Man, I love Apfelwein

[Stockspeed3]

Got good news, we will be able to move into our new house sooner that expected. Is it ok to transport a carboy of this stuff?

It shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure you keep the temps down. And make sure you aren't tempted on the drive to drink it. Lol

 

[rossi46]

Thanks, it's still cool out and less than ten miles, so I couldn't get to tanked.

 

[dusty1025]

keep it under airlock so you don't get nabbed for driving with an open container

 

[jbrookeiv]

4.5 gallons of Apfelwein is now in bottles. Fermented down to 0.997 with Saflager S-23.

 

[Cacaman]

I made my first batch of apfelwein today, and I have a few questions (my apologies if they have already been answered).

1. I sanitized the 5 gallon carboy with starsan, and I got quite a bit of leftover foam stuck in the carboy. Is it ok if the foam stayed in the carboy while pouring the apple juice?

2. I plan to bottle this batch, and found these fancy welches sparkling grape juice cocktail "twisty-top" 750mL bottles. Do you think they will work for bottling?

3. Edwort says he doesn't use priming sugar while bottling, have any of you all had better results priming/not priming?

Thanks!!

 

[HItransplant]

I made my first batch of apfelwein today, and I have a few questions (my apologies if they have already been answered).

1. I sanitized the 5 gallon carboy with starsan, and I got quite a bit of leftover foam stuck in the carboy. Is it ok if the foam stayed in the carboy while pouring the apple juice?

I can only speak to the first question, since my apfelwein is still in the carboy.

Dont fear the foam... its disinfecting as it squeezes out the top of the carboy.

youll have to look to the others for question 2 and 3.

 

[Malstorme]

Greets:

Spent the last few days reading the thread and have so far made it to Page 254 (~2500 posts). Got a batch whipped up last night, following Ed's recipe. I have a few questions...




Oh wait... No I don't, they've all been answered 30+ times.

5 gallons 100% AJ
Red Star Montrachet
2# corn sugar*

A ring of bubbles formed in about an hour, and this morning it's percolating nicely now just time to show a little patience.

*I purchase corn sugar in bulk and apparently "A pint's a pound the world around" doesn't apply to corn sugar. I added 4 cups and measured the OG at 1.054. After pitching and setting settling back in with this monster thread, I saw that my OG's a little low. Did a little Googlin' and found an estimate of 5 oz per cup on fine sugar so..... Grabbed a funnel and added 2 more cups. I figure it may still be a little shy of 2# but close enough for government work. Cheers!


Mals

 

[Recluse]

"A pint's a pound" only applies to Water or other liquids/substances with density close to 1.

Corn sugar is really powdery.. as you found out. 5 oz per cup sounds about right. Most brewing guides call for 3/4 cup per 5 gallons, (ca. 4 oz) though I generally like to prime at the 1 oz per gallon level. I bought a kitchen scale and weigh any solid (e.g. sugar, malt extract, hops etc..) to be sure.

Certainly will be close enough!

 

[Recluse]

I made my first batch of apfelwein today, and I have a few questions (my apologies if they have already been answered).


3. Edwort says he doesn't use priming sugar while bottling, have any of you all had better results priming/not priming?

Thanks!!

It is a matter of personal preference. I like it sparkling as do my Apfelwein addicted friends, but others like it more like a still wine.

 

[_JP_]

............2. I plan to bottle this batch, and found these fancy welches sparkling grape juice cocktail "twisty-top" 750mL bottles. Do you think they will work for bottling?..........

Yep, I use those all the time (for beer). Should work great for sparkling wines. Get the label off first though.

 

[decktard]

Ed -

Just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I found a couple bottles that have probably been hiding for over a year now and they were spectacular. I need to start another batch soon!

 

[HItransplant]

I just decided its time to bottle my first batch this week. I have to say Im pretty excited...especially since Ive been walking by that carboy every day for the past 4 months. Thanks Ed.

 

[Cacaman]

Thanks all for the answers!! And of course thanks Ed for the recipe!

 

[CoffeeSnob]

I'm extremely new to home brewing....

Last year I fell in love with cider while in England for a couple of weeks. I quickly went poor buying it in the store so I decided to take matters in my own hands. I did two gallons of standard cider without much success (didn't taste too good) and my online searching lead me here. Seeing the Apfelwein thread I knew I needed to give this a go!

Two gallons of Costco apple juice and I was off... Experimenting I decided to try how different yeasts affected the flavor. Each gallon of apfelwein got the same amount of juice and sugar (pretty close... some sugar / juice spilled a bit when filling one jug). The only difference is the yeast.

I'm not sure what came over me but for some reason I ended up more than doubling the amount of sugar as in the recipe. Ooops. I'm still scratching my head over why I did that. At any rate, here is what I've got going:

Jug 1:

1 gallon Costco juice
1.25 lbs sugar
Vintner's Harvest CY17 yeast
Starting gravity: 1.084 @ 75 degrees
Start Date: 3/21/11

Jug 2:

1 gallon Costco juice
1.25 lbs sugar
Vintner's Harvest CL23 yeast
Starting gravity: 1.090 @ 74 degrees
Start Date: 3/21/11

The room these have been in is typically around 68 to 70 degrees but it was warmer the other day. It has cleared up really well so I decided to see how it measured out. Both came out ~1.020 @ 74 degrees. Of course I had to sample! One was extremely sweet and the other was dryer but still on the sweeter side. It was really interesting to see how different they tasted due to two different yeasts!

The airlocks are not longer bubbling. I know it's pretty early with not even two months gone yet but did I screw things up with too much sugar? I'd like it a bit dryer than what I have now but the yeast is not active anymore. There is a lot of sediment at the bottom and it's pretty clear.

Thoughts or suggestions for a new guy?

Based on those first two sips I do think I need to start a 6 gallon batch with correct ratios!!!

Thanks!

 

[jimmayhugh]

First try, used 5.5 gallons of apple juice, 2.75 pounds of brown sugar, and 15 grams of Montrachet. Poured the yeast into a quart of juice, added some yeast nutrient and energizer, let it bloom for a bit, then pitched it. Less then 12 hours later I've go a vigorous fermentation going.

 

[steelcitybrew]

Holy f*ck!! I have finally tasted an aged back sweetened apfelwein!! (3 cans of AJ concentrate to 5 gallons, also sulfite and sorbated)

I was one of those guys who would drink it 2 weeks after dropping yeast, I finally was able to hide a gallon growler of it to age for 6 weeks (And thats nothing I know!!). Cracked it last night and it has magically carbed perfectly has no sh*tty fusel flavors and went down like like no other cider has been able to do.

I usually drop yeast leave for at least 10 days rack to secondary onto sorbate and sulfite sweeten than leave for as long as I can (max a week haha) than I have a bunch of people over we pour a splash of ginger ale and its an amazing drink everyone loves it. But F*ck me!!

Screw magners, strongbow, sir perrys

To all the noobs, it is f*cking worth it to wait and let it age! I swear!

Sorry for all the swearing, but I mean, my mind has been blown.

Cheers
Ryan

 

[Recluse]

LOL!!! A testament to a good recipe, but most folks would hardly consider 6 weeks to be aged!!! I leave mine in the carboy for 8-12 weeks, bottle prime for ~10-14 days. I have managed to keep a bottle or two around for a year...that is until my friends starting drinking it up as fast as I could bottle it!

 

[steelcitybrew]

haha i know right! i just have to start making wayyy more than Im drinking haha

im starting 2 5 gallon batches this week now haha I should be able to hide at least a couple gallons to age.

Does anyone know why it came out carbed? I racked onto sulfite and sorbate and left it for 4 or 5 days then back sweetened and bottled into growlers. Id like to be able to recreate this godly miracle. I imagine this isnt normal

-Ryan

 

[WineChief]

I just tried my first batch this weekend. I could not wait for several months, so I drank it while it was still fermenting. Not bad. I have ordered 2 better bottles and will make another 10 gallons as soon as they arrive.

I added a little extra sugar to the recipe so it was semi-sweet. I still got hammered. Amazing stuff.

 

[Dome555]

So I tried reading all of it, didn't happen. I saw a lot of people mention using brown sugar, but I didn't notice anyone coming back to say how it went. I tried Crispen's cider with molasses recently and it was delicious. I'm thinking I might replace the 2 lbs of dextrose with 3 lbs of brown sugar, add some maltodextrin for body, maybe a cinnamon stick or 3 and hope it's delicious in the fall. I've never used brown sugar, is that an appropriate amount for replacement? Would I be better off using molasses and dextrose?

 

[Recluse]

I usually use 50/50 Dextrose/Brown Sugar and it comes out fine.

One of these days I will try ALL Brown Sugar and save myself some $$$ and the grief associated with constantly keeping dextrose in stock! As far as alcohol production, Dextrose and Brown sugar are pretty much interchangeable w/regard to gravity points. In beer brewing, people are warned off brown sugar/table sugar because it imparts a 'cidery quality'. For a cider, that isn't necessarily a bad thing

I am keen to try Molasses, though...

 

[airdusters]

Has anyone made apfelwein with a Hefeweizen or Saison yeast?

 

[rossi46]

Has anyone made apfelwein with a Hefeweizen or Saison yeast?

I have made it twice with Safale WB-06. We really like it.

 

[RIBeer]

Apfelwein Score! I just found 6 150ml bottles from a batch I made 3 years ago. Gonna have to find a reason to open one soon!!

 

[Stockspeed3]

Apfelwein Score! I just found 6 150ml bottles from a batch I made 3 years ago. Gonna have to find a reason to open one soon!!

I have to know how good it is. Make sure u let us know.

 

[giltanis]

If I have had mine in the carboy for 3 months and I want to bottle carb now do I need to add more yeast or otherwise do anything special? Or is there still enough viable yeast to make it all work?

 

[erockanderson]

I started a 6.5 gallon batch of this on 05/01/11 with 2 pounds dextrose and 1 pound honey. It's been 10 days and all visible signs of fermentation have stopped. At first it was going like gangbusters, but now nothing. This is my first attempt at something other than beer and I was wondering if this is normal. I'll get a gravity reading as soon as I get a new hydrometer (broke the last one). Also I used WLP720 yeast on this.

Thanks for any opinions,
Eric

 

[rossi46]

I started a 6.5 gallon batch of this on 05/01/11 with 2 pounds dextrose and 1 pound honey. It's been 10 days and all visible signs of fermentation have stopped. At first it was going like gangbusters, but now nothing. This is my first attempt at something other than beer and I was wondering if this is normal. I'll get a gravity reading as soon as I get a new hydrometer (broke the last one). Also I used WLP720 yeast on this.

Thanks for any opinions,
Eric

I'm sure it's still working away in there. I started another 5 gallons on 5-1 also. I used 2 lbs. of brown sugar 2 cinnamon sticks and wb-06. I still have a bubble every 20 seconds as tonight.

 

[airdusters]

It's completely normal for the most active portion of fermentation to finish in 10 days or less. Just let the apfelwein hang out on the cake for a while as you would with beer.

 

[WineChief]

I ordered 2 5-gallon better bottles which arrived today, and I just ordered 2 6-gallon glass carboys. All will be for making apfelwein.