Man, I love Apfelwein

[Revvy]

Mine was nicely carbed after 3 weeks.

I figured, thanks!!!

Guess I'll have to make do with the uncarbed ones in the meantime!!!

(After bottling I had about a pint's worth at the bottom of the bucket....Since I haven't eaten all day my lips are quite numb!

 

[Zappa42]

Hey guys,

My 4 year old nephew shook my Apfelwein carboy today. It has been fermenting for about 4 weeks now. When he shook it up it developed a foam on the top that went away shortly after.

Will the batch be Ok?

 

[Revvy]

Hey guys,

My 4 year old nephew shook my Apfelwein carboy today. It has been fermenting for about 4 weeks now. When he shook it up it developed a foam on the top that went away shortly after.

Will the batch be Ok?

Yeah....it takes a lot to hurt beer/wine...and shaking up the carboy isn't one of them...actually it's not a bad thing to do, it will re-rouse the yeast off the bottom, and get them working again...I did that to both my apfelwein and mead arboys, every couple weeks....

You just have to wait to it clears and settles back down!

 

[DUCCCC]

Hey guys,

My 4 year old nephew shook my Apfelwein carboy today. It has been fermenting for about 4 weeks now. When he shook it up it developed a foam on the top that went away shortly after.

Will the batch be Ok?

Damn, a 4 year old shook the carboy that hard? Get that kid in front of an NFL scout already!

 

[Donner]

Damn, a 4 year old shook the carboy that hard? Get that kid in front of an NFL scout already!

He probably just really, really wanted his apple juice

 

[BigKahuna]

I started a batch tonight that is on a 3068 yeast cake from the Banana Foster Dunkle. Wish Me Luck!

 

[EricK The Red]

Drank a chilled hydrometer sample of my Nottingham batch yesterday, and it's a lot like a weak Pino Grigio!



Nice.

 

[Crazytwoknobs]

I started a batch tonight that is on a 3068 yeast cake from the Banana Foster Dunkle. Wish Me Luck!

What temp are you keeping it at?

What sugars did you add?

 

[BigKahuna]

What temp are you keeping it at?

What sugars did you add?

My kitchen stays right at about 72 most of the time, and I used Corn Sugar.
IT SMELLS AWESOME! and is fermenting STRONG! Almost a constant in the air lock.

 

[fusion94]

EdWort,
I'm dying to try this although fermentation temps in my house are significantly cooler (generally the house is kept at approx 60-62 degrees). How much will this affect the recipe/fermentation times?

 

[Moonshae]

I've kegged mine, and while I'm waiting for it to carb, I'm not sure I'm so keen on it, even after 3 pints. It packs a whollop, to be sure, but...I think I'd prefer a bigger beer to a weakish carbonated wine. I'll keep trying, and it isn't bad by any means, but I don't think it's going to earn a devoted tap.

 

[fratermus]

My kitchen stays right at about 72 most of the time, and I used Corn Sugar.
IT SMELLS AWESOME! and is fermenting STRONG! Almost a constant in the air lock.

Mine is about 24hrs old and there is a full, even, steady stream of CO2 blowing through the airlock. Ed wasn't joking about keeping the airlock vodka handy. It's weird seeing that much CO2 and no crud or blowoff.

SInce ed's instructions said to ferment it at room temp I watershirted mine and it is 72-74F.

 

[wiseman]

I know that one of the reasons this stuff is so popular is because it's cheap, fast, powerful, and tasty but it seems that the taste may be a bit weak for some. Has anyone tried boiling the apple juice down or using concentrates to increase flavor?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I know that one of the reasons this stuff is so popular is because it's cheap, fast, powerful, and tasty but it seems that the taste may be a bit weak for some. Has anyone tried boiling the apple juice down or using concentrates to increase flavor?

Part of the point of "Apfelwein" is that it is drier than typical hard cider.

But to sweeten you do what they do with wine, (often with whites). You add some potassium sorbate to arrest the yeast and sweetener (either sugar or juice.)

I would go with pasteurized apple juice instead of sugar. Add little to start. You can always add more but if you over sweeten, well....

For flavor, yeast selection can make a difference. Not an expert in wine yeasts but I'm making a batch right now with k1-v1116. This yeast works awesome for strawberry wine (and other fruit wines) for a more vibrant flavor and aroma from fruit. This is my first try with a cider with this yeast. In the past I've used 1116 but found it very dry with less fruit flavor.

The best cider is made from juice containing different apples. Not all store bought juice is "blended" that way. Some probably are, but I don't know of any that state the apples they use. I used 3 different juices. One was a tasty cider that still had a bit of skin/pulp in it.

I haven't seen the yeast Ed uses here. Most of the yeast here in Kelowna is red star or predominately lalvin. Probably because lalvin is made in Canada.

I'd love to do 2 batches to compare.

So to conclude. If you want the same dryness but more flavor, you can try different yeasts or mixing apple juices. Try tasting them to see the difference. A mix of apple flavors might be best.

 

[MikeFlynn74]

I used WL sweet mead yeast in my last batch- Kegged it at 1.012 and it was very full of apple flavor

 

[Thwizzit]

I'm dying to try this although fermentation temps in my house are significantly cooler (generally the house is kept at approx 60-62 degrees). How much will this affect the recipe/fermentation times?

I'd like to hear a response to this question as well. I put my 5 gallon bucket up on the third floor because I figured it would be warmer (heat rising and all that) and it was warmer for a while (65-68) but I just checked and the temp has dipped below 60 to around 57-58 degrees and I'm wondering how that will affect fermentation.

 

[fusion94]

I'd like to hear a response to this question as well. I put my 5 gallon bucket up on the third floor because I figured it would be warmer (heat rising and all that) and it was warmer for a while (65-68) but I just checked and the temp has dipped below 60 to around 57-58 degrees and I'm wondering how that will affect fermentation.

Thwizzit: I PMed Ed and he stated that it will just take longer to clear up...8 weeks or more.

 

[Thwizzit]

Thwizzit: I PMed Ed and he stated that it will just take longer to clear up...8 weeks or more.

Cool, thanks

 

[TexLaw]

I know that one of the reasons this stuff is so popular is because it's cheap, fast, powerful, and tasty but it seems that the taste may be a bit weak for some. Has anyone tried boiling the apple juice down or using concentrates to increase flavor?

Age increases the flavor quite a bit. I agree that apfelwein is cheap, powerful, and tasty. However, I do not agree that it is fast (other than the hands-on time). Give this stuff time, and it pays off huge.


TL

 

[Crazytwoknobs]

My kitchen stays right at about 72 most of the time, and I used Corn Sugar.
IT SMELLS AWESOME! and is fermenting STRONG! Almost a constant in the air lock.

I used waay too much brown sugar and dextrose in mine, and it never finished, tastes awful now, my worst experience with any kind of DIY alcohol. All sorts of stuff went wrong. Completely my fault, but I really want to blame it on the yeast. I might try a smaller batch with it soon, and with no brown sugar.

Keep track of how long it takes to finish, I'm interested to know.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I used waay too much brown sugar and dextrose in mine, and it never finished, tastes awful now, my worst experience with any kind of DIY alcohol. All sorts of stuff went wrong. Completely my fault, but I really want to blame it on the yeast. I might try a smaller batch with it soon, and with no brown sugar.

Keep track of how long it takes to finish, I'm interested to know.

What yeast did you use? Champagne yeast are good at restarting stuck fermentations.

 

[Thwizzit]

Instead of adding priming sugar to carbonate has anyone ever just added some seltzer to the glass of Apfelwein after pouring?

I do that to lemonade and fruit juice all the time so I was wondering how that might work. How about adding some Sprite? Would that sweeten it and add some bubbles or just ruin it?

 

[EdWort]

Instead of adding priming sugar to carbonate has anyone ever just added some seltzer to the glass of Apfelwein after pouring?

I do that to lemonade and fruit juice all the time so I was wondering how that might work. How about adding some Sprite? Would that sweeten it and add some bubbles or just ruin it?

Yep, that's what Germans do all the time. Give it a try. Since it is 8.5% it will not be so dangerous when cut with sparkling water or 7up.

 

[Thwizzit]

Cool, thanks.

One quick question. I bottled the Apfelwein in my Mr. Beer into half gallon jugs and while filling the last unprimed one I tilted the keg a little to fill it up and it ended up cloudy. Is that one going to be no good or just take longer to be ready?

 

[BigKahuna]

Cool, thanks.

One quick question. I bottled the Apfelwein in my Mr. Beer into half gallon jugs and while filling the last unprimed one I tilted the keg a little to fill it up and it ended up cloudy. Is that one going to be no good or just take longer to be ready?

Drink that one first!
Rule #1 for Apfelwein. DON'T Worry so much. I'ts going to be fine. Ed Hasn't let me down in 3 batches...Hope to have 4th on the yeast before Friday.

 

[Big "A"]

Yeah man don't worry about it! I made 10 gallons my first time around I am now pissed that I did not start 5 more as soon as I bottled. I have five more that is umm 3 weeks in and 6 liter bottles that I am saving a special occasion!

 

[wiseman]

so SWMBO was displeased with the smells coming from the apfelwein on the counter, and since I live in a small apartment the only place it can go is on the balcony which faces the setting sun and can get a bit warm in the evenings. I covered the Mr. Beer fermentor with a cardboard box to keep direct sunlight off of it, but I'm worried about it getting warm during the day and cold at night.

 

[Thwizzit]

DON'T Worry so much. I'ts going to be fine.

Yeah man don't worry about it!

Cool, thanks I'm looking forward to tasting it.

SWMBO was displeased with the smells coming from the apfelwein

Where do those smells come from? I've made a Mr. Beer batch and I have a 5 gallon bucket going right now and have never experienced anything other than a slight apple smell and sometimes not even that.

 

[Demon]

I've got my first batch fermenting in the carboy right now. I think I will take the advice of others in this thread and start a new batch as soon as I bottle this one.

 

[wiseman]

Cool, thanks I'm looking forward to tasting it.





Where do those smells come from? I've made a Mr. Beer batch and I have a 5 gallon bucket going right now and have never experienced anything other than a slight apple smell and sometimes not even that.

Hell if i know what she thinks she's smelling, it smells like apples and yeast to me, but she found something about it unpleasant so outside it goes.