Man, I love Apfelwein

[BryanThompson]

I took a two liter growler to a party last night, it was the hit of the party.

 

[Fuggles39]

I just made a new batch yesterday using 2 lbs brown sugar and EC-1118 yeast. OG 1.060. Bubbling nicely after 20 hours.

I did the exact same thing except that I only used one pound of brown sugar. Pissed at myself. Could I add another pound one day into fermentation? What type of ABV can I expect if I just leave it with the one pound of brown sugar. I used the same yeast.

 

[ZosoMike]

After one week I am still see'n activity. A bubble about ever 15 seconds....Man I just can't wait!!!! Followed EdWort's recipie to the letter!

Mike

 

[wolverinebrewer]

I did the exact same thing except that I only used one pound of brown sugar. Pissed at myself. Could I add another pound one day into fermentation? What type of ABV can I expect if I just leave it with the one pound of brown sugar. I used the same yeast.

I'm not sure exactly what your OG is with 1 lb. sugar. I think I should know this but I don't. A lb. of brown sugar is 452 grams.
FWIW I just made a 5 gal. batch of lemonade using 4 lbs. corn sugar and the OG was 1.084 and another using 3 lbs and that one was 1.074. So, I'd assume that with 1 lb. you would be in the low 50's.
If you wanted to add, it's probably not a big deal but you could just go with what you have and see how it turns out. It will just be a lower abv.

 

[Brianyear]

Well, I have the urge to call EdWort a M'F**kR!
Four pints of this libation is NOT the same as 4 pints of ale. WOW!

 

[Brianyear]

Well, I have the urge to call EdWort a M'F**kR!
Four pints of this libation is NOT the same as 4 pints of ale. WOW!

 

[Brianyear]

Well, I have the urge to call EdWort a M'F**kR!
Four pints of this libation is NOT the same as 4 pints of ale. WOW!

 

[smagee]

I just recently kegged and carbed a batch of this (in primary for ~4 months), and while it was tasting fantastic previously, since the transfer/carb process, it seems to have developed a slight aftertaste of what I can only describe as soap. I initially decided that it was due to the carbonation altering the taste a bit, but that's usually a bit more up-front, in my experience. Anyone have any ideas? Should I expect this to fade out with age?

Regardless, it's drinkable now, but it sure tasted better before the transfer. I think I may just plan to back-sweeten it a bit in the glass, as that balances the flavor out a bit.

 

[imthewalruss]

i made a 5 gallon batch of this back in march because i was moving and i didn't think it would be as temperamental to relocate as a batch of beer. i bottled it with wine conditioner after 3 months fermentation and then sampled some after 3.5 total months. it tasted okay at that time but it had no carbonation. i then put it all up and forgot about it until a week ago. cracked one open and after 5 total months it's fully carbed and, albeit dry, much more of the apple is coming through.

i'm ready to start another batch of this because i don't want there to be a time when i don't have any on hand! thanks EdWort!

 

[herminator]

Carbonate it like you would beer. I followed Ed's recipe and carbed with about 1/2 cup corn sugar dissolved into 1 cup water. It was plenty carbed and looks like you are pouring ginger ale.

Thanks for this. I have it all in a 5 gallon carboy. do I do the above and just pour into the carboy once it's dissolved?

 

[wolverinebrewer]

Thanks for this. I have it all in a 5 gallon carboy. do I do the above and just pour into the carboy once it's dissolved?

I bottle only at this time so when I'm ready, I add the solution to the bottle bucket and then transfer the cider over and bottle from there. I get 54 bottles from 5 gal.

If you are kegging then hopefully someone else will help you out with your question.

 

[bambam190]

so I made a batch of this on 7-7-11 we sampled on 8-7-11 and it tasted like apple vinager. Do I just need to be more patient or did something go wrong?

We did have some warm temps as the AC went out in the brewhouse during a 90f stent. The beers all turned out OK.

 

[wiseman]

so I made a batch of this on 7-7-11 we sampled on 8-7-11 and it tasted like apple vinager. Do I just need to be more patient or did something go wrong?

We did have some warm temps as the AC went out in the brewhouse during a 90f stent. The beers all turned out OK.

I'm no expert but it sounds like it got oxidized

 

[emjay]

I'm no expert but it sounds like it got oxidized

Oxidation shouldn't cause vinegar. Infection would, though.

Hot temps can cause acetaldehyde which is vinegar-ish as well, but I've always had it way more in the aroma than in the actual taste.

 

[wiseman]

Oxidation shouldn't cause vinegar. Infection would, though.

Hot temps can cause acetaldehyde which is vinegar-ish as well, but I've always had it way more in the aroma than in the actual taste.

"Its made from over-fermenting alcohol. As sugar ferments its converted to alcohol, but when alcohol is fermented further with air, the alcohol is catylitically oxidized by the zymase in yeast and becomes the carboxylic acid acetic acid (the chemical name for vinegar)."

from howtomakevinegar.com

 

[bambam190]

so from what I hear, dump it out and start over.

 

[wiseman]

so from what I hear, dump it out and start over.

Unless you like cider vinegar of course.

 

[_JP_]

Thanks for this. I have it all in a 5 gallon carboy. do I do the above and just pour into the carboy once it's dissolved?

No... you don't want to carbonate in a carboy (if that's what you meant).

Siphon to a bottling bucket (sanitized), then mix in your priming sugar. Once dissolved, transfer to your sanitized bottles (or keg).


EDIT: After re-reading your post, it's possible you could bottle from the carboy and skip the bottling bucket. In this case, add the syrup to the carboy, mix VERY gently so as not to rouse up the yeast on the bottom, and then siphon into bottles. I did this with my last batch of barleywine, although this was in the secondary, so there was a lot less yeast/trub to get stirred up.

 

[Bookem15]

Use a bottling bucket it will be difficult to get an even mix

 

[Brew Runner]

Tons of sediment will end up in suspension again if you try to mix priming sugar in the fermenter.

 

[dallasdb]

I know I'm gonna start a lynchin' party here but did anyone not like Apfelwein?

I sure didn't. I let it ferment for 4 months and was so excited. But I was let down, I didn't like it at all.

IMO it was way too fruity (duh it is all apple juice, right?)

I couldn't suck it down, it was a very rare moment for me... I dumped 24 bottles

 

[Bookem15]

We should take you out back to the wood shed and put a beatin on you.....

 

[DakotaRules]

You could have given them away,

 

[bambam190]

You should have mixed it with mine that turned into vinager, they may have cancled each other out.

 

[kapbrew13]

Were you guys making vinegar playing with it? What do you think you did wrong?

 

[knappster]

I know I'm gonna start a lynchin' party here but did anyone not like Apfelwein?

I sure didn't. I let it ferment for 4 months and was so excited. But I was let down, I didn't like it at all.

IMO it was way too fruity (duh it is all apple juice, right?)

I couldn't suck it down, it was a very rare moment for me... I dumped 24 bottles

I have made 2 batches, following Ed's original recipe and I like the 2nd better than the first because I left it in the fermenter longer... but I have to say that it is not my cup of tea either. I made it thinking my wife would really like it and she won't even drink it. I don't know about you but both of my batches were carbed.

I think it's partly because of all of the positive feedback that I got excited to think this would be a regular brew and it just didn't turn out that way for me. It did go over okay one Christmas as a grog, but that's about the best feedback I have received. I think that if I try it again in the future I would use a variation of Ed's original. In any case, I wouldn't say it was bad enough to dump.

 

[dallasdb]

You could have given them away,

Oops I forgot to mention I tossed them because I had them all in the fridge for months then after no one was drinking them I took them to the basement and they turned into bottles bombs!

After the second one exploded I tossed the rest. I think the yeast may have come back for some more sugar after warming to room temp.

 

[Brew Runner]

Sounds like something wasn't right with that batch regardless of the cause.

 

[lumpher]

I know I'm gonna start a lynchin' party here but did anyone not like Apfelwein?

I sure didn't. I let it ferment for 4 months and was so excited. But I was let down, I didn't like it at all.

IMO it was way too fruity (duh it is all apple juice, right?)

I couldn't suck it down, it was a very rare moment for me... I dumped 24 bottles

i tried it for the second time some time ago, after i learned what i was doing with it. gave 3 out of 5 gallons to my brother, who loves apple cider

 

[bambam190]

Sounds like something wasn't right with that batch regardless of the cause.

concensus is air leak, i'm not sure, I'll try it tomorrow one last time then it gets dumped and another batch gets started, we were hoping to make this as a sample batch so we could make the next out of apples from my neighbor's family apple orchard, so I have to know if we will drink it ASAP.