Man, I love Apfelwein

[MULE]

Mule-

Yep works just fine

Perfect! Thanks

 

[beergears]

I want to start batch no. 2, and only have Safale S-04 and Nottingham yeats on hand.

Any advice on using either?
tweaks needed?

 

[BigKahuna]

I want to start batch no. 2, and only have Safale S-04 and Nottingham yeats on hand.

Any advice on using either?
tweaks needed?

Use the s-04 and let me know if it leaves a sweeter taste.

I bottled my first batch last night...1/2 in wine bottles, 1/2 carbed. I used Splenda to sweeten a few, as well as the glass I siphoned out last. TOO Much sweetener is worse than too little though, I can verify that.

 

[sdhucks7]

Just had to say it. WOW Thanks Ed I am drinking some of my first batch (7 weeks in primary 2 1/2 weeks in bottle) I can see me and SWMBO drinking this all summer on the back porch. I am going to start batch #3 this weekend just to be on the safe side. Batch #2 is 5 weeks in and i know we are going to go through this stuff fast!


SD

 

[431brew]

Just had to say it. WOW Thanks Ed I am drinking some of my first batch (7 weeks in primary 2 1/2 weeks in bottle) I can see me and SWMBO drinking this all summer on the back porch. I am going to start batch #3 this weekend just to be on the safe side. Batch #2 is 5 weeks in and i know we are going to go through this stuff fast!


SD

sdhucks7.....I take it that you carbed it...correct? My first batch is in the fermenter. I hope I figure out if I want to carb it or not by the time it is done. Seems like most people like it either way. Maybe I should just carb some in the bottle and put some in a wine bottle uncarbed and see for myself.

 

[sdhucks7]

Yeah i carbed it. But i can see this stuff being very good even still. I took some to the family over the weekend (all beer drinkers) and they loved it also. Now i cant wait to get my keg set up to have this stuff on draft all the time!!

 

[nyer]

This stuff goes down so easy. I drank two glasses last night, you really have to be careful.

 

[solidghost]

Anyone tried brewing this with less carbonation than a normal beer? Like priming with only half the required sugar? Don't want it to be very gassy.

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Solidghost

It doesnt hold Co2 like beer does

 

[solidghost]

Oh....thanks.

 

[431brew]

MikeFlynn...noticed your blueberry apfelwein. Did you add the blueberries at the beginning, along with the apple juice, or add them to secondary?

I was considering using blueberries, so just curious what your technique was.

Thanks

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Yo- I added 2 gallons of 100% blueberry juice to the beginning.

3 apple 2 blueberry

 

[431brew]

Well that was simple enough! How long before you start drinking? I am going to try to remember to ask you what it tastes like....like if it has a blueberry flavor or more of mixed fruit flavor.

I think I am going to try all blueberry next time around.

 

[MikeFlynn74]

431-

I kegged it just before I deployed. So its going to bulk age in the keg for 4.5 months. I will let you know mid may

 

[nyer]

I had my wife bring a sample of carbed apfelwein to work (winery). She had the owner/winemaking try it and he loved it. He suggested adding malic acid to it at bottling time. He told her it will give it more "structure". I haven't talked to him yet to find out what he means by this.

Anyone have any idea what this would do to it?

 

[431brew]

Mike...thanks. Be safe!

 

[discgolfin]

IMO, it's way to early to be making any judgments about your apfelwein. In my experience, active fermentation is still going on past the fourth week. Seriously, put it in a dark corner for a month and forget all about it! Even then, it will continue to improve with age. I keg mine, and without fail, the last glass poured is always the best one! Patience is both the most important ingredient and the most important technique, in this and all other brewing pursuits.

Any additional sugar will just ferment out and produce more alcohol, making the final product even dryer.

ditto..I have an extra 5 gallon carboy just for mead and apfelwin..I make a batch and just let it go..I just kegged a batch I made in November..you heard me right

November..taste is great..forse carb and crystal clear..I think it continues to get better all the way to 6 months plus as wine does.

J

 

[EdWort]

I think it continues to get better all the way to 6 months plus as wine does.

You betcha it does. After 8 months it is amazing!

 

[DeathBrewer]

well, damn...my 1st apfelwein was a success! we finished 5 gallons of it yesterday in a few short hours and it was mostly the women! made for quite the evening

i had it lightly carbonated (kegged that day and shook the hell out of it)

i need to find some cheaper juice though. that trader joes stuff cost me like $50. might have made for some better brew, tho, who knows.

i think next time i'd like to stop fermentation when it's a little sweeter. i took a sample a few weeks ago and it tasted amazing. i didn't personally think it tasted as good when it fermented completely...but it was still a winner, of course

i think i'll start another batch tomorrow :rockin:

 

[EdWort]

i need to find some cheaper juice though. that trader joes stuff cost me like $50. might have made for some better brew, tho, who knows.

Congrats! Costco has TreeTop for $5.99 for two gallons.

 

[Thwizzit]

If you bottle the Apfelwein before it ferments out will that make it sweeter or will it mess it up?

Congrats! Costco has TreeTop for $5.99 for two gallons.

I never see Tree Top at my local Costco but I see their Kirkland brand is made from fresh pressed apples (not from concentrate) and that's the only ingredient: 100% Apple Juice (no preservatives or ascorbic acid etc.) so I'll bet it's pretty good too.

 

[EdWort]

If you bottle the Apfelwein before it ferments out will that make it sweeter or will it mess it up?

It won't be sweeter, but you will carbonate it. You need to be careful that you do not bottle too soon. I would not bottle higher than 1.002 FG

 

[s3n8]

Use the s-04 and let me know if it leaves a sweeter taste.

I bottled my first batch last night...1/2 in wine bottles, 1/2 carbed. I used Splenda to sweeten a few, as well as the glass I siphoned out last. TOO Much sweetener is worse than too little though, I can verify that.

I used S-04 and dark brown sugar thinking it would leave a little residual sweetness... Its 3 weeks in, gravity was 1.003 when I checked today, and DAMN its tart.

How much splenda was 'too much'? I think I will add a little prior to bottling, but don't wanna over-do it.

 

[BigKahuna]

How much splenda was 'too much'? I think I will add a little prior to bottling, but don't wanna over-do it.

Ya..well... That is the million dollar question isn't it.
I'll say for sure that a teaspoon in a 12 oz bottle is TOO MUCH, (For Me) but a tea spoon in a 750 ml wine bottle....better but not enough. The good thing is that it's instant, so you can taste a little at a time. AND..I would bottle one or 2 for long term storage to see what happens to it naturally in 8 or 12 months.

 

[Thwizzit]

Well, I did it... I went out and got a 5 gallon set up and set sail with a batch of Blueberry-Pomegranate Apfelwein. I set it up a day and a half ago and the bubbles in the airlock are coming every two seconds. Is that a good sign?

I also put some clear Georgia Moon Corn Whisky in the airlock because I didn't have any vodka so I hope that's ok.

Thanks

 

[Shaggy]

Sounds like all is well to me thwizzit!

Mine (original recipe) was started on the 4th and is only bubbling about every 10sec or so now.
Still plenty of co2 creeping up the sides etc...and a bit cloudy yet.
I probably won't bother with it until after 2 months or so.
I'm going to take a hydrometer reading after 1month though and will sample that bit.

 

[Movinfr8]

As the title suggests, I wanna re use it. I have 5 gallons kegged, 5 in primary and 5 ready to go. I wanna get some aged!! and this seems to be the only way to be able to get a few months old batch!
so since I'm starting a new batch as I finish the old, and I'm outta yeast, I'm thinking about just pouring the cake over, or should I do right and wash it and get a few batches??
Norm

 

[blacklab]

Good God! Just cracked a bottle that I made in November. After 4 months, this stuff is amazing. Let it age peeps, let it age! <not able to take my own advice>

Question for Ed or others with experience; is it possible to just rack on top of the yeast cake from your prior batch? I have another which is about ready to bottle and am wondering if I can just throw another 5 galls of apple juice on top. I don't really have any experience with wine yeasts(montrachet) other than with a-wine.

 

[Thwizzit]

Good God! Just cracked a bottle that I made in November. After 4 months, this stuff is amazing. Let it age peeps, let it age!

Cool. I marked my calendar for July 17th to crack my first bottle. How long did you let it ferment before bottling?

 

[EdWort]

Question for Ed or others with experience; is it possible to just rack on top of the yeast cake from your prior batch? I have another which is about ready to bottle and am wondering if I can just throw another 5 galls of apple juice on top. I don't really have an experience with wine yeasts(montrachet).

I've done it once and it turned out fine. I probably won't do it again though. I think I prefer to clean out the carboy, freshly sanitize it, and use fresh yeast with each batch.