Man, I love Apfelwein

Williams 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Accidic said:
The downside is unless you keg sparkling is out unless you are going to try to bottle pasturize but having popped a few cokes in fires it kind of scares me with glass.
Click to expand...

You could always try artificial sweeteners or a lower alcohol tolerant yeast that puts out but then that could be dangerous since even the same strain can sometimes go crazy and ferment higher than it should.
 
Just put together my first batch. Used Santa Cruz Organic apple juice, which is pasteurized but not filtered. Looking forward to seeing this develop.
 
The problem I see with that is the alcohol tolerance seems more like a rough guideline than ceiling-like. I tried once to have residuals with a cider and it ended at 14.2% abv and bone dry. Isn't it roughly .004 gravity the line between bottle bombs and safe (ish heheh)?
 
Also yes it can be converted to gallon but you'll hate that you made so little when it disappears fast after waiting so long for it ruo be done.
 
drew1d said:
Started mine last night,
5 gallons, Kedem Apple Juice. 2 cups of Light brown Sugar, 3 cups of White table sugar, 1 1/2 packets of Red Star Mon$#% Yeast.

1.060 at 72 degrees

In the bucket bubbling away.

Thanks Ed Wort

:ban:
Click to expand...

7 days, and still bubbling. this is going to be rocket fuel. :drunk:
 
Just put mine together yesterday. It started bubbling, but not as vigorous as I am used to with beer. Normal?

I would post a picture, but I don't have enough posts yet. I used unfiltered, organic juice. I expect it to stay cloudy and that's ok with me. Any issue with using unfiltered juice, other than the color? I read through much of the thread and only saw people discussing it in terms of the color.

Even though I do not expect an infection, if I were looking for one, what would I be watching for? So far I have only made beer, so I am a little green on what to expect.

Thanks all.
 
It's funny. After writing that post, in the past hour, the bubbling has started pretty good. One every second. Smells great so far. No sulfur yet.
 
I took a hydrometer reading today on my apfelwein that's been in the carboy for 3 weeks reading was 1.000 I tasted the sample wasn't sweet,but definitely not super dry it had a slight apple flavor and I could definitely taste the alcohol. I think it will be drinkable. It hasn't totally cleared out yet. I'll give it another month.
 
My SWMBO really loves woodchuck granny smith hard cider. Anyone had this and know how this recipe compares? I'm thinking this one will be a little drier. The woodchuck is very tart, but has some sweetness to balance it out. At about $2 a bottle, I'd really like to make a clone of it cheap.

My thoughts are, take a gravity reading of the commercial one, aim for that, then add acid until I get the desired tartness... Thoughts?
 
I read 100 pages of this post and I am amazed at all the information, thanks.

I have made a number of conventional batches of wine, which IMO are quite good. But, I am intrigued by the process of making Apfelwein ! I've got a 3 gallon carboy ready and 3 gallons of juice, my Wine supplier isn't open till Wednesday, so I'll get dextrose and yeast then.

Since, I've never made beer, the process of carbonating is a bit confusing to me at this point. What is the easiest way to carbonate Apfelwein? I may use brown 12 oz beer bottles, as I have been working to empty those darn full Samuel Adams in the frig. Would these work ok, can anyone point me to a thread that explains the process?

Lots of questions, thanks for your knowledge and patience.

Tony
 
just bottled my first batch, and i'm pissed! i wish my will power had held out another few months.

after bottling 2 12ounce bottles, i put them in the freezer so that when i was done bottling, i could go ahead and drink.

HOLY HELL ITS GOOD. and i'm going to costco tomorrow so i can get another batch going so that i can leave it for much longer.

Kind of reminiscent of a chardonnay.
 
Longtrain4 said:
Since, I've never made beer, the process of carbonating is a bit confusing to me at this point. What is the easiest way to carbonate Apfelwein? I may use brown 12 oz beer bottles, as I have been working to empty those darn full Samuel Adams in the frig. Would these work ok, can anyone point me to a thread that explains the process?

Lots of questions, thanks for your knowledge and patience.

Tony
Click to expand...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

This is the bottleing section of the web site. You might want to experiment a little with using brown sugar or honey to give your apfelwein a little different flavor. I like the thought of putting half of your sugar mixture in first and bottle top 2 1/2 gallons and then pour in the rest for the second half. Using this method I will do two different sugars to get a variety out of one 5 gallon batch.:ban:
 
On the subject of bottling, my friend who works at a bar has saved me enough 180ml bottles (single large glasses) with screw tops - can I carbonate lightly with a screw top bottle?
 
I've had really bad experiences with the screw tops. I've always heard they're useless although I have pressure sealed them (like you would do while canning) with some luck but this of course prevents the possibility of bottle carbing. It frankly wasn't worth the effort and in hindsight was arguably dangerous at that.
 
Started my first 3 gallon batch last night. 3 gallons of apple juice, 1 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient, 1 1/3 lbs of dextrose and Montrachet Wine Yeast. Starting to bubble already. Now to start scraping labels off of beer bottles!

Thanks,

Tony
 
Can't see why not. I just ordered 5 lb of Dextrose from Morebeer.com for $7.95, so the Now Sports stuff is a little more expensive than Homebrew stuff..but not too much
 
Longtrain4 said:
Started my first 3 gallon batch last night. 3 gallons of apple juice, 1 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient, 1 1/3 lbs of dextrose and Montrachet Wine Yeast. Starting to bubble already. Now to start scraping labels off of beer bottles!

Thanks,

Tony
Click to expand...

Soak them bottles in hot water and oxy clean and the labels will fall off. This stuff is great I have 5 gallons on tap and 10 gallons cooking....
 
Bookem15 said:
Soak them bottles in hot water and oxy clean and the labels will fall off. This stuff is great I have 5 gallons on tap and 10 gallons cooking....
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'l give that a try, gotta be easier then scraping and Goof Off for the glue. Gonna start another 6 gallons as soon as I bottle a Cabernet next month.
 
The headspace of my carboy has a sort of white film that developed after the fermentation had begun to slow. It looks like sugar adhered to the inside of the glass. Does anyone else get this?
 
ConnorPPrice said:
The headspace of my carboy has a sort of white film that developed after the fermentation had begun to slow. It looks like sugar adhered to the inside of the glass. Does anyone else get this?
Click to expand...

Can you take a pic?
 
2nd day of fermenting, going like crazy. 3 gallon carboys fit nicely in 5 gallon buckets. Added 1 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient, no rotten egg odor so far with Montrachet yeast.

5284-apfelwein-1st-attempt-primary.jpg
 
emjay said:
Can you take a pic?
Click to expand...

Here it is, same as the original recipe except I used nottingham yeast. It looks like it could just be sugar, the surface of the apfelwein is tough to see in the picture but it looks fine with just a few co2 bubbles here and there. I'm thinking that since I used nottingham it developed a bit off krausen and deposited some sugars on the glass.

ForumRunner_20111007_130215.jpg


ForumRunner_20111007_130238.jpg
 
I mixed up a batch when I got home......just one little old gallon
I know I will be pissed but thats the only container that I dont have something in!

I used regular table sugar......3/4 of a cup to a gallon of whitehouse 100% juice

floated the hydrometer and its just a shade above 1.060

sound good?

thanks
 
ConnorPPrice said:
Here it is, same as the original recipe except I used nottingham yeast. It looks like it could just be sugar, the surface of the apfelwein is tough to see in the picture but it looks fine with just a few co2 bubbles here and there. I'm thinking that since I used nottingham it developed a bit off krausen and deposited some sugars on the glass.
Click to expand...

Does not look like anything I would worry about.
 
:drunk: I bottled this stuff just about 30 minutes ago and filled one of those Star Wars edition Slurpee cups up and stirred in 4 splenda and stuck it in the freezer Boy does that go down easy...:drunk:
 
hi! does anyone know how much honey i should substitute for sugar for a 5 gallon batch? i'm using hand pressed sweet cider and i'd love to use local honey. thanks for your help!
 
emermck said:
hi! does anyone know how much honey i should substitute for sugar for a 5 gallon batch? i'm using hand pressed sweet cider and i'd love to use local honey. thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

Check out the mead forum below and ask one of those guys if you don't get an answer here
 
I just have to say I like this stuff It fermented for a month before I bottled it last night, I tried it then with some splenda and it taste fine. Today I opened a 12 oz bottle that I did without carbonation and I got a little pssht from the bottle... uh oh? whats going to happen to the bottles I added carb tabs too? anyway I did half & Half lemon-lime soda and Apfelwein it was excellent and it gave me a really good buzz! I know I said in my earlier post that I was going to bottle and save for a long time but I really don't think it's going to last that long.... 3 glasses before I judge eh ? I only needed 1 I think... I'm going to have a hard time sharing this with anyone! at least untill I make more that it is.

Thanks Edwort this stuff is the best thing I've made yet.
 
Per the last batch I did that way with the local honey I have it calculated out to 1,105.6 grams of honey to match the output of the dextrose. As sugar in honey isn't exactly rock solid tho I rounded to 2.5 lbs (for 5g). As with all honey tho YMMV depending on it's sugar content and the above is based on my local product. And to be perfectly honest with generic walmart grade honey that 1.25:1 honey to corn sugar ratio has been fine even for bottling in my experience regardless of the source of honey I used.
 
ConnorPPrice said:
Here it is, same as the original recipe except I used nottingham yeast. It looks like it could just be sugar, the surface of the apfelwein is tough to see in the picture but it looks fine with just a few co2 bubbles here and there. I'm thinking that since I used nottingham it developed a bit off krausen and deposited some sugars on the glass.
Click to expand...

I did one with nottingham yeast and it did the same thing. Tasted amazing. Don't worry about it.
 

Similar threads

nxc3441
apple pie cider under 10 bucks a gallon
Replies
2
Views
1K
nxc3441
nxc3441
C
what canna do with it?
Replies
5
Views
610
fluketamer
F
H
Apple cider stupid questions
Replies
3
Views
930
Graham H
G
A
New Fermenter
Replies
16
Views
940
Austin Willoughby
A
E
Very stuck brew
Replies
2
Views
322
elkdictation
E
Brewer's Friend 300

Latest posts

Back
Top