? Like I said, other than the headache this stuff is great!
Hegh
Well-Known Member
Unless you degassed (by stirring for a while to knock CO2 out of solution) before bottling, that's normal. CO2 will dissolve, even without high pressure. Especially in cold liquids (was it cold when you bottled it, and then warmed up?).
Likely just a conditioned reaction. While you were drinking it, did it remind you of a situation that may have annoyed or frustrated the two of you? I used to feel carsick any time I walked into a Subway shop because my family would regularly get Subway before driving a long distance.
I started my Apfelwein in a 6gal. carboy and after 4 weeks I racked it into another 6gal carboy ( it`s all I have ) should I worry about topping it off and if so can I use the same juice or do ya think it`ll be too much ? I wanted to age it in the carboy.
Burch
Burch
MirImage
Well-Known Member
Just split a batch of this with my buddy and this is more of a question for him. Should you bottle condition at ~50 degrees or ~70 Degrees? What I know and told him was 50 degrees would probably take longer and 70 degrees is a bit hot, so it may stress the yeast and produce some off flavors. I think his set-up was either in the fridge or in a sink with water and ice.
We used Montrachet yeast.
We used Montrachet yeast.
You'd bottle condition just like you would beer, so usually at room temp. You can obviously do it at colder temps, but like you said it will just take it longer to come around. I don't think 70 is going to produce any off flavors as that's pretty common for conditioning temps, unless of course you bottled way too early, then it might not be optimal.
Either way, as long as the temps are warm enough so the yeast remain active you'll be fine and it will carb up and condition. It's really just a matter of how long it will take depending on the temp.
bottweiser
Active Member
This thread is a beast! I was reading earlier posts and people thought it was long back when it was just 30 pages. If Edwort wasn't famous before, he sure is now!
I made a batch today using the official recipe plus 2 cans of juice concentrate. I know it's bad manners to tweak the original recipe before trying it, but I forsee many batches to come so I will certainly make some the Traditional way.
I'm wondering what the drawbacks are of bottling after two weeks. I know at least 4 weeks is recommended and up to 3 months gives the best taste. But I used a polycarbonate (water cooler bottle) fermenter and these are rumored to have problems with oxygen permeation after 2 weeks, causing bad flavors.
I made a batch today using the official recipe plus 2 cans of juice concentrate. I know it's bad manners to tweak the original recipe before trying it, but I forsee many batches to come so I will certainly make some the Traditional way.
I'm wondering what the drawbacks are of bottling after two weeks. I know at least 4 weeks is recommended and up to 3 months gives the best taste. But I used a polycarbonate (water cooler bottle) fermenter and these are rumored to have problems with oxygen permeation after 2 weeks, causing bad flavors.
JoeyFumes
Member
...i am at about 3 weeks now & mine is just now about 90 % clear. most likely at 2 weeks it would be cloudy w/ too much suspended yeast. you could probably go by sight & bottle when you see it go clear.
MirImage
Well-Known Member
Okay, I will tell him to stick to the 70 degrees. Room temp is actually about 85 now in Houston pending on the day. Thanks!
Attention! Attention, all Walmart shoppers!! The store in Woodstock, Illinois...and perhaps others...had "Great Value" apple juice in 3-quart bottles on sale for $1.50. According to my mathematical calculations, that's pretty darn close to $2.00/gallon. And all that's in it is water, apple juice concentrate and ascorbic acid! SCORE!
I immediately put seven bottles in the shopping cart. This will be batch #3 when batch #2 is done and bottled.
glenn514
I immediately put seven bottles in the shopping cart. This will be batch #3 when batch #2 is done and bottled.
glenn514
whoneedsabeer
Well-Known Member
My guess would be it's not done fermentation at 2 weeks, and you might create bottle bombs. Some have reported it takes 6 weeks for fermentation to finish. There's a LOT of sugar in this concoction.
I just made a batch of this today too. I used 2lb 4oz of corn sugar though, just to use up some extra priming sugar I had laying around.
Not going to keg until Oct-Nov, and plan to serve it at a holiday party.
