Man, I love Apfelwein

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SoCalBrewing said:
I should have listened to your advice edwort and made another batch 2 weeks later. Im running out tomorrow to get another 5 gallons of martinelli's.

I thought that was part of the instructions
 
WOW

That's about all I have to say at the moment.

Bottled my first batch friday, and last night had a 'winery party' to commemerate my first batch finishing. We polished off about 3 gallons of it, and everyone was quite happy by the end of the evening. I used 2 pounds of brown sugar, bottled it still in gallon jugs, and set it in the back of the fridge. The first couple tastes hit you right on the front of your tongue, but by the bottom of the first glass, this stuff is magical. Thanks Ed!:tank:

My next batch should be bottled in another 2 weeks, and I used cane sugar for that batch. The next batch I make, I'm going to use the corn suger per the recipe. I think the brown sugar (molasses) gave it a little too much tang, so we'll see if the cane or corn sugar makes it any better.

P.S. SWMBO is still passed out on the floor next to the bed, thanks again Ed... ;)
 
Made my first batch 9-8-07 was 4 weeks. I admit I sampled at 2 weeks. My wife and her friend both said tastes like dry wine. Sampled on Friday and they both said "oh God thats awfull" I tried some and agree. I noticed around the top of Carboy where it starts to taper to the neck some very fine white (looks like mist) on the glass inside. I am still gong to carbonate and let sit. Any idea's. When I did sample I made sure to sanatize and airlock was only off for 1 min at the most.
 
Fair warning about using the Montrachet yeast that this recipe calls for...

It stanks! I've got my first micro-batch of EdWort's Apfelwein going in my malfuncto-matic brewing bucket (something more experimental in the 3-gallon glass right now) and I came home to the wonderful smell of "The Sulphur of Doom" in my living room. Maybe not the best choice for living room brewing!
 
Ah yes, the sweet aroma of fermenting Apfelwein....Not to worry, it will pass as all venting gasses do. :D

Now's the time to start on another batch!
 
jo7hs2 said:
Fair warning about using the Montrachet yeast that this recipe calls for...

It stanks! I've got my first micro-batch of EdWort's Apfelwein going in my malfuncto-matic brewing bucket (something more experimental in the 3-gallon glass right now) and I came home to the wonderful smell of "The Sulphur of Doom" in my living room. Maybe not the best choice for living room brewing!

yah...thats been covered....sigh....didnt you read the other 205 pages?? ;)

lol just kidding. I tricked my SWMBO into smelling it, was kinda funny. Thankfully she still loves the stuff. I am fortunate to have a basement to ferment in, so I dont have to worry about it. I think others have put them in spare bathrooms/bedrooms/closets. Even if you dont have an alternate place to ferment, it is SOOOOO worth it. :tank:
 
the smell lasted all of 18 hours for me... I walked into my room at 4am and thought my wife was going to kill me. :)

Luckily, she's no stranger to the joys of alcohol, and said "At least I had warning". :)

My five gallons go into the keg on 10/18/07 after 8 weeks of aging... Just in time for her birthday. :mug:
 
This has probably already been covered, but has anyone had experience with pitching a new batch on an old yeast cake? I have a batch thats been in since 7/20 which I'll probably bottle soon. If I can pitch back on top of the existing cake, I'll just dedicate this carboy to apfelwein for a little while longer.
 
This looks like a fun project that can be put together rather quickly (and cheaply), and sounds like it will be right up my alley (and I think the wife will like it too). I've got an extra fermenting bucket on the way, along with a few packs of montrachet (luckily I have a basement), and a few packs of paster champagne (may as well experiment). Question, as I didn't read all 200+ pages. If I am bottle priming, should I be racking this to a bottling bucket with a sugar/water mix, or what?
 
Can't remember if this has been covered in the thread, so I'll ask anyway. I know the taste improves with age, but does it matter where it is aging? IE, room temp, vs a keg in the fridge? I ask because the wife is due before the end of the month, and I'd like to get it into a keg before the baby gets here. Anyone with kids knows how little time there is when they're young.
I'm wondering if I should keg and let it age, or just leave it out and keg it when I have time...in a few months. This Saturday makes 1 month it's been in primary.
 
I'll be doing up my 3rd batch tonight. This stuff is a hit at my place. Thanks EdWort!

:rockin: :rockin:
 
Edcculus said:
This has probably already been covered, but has anyone had experience with pitching a new batch on an old yeast cake? I have a batch thats been in since 7/20 which I'll probably bottle soon. If I can pitch back on top of the existing cake, I'll just dedicate this carboy to apfelwein for a little while longer.

I'd love to hear a reply to this, too. I have 5 gallons that I am tempted to rack into a secondary to clear- It would be nice to start a second batch right off the dregs of the first.
 
Docapi said:
I'd love to hear a reply to this, too. I have 5 gallons that I am tempted to rack into a secondary to clear- It would be nice to start a second batch right off the dregs of the first.
I'd say you probably dont need to rack to a secondary. Mine has been sitting in the primary just shy of 2 months. It is very clear now. The question still stands about repitching though.
 
Oh, I know I don't need to.

However, if I can use the yeast cake from the present batch, I would go ahead and rack to secondary just to get another batch going.

Also, since I used Musselman's cider (not the juice) I think it is going to take a lot of clearing, and I'm thinking a racking might help a bit.
 
Docapi said:
Oh, I know I don't need to.

However, if I can use the yeast cake from the present batch, I would go ahead and rack to secondary just to get another batch going.

Also, since I used Musselman's cider (not the juice) I think it is going to take a lot of clearing, and I'm thinking a racking might help a bit.
Ah, good point
 
Brothers, I had a rough day. I'm struggling to get through a massive workload, but it seems those around me are dead set againt letting me accomplish anything. Anyhow, I left work around 6:30, got on the freeway, and fought the nasty Los Angeles traffic. An hour later I had managed to traverse the 10.7 miles between my office and home, a drive that by all rights shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes. As I squint into the setting sun, I start daydreaming about smashing my car into those around me. Not hard enough to hurt anybody, just hard enough to knock the cellphones out of their hands.

So finally I'm home. I'm steamed man...tired, cranky, ready to bite the head off anybody or anything that crosses my path. I open the fridge, and spy two bottles of Apfelwein that I put in there to chill last night. You know what happens next. :D

Of course I prefer beer, but this stuff works SO much faster. The last sip of the second bottle tastes 1000% better than the first sip of the first bottle. Lo and behold, I feel good again, and those around me are safe. Man, I love Apfelwein...thanks EdWort!!
 
Holy Hell Dude. My last batch of Apfelwien was sitting out on a counter. It must of had the sulfur smells while I was out at work. I just opened the door to my closet where my 2 full batches are bubbling away nicely. Only problem is I almost passed out from the smell. It was like a dutch oven.
 
Edcculus said:
This has probably already been covered, but has anyone had experience with pitching a new batch on an old yeast cake? I have a batch thats been in since 7/20 which I'll probably bottle soon. If I can pitch back on top of the existing cake, I'll just dedicate this carboy to apfelwein for a little while longer.

I just checked, my LHBS sells Montrachet yeast for $1.29. (Well, since I work there, I sell it for $1.29, but I couldn't remember the price.)

I'd rather clean out the carboy, sanitize it, and pitch new yeast.

Now, if you are using a liquid yeast, I can see starting a batch on 1/2 the yeast-cake.

steve
 
BlindLemonLars said:
So finally I'm home. I'm steamed man...tired, cranky, ready to bite the head off anybody or anything that crosses my path. I open the fridge, and spy two bottles of Apfelwein that I put in there to chill last night. You know what happens next. :D

Of course I prefer beer, but this stuff works SO much faster. The last sip of the second bottle tastes 1000% better than the first sip of the first bottle. Lo and behold, I feel good again, and those around me are safe. Man, I love Apfelwein...thanks EdWort!!

Ahh, the good old standby. Apfelwein. Enjoy!:cross:
 
Hey, my ingredients for this haven't arrived yet, so I haven't started a batch, but do you think it would be ok to bottle this into sanitized wine bottles, and either cork or use those "wine savers" tops? My wife drinks wine, so that would be a cheap and easy source of bottles.
 
Edcculus said:
This has probably already been covered, but has anyone had experience with pitching a new batch on an old yeast cake? I have a batch thats been in since 7/20 which I'll probably bottle soon. If I can pitch back on top of the existing cake, I'll just dedicate this carboy to apfelwein for a little while longer.

I used the same yeast on 3 batches. I just siphoned off the cake and tossed more apple juice and sugar on top of it. The second and third batches were both done in about 3 weeks instead of 4. You will want to leave a little more room near the neck of the carboy. It doesn't krausen, but you can get a blow off.
 
quit teasing, my first batch is oh so close to being done. It's beautifully clear, and pressure has equalized. I think I'll just pour some fresh juice on the yeast cake and start a new batch going after racking.
 
jdoiv said:
I used the same yeast on 3 batches. I just siphoned off the cake and tossed more apple juice and sugar on top of it. The second and third batches were both done in about 3 weeks instead of 4. You will want to leave a little more room near the neck of the carboy. It doesn't krausen, but you can get a blow off.
Ok, thats what I wanted to know. I have a 6.5 gallon carboy, so I won't have to worry about blowoff.
 
BlindLemonLars said:
Brothers, I had a rough day. I'm struggling to get through a massive workload, but it seems those around me are dead set againt letting me accomplish anything. Anyhow, I left work around 6:30, got on the freeway, and fought the nasty Los Angeles traffic. An hour later I had managed to traverse the 10.7 miles between my office and home, a drive that by all rights shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes. As I squint into the setting sun, I start daydreaming about smashing my car into those around me. Not hard enough to hurt anybody, just hard enough to knock the cellphones out of their hands.

So finally I'm home. I'm steamed man...tired, cranky, ready to bite the head off anybody or anything that crosses my path. I open the fridge, and spy two bottles of Apfelwein that I put in there to chill last night. You know what happens next. :D

Of course I prefer beer, but this stuff works SO much faster. The last sip of the second bottle tastes 1000% better than the first sip of the first bottle. Lo and behold, I feel good again, and those around me are safe. Man, I love Apfelwein...thanks EdWort!!

That is one of the main reasons I left that rat hole. You are stronger then I am if you can deal with that traffic everyday...I could/would not tolerate it or the cost of living there, so my wife and I moved to Ohio, its wonderful here. Sorry I know that was off topic, but just thinking of LA traffic gets my blood boiling...
 
Almost done with my first batch. I'm anxious to try out some apfelwein and was hoping to bottle after 4 weeks, but the thing is still bubbling every 10 seconds. I'd rather not have exploding bottles due to CO2 issues. Can I bottle it? Maybe w/ 1/2 a cup of priming sugar (instead of 3/4)?
 
doubleb said:
Almost done with my first batch. I'm anxious to try out some apfelwein and was hoping to bottle after 4 weeks, but the thing is still bubbling every 10 seconds. I'd rather not have exploding bottles due to CO2 issues. Can I bottle it? Maybe w/ 1/2 a cup of priming sugar (instead of 3/4)?

What was your OG reading, and what is your reading now? Thats the only way to tell if its really done :mug:
 
I didn't take an OG reading... I used the juice (5 gallons) and 2lbs of light brown sugar. Can someone tell me what a probable OG would be?
 
I've got a 2oz. bag of yeast nutrient from the LHBS, how much should I add to some Apfelwein to keep the rhino farts away?

What is the proper way to add the nutrient? It's all grainy and clumpy, should I dissolve it in some boiled water and toss in the fermenter? It's a generic brand in a generic bag so I've got no instructions.
 
I did a search and saw there was some talk about brewing with WLP300, but I wondered if anyone actually tried it. I was all set to buy some montrachet yeast today, but my LHBS was clean out! I ended up picking up the WLP300 because I remember someone somewhere talking about brewing with hefeweizen yeast. I'm just curious if who ever has tried this ran into any problems or took any special steps.
 
ArroganceFan said:
That is one of the main reasons I left that rat hole. You are stronger then I am if you can deal with that traffic everyday...I could/would not tolerate it or the cost of living there, so my wife and I moved to Ohio, its wonderful here. Sorry I know that was off topic, but just thinking of LA traffic gets my blood boiling...

Amen to that! Can't wait to get out of here! Anybody who says they love it out here hasn't seen the rest of the country....;)
 
ArroganceFan said:
That is one of the main reasons I left that rat hole. You are stronger then I am if you can deal with that traffic everyday...I could/would not tolerate it or the cost of living there, so my wife and I moved to Ohio, its wonderful here. Sorry I know that was off topic, but just thinking of LA traffic gets my blood boiling...
Well, there are really just two places in the country where I can work in my chosen field...New York and Los Angeles. So basically, it's a matter of which rat hole I want to live in!

It's not so bad, I regularly escape up to Big Bear Lake to go fishing and decompress. So long as there is chilled Apfelwein around, I can cope! My new batch with Premier Cuvée yeast is aggressively (and loudly!) bubbling away this morning. So far it has a much nicer aroma than the Montrachet, very bread-like.
 
My Apfelwein has been fermenting for 17 days and is now bubbling very slowly (< 1 bubble/min.). The temp is around 70 degrees. Is this about right? I know, I know, I should take a gravity reading but my brewing buddy has my hydrometer.
 
Quick question on the Apfelwein. Will I need to add the dextrose if I'm going for the traditional Apfelwein ABV of 5-7%? Or maybe just add 1 lb?

SWMBO is German and always loved drinking Apfelwein (usually a Saures) so I was planning on making her a batch next week. I wanted to get it done before it gets too cold so she can enjoy some Heiss Ebbelwei (pretty much the same thing as a Gluehwein).

Heiss Ebbelwein

4 3/4 cups Apfelwein
2oz sugar
1/2 cinnamon stick (use less or more to taste)
2-3 cloves
the peels off two lemon slices

Bring 1/2 cup of the Apfelwein to a boil with the sugar and spices. Remove from the heat and leave to steep for 20-30 minutes.
Pour the rest of the Apfelwein into a separate pot on low heat, pour the spice mixture into the pot (I used to strain through a strainer). Heat to just under a boil and serve in a tall mug. Enjoy!


EDIT: Any champagne yeast will do, correct?
 
Whiskey® said:
Quick question on the Apfelwein. Will I need to add the dextrose if I'm going for the traditional Apfelwein ABV of 5-7%? Or maybe just add 1 lb?

First, make sure you use Montrachet wine yeast, otherwise your German SWMBO will be dissapointed. She has a reference point, so you need to stick EXACTLY to my recipe. Drop a pound of Dextrose and you'll get about 7%. No dextrose will get you around 6% depending on your juice.

Follow my recipe to the letter and your German SWMBO will be very happy.
 
Thanks for the quick reply EdWort.

I honestly never really cared for Apfelwein (except for the Heiss Ebbelwein) so I do not have a basis for comparison.

I'll just follow the recipe to a tee.

Again thanks.
 
Went to the local brew hut, got supplies, and made my first batch today. This is the second brew I have ever done, first with my own equipment.

The Dextrose was WAY over priced (2 bucks a pound? in Iowa? WTF?)

I have friend who is a local brewer who suggested that I use brown sugar. So i tossed in two pounds and then added an extra cup or of table sugar for a bit of a kick. Hydro was 1.064 which should be plenty.

My only question: I am really new to brewing and I just stirred in the yeast (Montrachet of course, with nutrient), is that going to screw everything up?

I didn't think so at the time, but just wondering now. I was too excited to get the stuff brewing to go check with anyone.

Any other advice?

Thanks
Ken
 
Nargulyte said:
The Dextrose was WAY over priced (2 bucks a pound? in Iowa? WTF?)
Not surprising, I understand corn is very rare in Iowa. ;) I pay $1.25 a pound at the LHBS.

I wouldn't sweat the details, it seems to be pretty goof-proof. I just started my third batch with dextrose, next time I may try brown sugar just for grins.

I think I'll go draw myself another glass...it's downright dangerous having a keg of Apfelwein around! (Thankfully it's out in the garage brewfridge, so I have to make a LITTLE bit of effort to grab a glass.)
 
Just picked up a crapload of grape/cranberry cocktail cheap at CostCo. Can I use the basic Apfelwein recipe for that or do I need to do anything special because its grapes?
 
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