Man, I love Apfelwein

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Thwizzit said:
Thanks for the reply :) I forgot to ask, I'm making a 1/2 batch in my spare Mr, Beer and I used about 1 1/4 lbs of dextrose and I forgot what I was doing and used the entire packet of Cote de Blanc yeast instead of 1/2 like I was planning. Will using that much yeast make a big difference in the final product?

Oh, and in the directions is says ' After 4 weeks the yeast will drop out and become clear. After at least 4 weeks you can bottle' is that 4 more weeks to bottle (8 weeks fermenting) or is that the same four weeks?
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You did the right thing. Always use the whole package of yeast even for smaller batches.
 
Thwizzit said:
Thanks for the reply :) I forgot to ask, I'm making a 1/2 batch in my spare Mr, Beer and I used about 1 1/4 lbs of dextrose and I forgot what I was doing and used the entire packet of Cote de Blanc yeast instead of 1/2 like I was planning. Will using that much yeast make a big difference in the final product?

Oh, and in the directions is says ' After 4 weeks the yeast will drop out and become clear. After at least 4 weeks you can bottle' is that 4 more weeks to bottle (8 weeks fermenting) or is that the same four weeks?
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Extra yeast is good!!

As for time its temp dependent. 62-86F. Higher being faster. Wait until is clear add try to measure the gravity. The target should be 1.000 - Waiting longer or too long is not really a problem. Its best to wait until is completely done. No bottle bombs.

Cotes may need yeast nutrient. It can get stuck w/o it added. I'd get some and add 1/2tsp per gal. If it gets stuck and you add this it will fizz like an alka-seltzer. All will be ok afterwards.
 
Nurmey said:
You did the right thing. Always use the whole package of yeast even for smaller batches.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks :)

Cotes may need yeast nutrient. It can get stuck w/o it added.
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I guess I didn't do all of my homework! When do I need to add the nutrients? The batch just set sail this morning and don't have any nutrients handy and would either have to order them or drive for an hour to the nearest Home Brew supply store. Do they have to go in right away?
 
Thwizzit said:
Cool, thanks :)



I guess I didn't do all of my homework! When do I need to add the nutrients? The batch just set sail this morning and don't have any nutrients handy and would either have to order them or drive for an hour to the nearest Home Brew supply store. Do they have to go in right away?
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Generally, yes. I have added it late once before. Its just risker. The mfg'r says it needs nutrients as does this website. You could take a wait & see approach too. I'm guessing you'll need it but it might take some time to figure it out for sure. It should go from clear to cloudy rather quickly. Then look for bubbles, millions of tiny bubbles rising. Use a flashlight to look through the fermentor. After 4-5 days and no activity, I would say its stalled. Then I'd get some.

FYI : http://www.cfhb.org/mead/yeast_strains.htm#mont
 
It's amazing how different yeasts affect the progression of this wine.

My Montrachet batch, brewed on February 8, is now an opaque light yellow. My Premier Cuvee batch, started 5 days later (to be converted into a blackberry-apple wine), has already cleared significantly - I can see my hand right through the fermenter.
 
i just sampled my cran berry apfelwien.

i racked from a 6 gal to a 5 gal, and put the extra in bottles (cloudy and unfinished - i used unfiltered cider) and decided to drink it rather than poor good alcohol down the sink. I invited some friends over and everyone who tried it loves it. 1 bottle goes a long way...

1st sip "hey it,it's not bad"

after the first glass "this is pretty good ****, can i get another?".

after 3 glasses "this **** is great, can i get a bottle to take with me?!"

..cooked a steak, egg, cheese to help him sober up ..
 
It should go from clear to cloudy rather quickly. Then look for bubbles, millions of tiny bubbles rising. Use a flashlight to look through the fermentor.
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Is it cloudy because of the bubbles? Because I can't see through the brown Mr. Beer keg with a flashlight so it's definitely cloudy and because it's so difficult to see through it I can't actually see any bubbles. It's just so cloudy that the flashlight doesn't show through the other side.

So, i guess my question is, how can I determine if the bubbles have stopped if I can't see the bubbles? If it clears up soon should I assume the yeast has stalled?

If I add the nutrients in a few days should I add another packet of yeast as well or will the nutrients activate the yeast already in there?
 
Thwizzit said:
Is it cloudy because of the bubbles? Because I can't see through the brown Mr. Beer keg with a flashlight so it's definitely cloudy and because it's so difficult to see through it I can't actually see any bubbles. It's just so cloudy that the flashlight doesn't show through the other side.

So, i guess my question is, how can I determine if the bubbles have stopped if I can't see the bubbles? If it clears up soon should I assume the yeast has stalled?
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The cloudiness forms as result of the yeast introduction to the must. Then you should expect a 3-5 day lag of no activity. Just cloudiness. Afterwards you will see formation of air bubbles.

I forgot you are using a MRB Keg. Go to the side of the barrel w/ the graduation marks. The keg is amber but clear (not translucent) at that spot. Use the brightest flashlight you can get your hands (LED is the best) and look through that section looking for bubbles.

See this you tube link. This is one of my older batches going full blast.



I imagine you still need to wait a little bit. When its cloudy the flash light will NOT shine through. If you put the flashlight right up against keg look adjacent to the flashlight. Above or below on the graduated scale that's where you will find bubbles if its working.
 
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ma2brew said:
That's still pretty sweet. It's going to be very different tasting once it's gone below 1.0. I just want to make sure you know it's going to be much more like a dry wine, and less like cider than you have sampled now.
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yeah, my bad - i meant to say the gravity was 1.04, not 1.14... got it confused with my other batch...

so yeah, at .04 it's already pretty dry - and delicious!
 
The cloudiness forms as result of the yeast introduction to the must. Then you should expect a 3-5 day lag of no activity. Just cloudiness. Afterwards you will see formation of air bubbles.
Click to expand...

I'll wait until the end of the week and if nothing starts to happen I'll suppose it's stalled and I'll add the nutrients.

Thanks again :)
 
I just whipped together a 3 gallon batch using Nottingham Ale yeast. This is my first batch and I thought I'd go small 'till I decide if I like it. I'm using a PET water bottle that I found at Lowe's for $4.95.

Yes, I know I misspelled Apfelwein...

Keg_028.jpg
 
just distributed 8 more bottles of apfelwein. Well ok, 3 bottles of apfelwein and 5 bottles of apfelwein made with hefeweizen yeast (2 of which were carbonated). @ to the local wine store guy, 3 to my favorite brewery, 3 to an nice guy I met whose wife can't drink beer :( . I thought this might be a good substitute for someone who can't drink beer but likes it and also wants in to the homebrewing world. Spread the love! So has anyone dry hopped their apfelwein yet...? Come on, someone knows they want to be brave and try it.
 
Nurmey said:
Apfelwein has been know to take down very large men by drinking a few glasses. I dare your wife to be able to consume a "large volume" of Ed Wort's Apfelwein (as the recipe is written) at one time. :drunk:
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See, the thing is, *volume* is what she tries to avoid. She likes a big punch in a small package, so to speak. She'll do 2-3 shots and be thrilled.

But we'll see. I made up the original recipe (although in a 6 gal carboy, so I could squeeze in those last few ounces of juice). Honestly, I'd rather see her dig this than have to spend more on extra stuff, concentrate and dextrose.
 
Schlenkerla said:
Most of us are after good tasting quality homebrew and not about gettin' fubared. But it happens sometimes!!

8.5% is not a common ABV. You'd be surprised how f'd up people get on 8.5%. Its low enough that it unsuspecting people will think they got ruffied!! /QUOTE]

I love Belgian Ales for that... taste great and need a lot less to feel anything (usually)... or take another great tastig with lower abv and dont eat for a few hours before driking it :tank:

Soon I will make another batch of apfelwein.... I have almost a 5# bag of dextrose and will probably use most of it... Leave a few ounces for the priming of the beer I have. So will probably use 4#'s or maybe less. And it will probably sit till november or sooo.... heh.
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Alright, I've done it!

This weekend, I was at Costco and decided that, hey, I'll just look at apple juice for S&Gs...

$20 and 30 minutes (and the rest of my bag of corn sugar) later, I was looking at a 5 gallon batch of this stuff. I just used a bit of yeast out of a starter I already had going which was made from Nottingham ale yeast.

It's now three days later and I've got just a little bit of foam-up and of course the cloudiness. Not particularly pungent yet but perhaps that will come later. I filled the carboy all the way up and used a blow-off system since all my airlocks are in use right now.



I am AMAZED at how little work this requires! Sterilizing the equipment is literally the hardest part!

Maybe I will go buy another carboy and make another batch in a few weeks...
 
Schlenkerla said:
Generally, yes. I have added it late once before. Its just risker.

After 4-5 days and no activity, I would say its stalled. Then I'd get some.
Click to expand...

I forgot to ask you what you meant by 'riskier'. Do you mean that if it stalls and I add the nutrients too late, it won't re-activate the yeast and the batch will be ruined?

I see the tiny bubbles this morning but I haven't read anywhere how long the tiny bubbles are supposed to keep bubbling? A few days? The entire four weeks before bottling? Somewhere in between?
 
Bubbling is the co2 releasing from the yeast eating the sugars. It is a sign of fermentation occurring, so it will last however long fermentation goes for. It will be hardly noticeable after 2 weeks or so, but it is most likely still going on for a few more weeks.
 
What do you guys recommend as far as priming goes. I understand that you do not have to prime it if you dont want to but does anyone have any opinions?
 
Just made my first my first batch of this tonight, I kept thinkin this is gonna be great cause of how easy it is. Well in my mindset of easiness, I let myself make a mistake on this simple recipe. I bought 7 3 Quart jugs of applejuice planning on leaving a quart out. Then I made the Apfelwein and as I was sitting here writting my procedure notes I wrote, "add remaining Juice", then said to myself "CRAP! I was suppose to leave a quart out."
So my question is this, Will I be okay with an extra quart of apple juice in there or should I add the extra 0.1lb of dextrose to make up for it? and if I do this will the yeast be able to handle the extra fermentables? How do I calculate how much this will effect my final gravity? I might just leave it and have not as potent for this batch. It is after all for my wife. In 6 months when its good and ready she'll be able to drink again after having our baby. Maybe standard Apfelwein wouldn't be the best drink for coming back after 10-12 months with no alcohol! haha
 
IrregularPulse said:
J
So my question is this, Will I be okay...
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I think that If I haven't learned anything else from reading most of this thread...while my batch sits in the closet...where I'm supposedly forgetting about it for 2 months...is that you need to relax! An extra quart of juice won't be detrimental to the end product. It's not the end of the world if you accidentally used Pasteur instead of Montrichet. If you don't have any Corn Sugar...Brown Sugar works too..
This very simple recipe is a good start, as you are not going to have catastrophic failure unless you have a MAJOR mishap; Like letting your dog drink from the bucket for a day before you seal the lid, or if you accidentally use Oxyclean instead of Corn Sugar.

RELAX man! This should get you well on your way to kid #2!

And...:mug: on the firs one!
 
Zappa42 said:
What do you guys recommend as far as priming goes. I understand that you do not have to prime it if you dont want to but does anyone have any opinions?
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If you're using more Dextrose, 3/4 cup, or 5 ounces. (One ounce per gallon.)

If you're using something else, it varies.

steve
 
Is it okay to use Apple Juice with Citric Acid ?
The fruit jucies in my country seem to all have this food acid in them. Can't find those pure fruit juice.
 
Thanks for the tip BK. I'll make sure to keep my dogs outside during brewing and in Apfelwein case 'Pouring'. Can;t really call it brewing haha. Looking forward to tasting in a few weeks and starting another batch when I bottle this one. No way I'll let this sit for 6 months without a batch to drink off of.
 
Thanks for the responses on the priming question. What I meant to ask is how do you prefer the Apfelwein? Do you like it carbonated on not? Its my understanding that it can be consumed with or without carbonation and that it is not bad either way. I am just trying to get some feedback on peoples experiences with it...did you like it bubbly or more like wine?
 
I carbonated only half of my first batch just to see which version was better recieved. The carbonated apfelwein was a lot more popular by far. Even mixing flat apfelwein with 7up didn't improve peoples opinion much (carbonation was still low and it waters it down).

Uncarbonated apfelwein may be more authentic, but most Americans just aren't used to drinking uncarbonated beer/cider and tend to not like it, in my experience.
 
24hrs into fermenting.....sniff sniff. Nothing
3days into fermentation... sniff sniff. Nothing
5days into fermentation ....sniff sni WOAH! rhino farts......YES!
I thought I did something to the EdWort/apfelwein/rhino gods that kept them away!
Anybody add plain old apples slices in there? I did cause they were sitting there cut unused leftover from my mead. Also I used red star champange yeast, all I had at the time. Just seeing if anybody used this combo and if they liked it.
If it helps tree top juice and dextrose were used also. 1 gal batch.
 
Thwizzit said:
I forgot to ask you what you meant by 'riskier'. Do you mean that if it stalls and I add the nutrients too late, it won't re-activate the yeast and the batch will be ruined?

I see the tiny bubbles this morning but I haven't read anywhere how long the tiny bubbles are supposed to keep bubbling? A few days? The entire four weeks before bottling? Somewhere in between?
Click to expand...

No - I'm sorry! What I meant was that every time you open the carboy/fermentor w/o active fermentation taking place some critter can get in there and infect it, like a wild yeast spore.

If and when I do open it up, I'm quick about it, leaving it open the least possible amount of time. It never been an issue but I don't want to find out by accident.

It will bubble forever once it gets started (looking inside the carboy). The rate w/ slow though (through the airlock). Its always best to use a S-style airlock like my you-tube video. When it slows down its easier to track the bubble rate.



Mine has been going for a month as of today. Its a constant 1 bubble per second if not faster at 60F. At this temp it'll take about 12 weeks.

Yeast Nutrient @ 1/2tsp per gal = "NO RHINO FLATULENCE"
 
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HOLY COW it's bubbling like mad! I'm actually glad I used a blow-off system because there is a little carryover with the Nottingham yeast. Not krausen, per se, just some froth that makes its way up and into the blowoff tube.

I made a video so whenever YouTube finishes the conversion I'll post up a link. Hopefully the mad bubbling is still apparent in the low-res.

No rhino farts yet, though. Perhaps this yeast just runs "cleaner?"


We shall see.

Darnit, I don't want to wait 6 weeks! :cross:
 
Zappa42 said:
Thanks for the responses on the priming question. What I meant to ask is how do you prefer the Apfelwein? Do you like it carbonated on not? Its my understanding that it can be consumed with or without carbonation and that it is not bad either way. I am just trying to get some feedback on peoples experiences with it...did you like it bubbly or more like wine?
Click to expand...

I like it better carbonated, and I like it even better when it is heavily carbonated. I used around 8.5 ounces of dextrose for my first five gallon batch, to approximate champagne carbonation, and it is quite nice.


TL
 
I'll be starting my batch as per original instructions in a 5 gal carboy tonight!
Woooohoooooo!



Revvy said:
It'll have this symbol,

pet_recycling_symbol.png


Here's some of the other codes....and some info.

recycleCodes.jpg


1. PET or PETE – Light gauge containers such as store bought pop bottles should be a one time use only. Heavier gauge containers show no evidence of leaching chemicals.

2. HDPE – not known to leach unwanted chemicals.

3. PVC or V – Bad – Strong evidence to show the leaching of DEHA, a known human carcinogen.

4. LDPE – not known to leach unwanted chemicals although not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.

5. PP – not known to leach unwanted chemicals although not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.

6. PS - suspected to possibly leach harmful carcinogens

7. Assorted but usually polycarbonate – Bad – may contain leaching BPA.

Basically though 1 is the best 2 is ok....the other ones besides leaching problems are also the most succesible to oxygen permeability.
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Found this interesting....

http://www.containerandpackaging.com/Info/plastic-comp.asp
 
If anyone cares, I put up a vid of primary fermentation of my batch of cider on YouTube.

Link here: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV7UF4KsgoA]Bubbly, bubbly![/ame]

The 'sheath' is an old laundry bag I had that will slip over a carboy just to keep excess light out. Drawstring up top makes it handy. My basement has the best temperature in the house but no closets so I just improvised a bit.

Nothing much else to report at this point.
 
TrojanMan said:
If anyone cares, I put up a vid of primary fermentation of my batch of cider on YouTube.
Click to expand...

Nice vid TrojanDude! Give Montrachet a try and let it age 6 months or more and let me know what you think. I believe you will be impressed.
 
I had a few questions about my first batch. I need the caraboy for another beer, but I am unsure if I can bottle the apfelwein :( . It will have been in the fermenter for 4 weeks when I would bottle...the last gravity reading I got was 1.010. Is it ok to bottle this? If so should I use priming sugar? How much? Thank you guys!
 
Go Gators said:
the last gravity reading I got was 1.010. Is it ok to bottle this? If so should I use priming sugar? How much? Thank you guys!
Click to expand...

It is definitely not done fermenting yet! It gets done to around .994 when its done, so you got a while to go. Wait till its done fermenting and is perfectly clear, you'll regret it if you don't give it that extra week or two it needs.
 

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