Man, I love Apfelwein

[av8er79]

I think my first batch is about ready. I would like to very lightly carbonate it. I have some growlers from a local brewery just like the ones below.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/civilian-brewing-division-growler.html

Would it be possible/safe to accomplish this in the growlers?

 

[mastamind]

Was thinking for my second batch doing 4gal of apple juice and 1 gal of POM pomogranite juice. Think that would be any good?

 

[FRS]

Bottling an 8 month old apfelwein.. It tastes glorious!

Split half/half carb'ed and not.

Thanks again for the recipe!

(BTW does anyone know the normal OG with the standard recipe?)

Should be about 1.060, but may vary slightly based on your brand of apple juice.

 

[davis119]

(BTW does anyone know the normal OG with the standard recipe?)

Mine was. .06 and I have seen a few others around there

 

[Xtant]

I didn't even check the gravity on my first batch. I just let it roll.

I checked the OG on the two batches I currently have going, but haven't bothered to pop the air locks. Probably gonna cold crash this weekend. I'm curious to see what kind of FG I'll get....

 

[Kampo]

so I was laying in bed, and got thinking about random crap. then i relised I may of overprimed my apfelwein.

for some reason I had 1 cup of sugar in my head (prolly right for 5 gallons) but then I realized I only had 3.75 or so gallons. how bad do you think this will end? also I made a simple syrup of the sugar then poured it in my bottling bucket then racked on top of it, you think that was good enough to mix it? (I didn't want to stir and add oxidize it)

 

[rico567]

so I was laying in bed, and got thinking about random crap. then i relised I may of overprimed my apfelwein.

for some reason I had 1 cup of sugar in my head (prolly right for 5 gallons) but then I realized I only had 3.75 or so gallons. how bad do you think this will end? also I made a simple syrup of the sugar then poured it in my bottling bucket then racked on top of it, you think that was good enough to mix it? (I didn't want to stir and add oxidize it)

Realizing that a cup is volumetric measurement and therefore not exact, the "standard" 5 oz. of sugar in 5 gal is about 3/4 cup. Therefore, if you put a full cup in 3.75 gallons, there's little doubt you're overprimed......

 

[tennesseean_87]

.75 cup/5 gal x 3.75 gal= .5635 cups you should have used this much, so you used nearly twice what you should have. I believe standard bottles are supposed to hold about 3 vol of CO2. You might get bombs or gushers if you let them get too hot, so once they've conditioned, you might want to keep them on the cool side (basment if you've got it). This also depends on whether or not you de-gassed/the temp of your ferment. If you didn't degass and had a cool ferment, you probably already had a bit of CO2 in suspension. I just had a 'still' bottle blow its cork a few weeks ago after the temperature warmed up because I didn't degass before I bottled. You may not have problems, but I'd be careful.

 

[Recluse]

Realizing that a cup is volumetric measurement and therefore not exact, the "standard" 5 oz. of sugar in 5 gal is about 3/4 cup. Therefore, if you put a full cup in 3.75 gallons, there's little doubt you're overprimed......

While this is true, I always prime by weight and go by the 1 oz/gal rule. Often, when I get the stuff in the bottling bucket, there is less than I originally thought due to whatever was left with the lees, so I have overprimed somewhat to no ill effect. Probably never by QUITE the ratio that you have going, though. In fact, I would prefer a bit more carbonation, so overpriming may be the way to go as long as it is short of bottle bombs!

I am always worried that there isn't enough yeast left after sitting in the carboy for months, but it always seem to prime OK. Sometimes I will intentionally suck up a bit of the lees to be sure there is enough yeast there to metabolize the priming sugar.

 

[Kampo]

I bottled one in a PET bottle, so I guess i'll watch that one and once it feels good and firm throw it in the fridge and taste it and if its about right just bottle pasturize them.

 

[Grumpybumpy]

Interesting! What did you like about the RC-212 and which other yeasts have you tried? I have made it with Montrachet and EC-1118, and I pretty much only use EC-1118 now unless I absolutely cannot find any in time and fall back on Montrachet. Have been thinking of trying a batch with D-47 which tends to be a good Mead yeast. RC-212 looks like a nice candidate as well, but somehow I never thought of using it as I always associate it with red wine.

I haven't done any other batches besides the one with 212. Nice and strong apple flavor, somewhat tart like a dry white wine, and utterly delicious!

 

[Recluse]

I haven't done any other batches besides the one with 212. Nice and strong apple flavor, somewhat tart like a dry white wine, and utterly delicious!

Nice! I will have to try that for the next batch.

 

[dietz31684]

This stuff is no joke, astounding what is produced from such a simple process! I followed directions and didn't rush things, 7 weeks in a carboy and 14 days in a keg @ 12 PSI. Thank you for a life long recipe, I catch myself looking for apple juice on sale every time that I'm at the grocery store now!

 

[A50SNAKE]

This stuff is no joke, astounding what is produced from such a simple process! I followed directions and didn't rush things, 7 weeks in a carboy and 14 days in a keg @ 12 PSI. Thank you for a life long recipe, I catch myself looking for apple juice on sale every time that I'm at the grocery store now!

+1...I do this as well...my local store has the rougemont juices on sale this week, 2 X 2L bottles for $4. ...:rockin:

 

[rico567]

Yesterday was tasting day for my first full batch of Apfelwein (I made a test batch in a gallon jug a while back). Three months in fermenter with a rack to secondary the last month. This is the end of the second month in the bottle. Tastes great, I think it will be better in a month or two. I primed it like a batch of beer, 5 oz. of dextrose, and it just gives it a nice sparkling character. The only difference from the original recipe is that I made it with 5 gal. of fresh cider from a local orchard (13 varieties of apple, flash Pasteurized only). At my basement temperature, the Montrachet yeast took quite a while to complete the fermentation, but it was very efficient (FG 0.998). Looking forward to enjoying this, and making more.

 

[Accidic]

Walmart store brand is ~1.054 pre sugar additions with their NSA juice. It's become my juice of choice of what I have available.

 

[Accidic]

@brewscout,
I've done honey carb the same as with beer instructions tell you to go. The problem I have run into is with fluctuating sugar contents of different honeys I've used. If it were me i'd stick with a commercial honey you've used before and be very careful of using local honey. I've gotten severe gushers from local honey from one farmer (with beer) and I'm certain with the thickness of his honey it's sugar content. I've admittedly had better luck with a different farmer but they almost always end up undercarbed.

 

[BrewScout]

@brewscout,
I've done honey carb the same as with beer instructions tell you to go. The problem I have run into is with fluctuating sugar contents of different honeys I've used. If it were me i'd stick with a commercial honey you've used before and be very careful of using local honey. I've gotten severe gushers from local honey from one farmer (with beer) and I'm certain with the thickness of his honey it's sugar content. I've admittedly had better luck with a different farmer but they almost always end up undercarbed.

I just used 2 oz of local honey for 2 gallons. I've never carbed with honey before so we will see. I'm not looking for a champagne level of carbonation so if its undercarbed it will probably end up just how I want it. I do have 2 questions though.
1. I know with most wines it is suggested that you Degas it. Is this step necessary with apfelwein?
2. What is a reasonable amount of time to expect this batch to carbonate? It is sitting in a dark closet between 68* and 72*. 10 - 12oz bottles and 3 - pints.

 

[Skim]

2. What is a reasonable amount of time to expect this batch to carbonate? It is sitting in a dark closet between 68* and 72*. 10 - 12oz bottles and 3 - pints.

I primed mine with dextrose and had it sitting in a cool basement. I opened one up after 1, 2 and 3 weeks. I found it took all 3 weeks to fully carbonate. I'm sure others have had different experiences though.

 

[HBngNOK]

Used 4 bottles of my Apfelwein to make a sangria. Whoa - it is good! Even my wife likes it.

4 175 ml bottles of Apfelwein
6 oz concentrated lemonade, thawed
6 oz concentrated limeade, thawed
6 oz concentrated cranberry juice, thawed
Stir all ingredients together and enjoy!

I probably should get some more Apfelwein in the pipeline .

Fred

 

[davis119]

Used 4 bottles of my Apfelwein to make a sangria. Whoa - it is good! Even my wife likes it.

4 175 ml bottles of Apfelwein
6 oz concentrated lemonade, thawed
6 oz concentrated limeade, thawed
6 oz concentrated cranberry juice, thawed
Stir all ingredients together and enjoy!

I probably should get some more Apfelwein in the pipeline .

Fred

sound good I think it would need something to boost the abv..... brandy?.....

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I like the way you think.

sound good I think it would need something to boost the abv..... brandy?.....

 

[HBngNOK]

sound good I think it would need something to boost the abv..... brandy?.....

I dunno - it goes down awfully easy as is, a higher abv could make it lethal!

 

[A50SNAKE]

I'd like to make another batch of this with honey as my sugar or instead of sugar. How much honey would I use, still 2lbs would be enough?

also, how would I mix the two? I know for the sugar you just shake and it dissolves, but for the honey would I need to heat up some juice to mix with the honey first? and then let it cool and then add to the carboy? I'm just not sure what is the bestest tried and true way to get GREAT results

thanks all for any help in making this twist to this great recipe happen.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Wouldnt you just have a cyser if you used honey?

 

[davis119]

I dunno - it goes down awfully easy as is, a higher abv could make it lethal!

I was thinking just up it to about 12% like a sangria.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Wouldnt you just have a cyser if you used honey?

Yes.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Thought so. Hey, not that there's anything wrong with that!

Yes.

 

[A50SNAKE]

Wouldnt you just have a cyser if you used honey?

I'm ok with that...

Yes.

thanks

Thought so. Hey, not that there's anything wrong with that!

thanks for the replies...but, still wondering, how much honey would I need or use for making this? and how would I go about adding it to my juice? I've never made a cyser before either...but I'm sure you can tell that ...mostly just wine kits until recently with the SP and edwort's apfelwein...:rockin:


p.s. oh, like the Seinfeld reference btw...

 

[IrishBrewer74]

5 weeks in. At 1.006. Tastes delightful.