Man, I love Apfelwein

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tasted my apfelwein last night and I'll be honest it tasted GREAT!!! I'm not going to add anything to it as I like it the way it is.
I've now bought a 5 gallon pressure barrel to transfer it into.

My question is: when transferring it from the carboy to the barrel, should I use a syphon to do this? is so what sort. I was just going to put a muslin over the top of the barrel and pour it in from the carboy.
Please tell me if this is a really bad idea?

thanks again for everyones help, it's been great.

Tom
 
Decided to do both batches following the original recipe. Did them both Friday afternoon. 2 days later, it's cloudy, with thousands of bubbles, and a slight sulphuric smell. In other words, exactly where it needs to be. Can't wait to try this.
 
Brew runner - never knew that about pouring, cheers!

Running through a muslin bag won't do any harm but it won't really benefit you either - kegs have an inch or so of room at the bottom to allow stuff to settle.
 
RobWalker said:
Brew runner - never knew that about pouring, cheers!

Running through a muslin bag won't do any harm but it won't really benefit you either - kegs have an inch or so of room at the bottom to allow stuff to settle.
Click to expand...

Im going to purchase an auto syphon, thanks brew runner as I didn't know that. .

Rob - are you saying it's not a good idea to use a pressure barrel to store my cider when its ready to drink?
 
Read through the first 30 pages and the last 10 or so. Very helpful, but also stirred a few questions.

OP says it ferments to about 8.5% ABV. Good starting point.

If I take one particular batch that is posted early in the thread, this person had OG of 1.062 and FG of 0.994. Using http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/, that would be ABV of either 8.93% or 9.08 depending on whether the standard or alternate method is chosen. Again, great info, and thanks for posting the details.

So if a person wanted to target an ABV of 7.0%, where would he need to sweeten the OG to?

My first guess is to 1.048 if it is possible to target that precisely, but all I did to get there was assume the FG would be the same and adjust the OG. It doesn't seem likely that would work out exactly. I'd like to see how someone would come to a target OG with the info posted.
 
Note that pure apple juice with no added sugar would have a starting gravity of ~1.045 (depending on the sugar content). This would yield roughly about 6% ABV if it fermented to 1.00. My batches ended up with final gravities anywhere from 0.996-0.998. Don't think I have ever gotten as low as 0.994, so take this into consideration.

To get 7% with a final gravity of 1.0, you would need to start at ~1.055-1.056 which would require relatively little sugar addition. Since 1 lb/gal of sugar gives you about 45 points, you would need about a bit less than 1/4 lb sugar per gallon to get to this starting gravity. (If my math is right.. I just drank a bottle of 8.5% Apfelwein so I might not be thinking clearly :drunk: )
 
Well, there's no surefire way to nail a precise ABV (short of stopping the yeast when it gets to where you want), but a reasonably accurate method is to use the apparent attenuation, which, in the case of OG = 1.062 and FG = 0.994, is 110%.

Given this fact, it seems the best OG to aim for would be between 1.048 and 1.049 (which should get an FG of 0.995).

This will probably require a VERY small amount of sugar. So little, in fact, that if you plan to naturally carbonate it, you'd probably just be best off fermenting straight juice, and letting the priming sugar add the few extra points needed to get to 7%.
 
taste'n now.....31 days later......Ed you MF! I will have this going at all times! Thank You!!!! Followed it to the letter....nice job!!!! Can only imagine if I let it go a lil longer, kinda dry and a tad tart, the finish is what gets ya! LOVE IT!

Mike
 
If this has been said I apologize but I'm only 43 pages in....

Batch made with walmart store brand apple juice... Regret not using a blowoff as it burgled about half a gallon or more back out. Recipe followed verbatim. Never had this issue with "White House" brand juice. @64cents /quart and a tight budget it was hard to deny the gv brand.
 
My lady batch demanded a blowoff tube too, with the same brand of juice as I used for the first batch (which didn't require it). I think it just varies with yeast potency.
 
I used the Walmart brand, Great Value, for my first batch and no blow off. Motts in the one I am fermenting now and no blow off. One packet of Montrachet and temp running 79 degrees for both batches.
 
I have never had it before and everything I have read seems to say the longer the better...still have not kegged it yet.
 
I just did 14 cans concentrate 2lbs Lt brown sugar and Nottingham yeast for 5.25 gallons. I figured I would try something different...
 
What kind of results are people who've modified with +nutrient or +pectic enzyme getting? I've only got a 5g regular and a 1g modded with nutrient and pectic running atm. Sampled the 1g tonight (@3wks and note significantly more "warmth" than I normally get. Those tend to be methanol/fusel right? May just scrap the test batch. As a side note it is 1/2 montracet and 1/2 ec1118 pitched to a small starter.... Was the only way I could get adequate theoretical yeast counts with the leftover yeast I had available. Haven't done any yeast mixing prior to this so in the dark on the results.......
 
Checked status after one week - still have just aluminum foil on the carboy. And mixture is swirling away on its own which I'm guessing means its fermenting. Smells like a fresh baked apple bread when I get close. Tomorrow ill get the proper lid and airlock. This will be interesting to say the least.
 
Made this on 8-25-11 and will be kegging on 9-15-11 cant wait to try it! I almost started another batch last week but wanted to make sure I liked it.
 
Barron said:
Made this on 8-25-11 and will be kegging on 9-15-11 cant wait to try it!
Click to expand...

Hah, you really SHOULD wait... that's only 3 weeks! I don't think Apfelwein even clears that quickly.

Either way, IMO it's totally undrinkable at that point - 3 weeks might be okay for beer, but not apfelwein. I'd recommend about two months *minimum*, although the longer you leave it (within reason), the better it gets. My apfelwein has been in the fermentor for over 7 months now, although I plan to bottle it soon.

Just go ahead and start another batch ASAP - even if you try it soon, you really might not like it so young, and that might cause you to not start another batch. And if you keep a bottle or two to try in 6+ months from now (since I seriously doubt you're going to be patient enough just leave it alone until then), chances are much better that you'll love the stuff, but then you'll be kicking yourself that you didn't get another batch started right away, and that it will take AT LEAST another half year to have the next batch tasting that good, instead of just 3 weeks if you make another batch immediately. So just take the small risk and spend the $15-20 or whatever the juice will cost you to make another batch ASAP.
 
+1^^^^^^^ you will kick yourself for not starting another batch. 4-5 months from now come back to this thread and the last couple of posts so you can ask yourself "why did I not listen to those 2"? You are soooo going to like this stuff.......
 
got two batches currently fermenting in the kitchen. My wife woke up and said the whole house smells like "rotten-egg farts". Might need to start doing these batches in the garage hahaha
 
Pretty sure it's at least "listened tup those hundreds who recommended a second batch, pipeline, etc." by now. I figure it's what.... +500 by now? :)
 
I add about half recommended dose of nutrient and I don't think I've had issues with any smells personally knock on wood. Taste no difference vs the first batch I did without it either.

Half a cake works great for skeeter pee too if you used nutrients. TBF it might work as well without but I haven't tried and some advise a full set of Lees.
 
Yeah, I haven't had a problem with "rhino farts" either.

From what I understand, it's mostly due to the necessary nutrients that are largely lacking in apple juice. A good dose of yeast nutrient should make the yeast much happier and subequently minimize the rhino farts, or even eliminate them entirely - and I've got the great-smelling fermentors to prove it!
 
Tried this last night to take a reading while I put the proper airlock on. It's only been a week, but it's fermented down to 1.020. Tastes fairly dry, and fizzy. A little yeasty, but good! Still fermenting like crazy though. I used Rougemont mcintosh apple juice, as I live in the Great White North and don't have access to this special "Treetop" business.

I think I'm going to get another batch going.
 
Brewed 5 gallons on 02-Aug-11, kegged it 7-Sep-11 and it is very drinkable already! It is a bit tart but tastes better than a lot of the white wines I have been gifted with over the years. Got a 6 gallon batch going the same day. Just pitched on top of the lees/yeast cake left from the last batch and it took off fast.

PS: No rhino farts here, but I used yeast nutrient as everyone recommends.
 
Is it possible get an accurate alcohol reading from the hydrometer without taking an original reading?
Or do I need a before and after reading to get this?
 
If you wanted an ESTIMATE I'd measure the SG of a new container of apple juice of the same brand you used in the recipe. Then figure out how many gravity points the sugar you added contributed to the volume you made.

ie OG approx = SGjuice + gravity points, sugar given volume
 
I also added some pectic enzyme to aid in clearing on a batch I'm going to champagne style (or more likely fail to champagne style). In retrospect I'm a little worried about methanol production but I guess the ethanol should theoretically offset it.
 
emjay said:
Yeah, I haven't had a problem with "rhino farts" either.

From what I understand, it's mostly due to the necessary nutrients that are largely lacking in apple juice. A good dose of yeast nutrient should make the yeast much happier and subequently minimize the rhino farts, or even eliminate them entirely - and I've got the great-smelling fermentors to prove it!
Click to expand...

Damn, didn't know about the nutrient thing! I have a bunch of that stuff too from doing a barley wine. well, i guess i will know for next time lol. That or i'll just do it in my garage :tank:
 
I just assembled a batch of this about an hour ago to the letter, I've been reading through this thread for about a week now and finally decided to do it, now I turn on HBT and see someone talking about Nutrient for non smelly fermentation.... I have some I just didn't use it.
 
6 hours into this first 5 gal batch and thinking... I haven't seen anyone talking about in the 100's of post I've read it could be there tho,

After this is done with it's (2 months I'm going to give it) Primary could I split it into smaller Secondaries and add stuff ? fruit,spices,etc ? and just rack to a third after I reach the flavor i want?
and then bulk age after that ?
 

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