Man, I love Apfelwein

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I have some 750's from a local brewery. Various types of beer in what they call their big fancy bottle series. Bottles are all the same, similar to champagne bottles. I also have some 12 oz boulevard smokestack bottles that are cool but I'm not sure about the pressure.

Ahhh a fellow St Louisian! 2nd Shift is awesome. They put some very highly carbonated beer in those (some argue over carbed). I'd say you're definitely ok with 5 volumes in 2nd Shift bottles. 12 oz smokestacks are probably ok too since they put Tank 7 in them

 

[Floored]

Ahhh a fellow St Louisian! 2nd Shift is awesome. They put some very highly carbonated beer in those (some argue over carbed). I'd say you're definitely ok with 5 volumes in 2nd Shift bottles. 12 oz smokestacks are probably ok

Thanks for the feedback. I have enough bottles to do all 750ml but that leads to drinking 750ml. Probably not a problem.�� Has anyone had apfelwein carbed that much?

Off topic: The St. Louis beer scene is pretty darn good!

 

[NateX]

This is where I get confused about temps.

Ambient temp I can set at 69.

Doesnt the cider run a little hotter due to the fermentation?

Yeast generate a little heat when doing their "thing", in my observations, about 1 to 2 degrees F above ambient. It's never been a big problem for me, just make sure your ambient temps are 1 to 2 degrees lower than your target. Honestly, there is a big fudge factor with this "farmhouse hooch" IMO, so as long as you keep temps within the acceptable range for the yeast you're using, you should be fine.

 

[pinkfloyd4ever]

Off topic: The St. Louis beer scene is pretty darn good!

Yeah it is! Check out the forums at StlHops.com if you've never been

 

[Brewer_Ben]

Just started a batch of this Sunday and I can't wait to see the results, being that this is my first try at hard cider!

 

[frankjones]

My first batch from 8 months ago has smoothed out tremendously. It's excellent.

 

[Boom]

I have 3 batches of this going right now. The oldest is 3 months old, the youngest is about 1 month old. I want to siphon all these to a 15 gallon keg and let them all bulk age in there.

Does that make sense or should I let them age individually on their own lees?

 

[snacks]

Ahhh a fellow St Louisian!

Hey hey, more STL folks!

Update on my apfelwein, I'm nearly 4 months since start and its holding steady at 8.5%. I think I am going to let it sit until the 6 month mark then bottle.

 

[elkshadow]

I scored a 5 gallon Better Bottle at a Goodwill yesterday for 10 bucks so I'm going to get another batch going. Last time I used Wyeast 3711. This time it's going to be 1214 which is Chimay yeast. Will report back

 

[andrewmaixner]

I scored a 5 gallon Better Bottle at a Goodwill yesterday for 10 bucks so I'm going to get another batch going. Last time I used Wyeast 3711. This time it's going to be 1214 which is Chimay yeast. Will report back

Warning, I used Chimay (wlp500) for an apple cider and the result was quite underwhelming. Almost all apple flavor was gone.
Almost dumped it, then decided to try some dry hop experiments that also weren't that great -- probably because the base cider wasn't good.

(I used a 3711 a few months before, and it was good.)

 

[mickjay44]

Hey everyone! I'm a newby. Apfelwein is my first batch (besides an experimental mead, which was a disaster). I used sams club apple juice and brown sugar (6 gallons, 1.075 sg). Its been in the carboy for a couple months now. I just snuck a taste to see how it was progressing and it was fantastic! As good as any cider I've bought. What a great recipe to start off with! Can't wait for it to mature and to keep going with this hobby. Thanks to this board (and edwort) for all the pointers and advice. Happy brewing!

 

[GrogNerd]

Hey everyone! I'm a newby. Apfelwein is my first batch (besides an experimental mead, which was a disaster). I used sams club apple juice and brown sugar (6 gallons, 1.075 sg). Its been in the carboy for a couple months now. I just snuck a taste to see how it was progressing and it was fantastic! As good as any cider I've bought. What a great recipe to start off with! Can't wait for it to mature and to keep going with this hobby. Thanks to this board (and edwort) for all the pointers and advice. Happy brewing!

Glad it's working out for you

Quick! Start another batch!

 

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I can say for sure that 7 months in primary is too long, especially if you forget it's there and the airlock dries out..made some ok apple cider vinegar I guess :-/

At least it was only a 1 gallon batch

 

[elkshadow]

Warning, I used Chimay (wlp500) for an apple cider and the result was quite underwhelming. Almost all apple flavor was gone.
Almost dumped it, then decided to try some dry hop experiments that also weren't that great -- probably because the base cider wasn't good.

(I used a 3711 a few months before, and it was good.)

Cheers and thanks for that. I ended up using Montrachet. I thought the 3711 killed all the apple flavor and didn't leave much behind. I liked it but it dodn't have that belgian "something" I love in beer.

A note on the Montrachet it will make your fermentation room/chamber smell like egg farts for a good couple days. :cross:

 

[andrewmaixner]

A note on the Montrachet it will make your fermentation room/chamber smell like egg farts for a good couple days. :cross:

Did you add yeast nutrient, and/or diammonium phosphate? The sulfur smell is from the yeast not having proper nutrition, as apples have lots of sugar and effectively zero yeast nutrients in them

 

[elkshadow]

Did you add yeast nutrient, and/or diammonium phosphate? The sulfur smell is from the yeast not having proper nutrition, as apples have lots of sugar and effectively zero yeast nutrients in them

No I didn't add any DAP or anything but my understanding is that this yeast produces that no matter what. It's my first time using so I don't really know.

EDIT: Hey just an update, I dissolved 1/2 teaspoon of DAP in a little bit of boiled/cooled distilled water to the carboy and the smell was gone in less than 5 minutes.

 

[mickjay44]

Ok , so I ended up bottling my apfelwein. Had to try it right away even though I should wait for it to age awhile...... I don't think it will end up aging very long. I love this stuff! Very smooth. Not too sweet. I will indeed listen to GrogNerd and start another batch right away

 

[GrogNerd]

I will indeed listen to GrogNerd

everyone should

 

[jacy]

hi guys i started my first 5 gallon batch yesterday with dady distillers yeast it is bubbling like crazy now out of the airlock like turbo mode i put a extra pound of sugar in it still fermenting away will 3 weeks be fine or good anof just want too know thanks

 

[Subdivisions]

Did you add yeast nutrient, and/or diammonium phosphate? The sulfur smell is from the yeast not having proper nutrition, as apples have lots of sugar and effectively zero yeast nutrients in them

I will verify this. Since I started using DAP (with urea, ughhh) I don't get the rhino farts. The final product before any aging is a lot smoother too. Not sure if that's from the DAP but I've noticed it. I've used Mott's apple juice on these batches also. The first couple batches were whatever Sam's club had (can't remember the brand) so I don't know if it's the juice or the DAP. Maybe I'll do a trial and get some Sam's juice on the next batch.

 

[Subdivisions]

hi guys i started my first 5 gallon batch yesterday with dady distillers yeast it is bubbling like crazy now out of the airlock like turbo mode i put a extra pound of sugar in it still fermenting away will 3 weeks be fine or good anof just want too know thanks

I just kegged a batch today that was 3 weeks old. It cleared very nicely. It fermented in my cold basement in the low 60s though so that may have helped it flocculate better. It finished at 0.998 FG.

I have a half gallon of apple juice left from when I made it and I'm experimenting with mixing some still Apfelwein with it. I had an extra half gallon that wouldn't fit in the keg. It's pretty awesome cut by 1/3. Gives me a nice 6% alcohol apple drink.

EDIT: Just to clarify.. I used Montrachet wine yeast as per usual so your results may vary. The Montrachet usually takes at least 3-4 weeks though.

 

[slym2none]

So... I have all these little gold packets of 5g of yeast laying around... *whistles innocently* could I boil, say, a cup of water or even apple juice, and then throw them in there to kill the yeast & add that to the apfelwein as yeast nutrients? Would one 5g packet be enough for 2.5 gallons of apfelwein? I have an empty fermenter that I really want to make some of this in, and want to get it right from the get-go. I have used the MrB yeast in that fashion for brewing beer already, but IDK how this would work in this recipe.

TIA!

 

[Subdivisions]

Cheers and thanks for that. I ended up using Montrachet. I thought the 3711 killed all the apple flavor and didn't leave much behind. I liked it but it dodn't have that belgian "something" I love in beer.

A note on the Montrachet it will make your fermentation room/chamber smell like egg farts for a good couple days. :cross:

Belgian yeast isn't going to do the same thing on a fruit juice. These are all simple sugars and that yeast is meant for malt sugar. Keep going with the Montrachet and let it age out a little.

P.S. glad you found out about the DAP. You kind of need it to keep others in the building from getting pissed.

 

[Viper2k3sr]

I typically use 71B in most of my Apfelwine, really works well at stopping it around where i want it. Premier Cuvee works wonders too

 

[slym2none]

OK, I'll say it - is anyone else disturbed by jacy's spelling of the word "enough"? "Anof" is just... it's so wrong...

 

[bembel]

OK, I'll say it - is anyone else disturbed by jacy's spelling of the word "enough"? "Anof" is just... it's so wrong...

LULZ!!!!!!!

But seriously. 'Anof' already...Jacy is NOT a 13 year old learning prison hooch tricks here. But he spells like one [emoji12] In ebriety veritas!

 

[Mwhy71]

Black cherry apfelwein, been sitting on this almost a year. Fantastic

 

[Tinbelly]

Black cherry apfelwein, been sitting on this almost a year. Fantastic

This sounds awesome - have a recipe to share?

 

[slym2none]

this sounds awesome - have a recipe to share?

+1

 

[Milemarker]

Black cherry apfelwein, been sitting on this almost a year. Fantastic

Looks like it goes down real nice.

 

[mgr_stl]

That looks beautiful.

 

[Mwhy71]

This sounds awesome - have a recipe to share?

I did this as a 1 gallon batch, I'm sure it can be scaled up, which I plan to do on the next batch.

1qt black cherry juice
3qt apple juice
1cup sugar
1 gram champagne yeast.

Nice and easy just like the original recipe. I like it with a little carbonation too.

 

[slym2none]

It really looks delicious... and I am going to have to make it!

Thanks, Mwhy!

 

[Floored]

My first apfelwein. I carbonated this one to five volumes. It turned out very champagne-like, nice fine bubbles. It's still a little young but patience is a virtue I'm working on.

 

[NateX]

I did this as a 1 gallon batch, I'm sure it can be scaled up, which I plan to do on the next batch.

1qt black cherry juice
3qt apple juice
1cup sugar
1 gram champagne yeast.

Nice and easy just like the original recipe. I like it with a little carbonation too.

Picked up the stuff for a batch of this today. Thanks for the recipe!

Also picked up enough for a one gallon batch of cyser (apple mead).

 

[NateX]

My first apfelwein. I carbonated this one to five volumes. It turned out very champagne-like, nice fine bubbles. It's still a little young but patience is a virtue I'm working on.

I bottle carbonate some of mine like beer, and it's probably my favorite way to consume it. I have a 3 gallon batch going in a keg next weekend, and I am interested to see how that goes. It's not half bad degassed and bottled with a cork after it gets some aging time either, but as you say, patience is a virtue I have yet to master. I will have to hide some bottles so they get some time to age, as I don't think any have lasted past 3 months yet.

 

[Floored]

I bottle carbonate some of mine like beer, and it's probably my favorite way to consume it. I have a 3 gallon batch going in a keg next weekend, and I am interested to see how that goes. It's not half bad degassed and bottled with a cork after it gets some aging time either, but as you say, patience is a virtue I have yet to master. I will have to hide some bottles so they get some time to age, as I don't think any have lasted past 3 months yet.

I'll have to try lower carbonation and still on the next batch. I'm saving the rest of this one for a party at the end of July. It will be about 3 months in the bottle by then.

 

[bwdilli]

I did my first batch carbonated in the bottle. When I sampled it pre-carbonation, I really liked it.

I'm thinking my second batch, which is brewed up and in the carboy cleared now, I will keep still. Currently working on degassing it. Wonder how that will go?

The addition of cherry is interesting. I might have to make a 3rd batch with that recipe.

My wife is having trouble drinking this as it gives her heartburn pretty bad. Thought I'd see if it was maybe a result of the yeast so instead of using the Montrachet like I did in the first batch, I switched to Premier Cuvee. Seemed to cut back on the rhino fart period dramatically. Hoping that the reduction of carbonic acid from it being still will help too.

Between this and the Skeeter Pee, it's going to be an interesting summer.

 

[Tinbelly]

I have two batches going right now... This one is next, for sure!

Thanks for sharing!

I did this as a 1 gallon batch, I'm sure it can be scaled up, which I plan to do on the next batch.

1qt black cherry juice
3qt apple juice
1cup sugar
1 gram champagne yeast.

Nice and easy just like the original recipe. I like it with a little carbonation too.

 

[noblex]

Just set on my first batch of this, 5l (1.33gal):
super easy, just put 5l of 100%apple juce (3l Rauch brand, 2l zuegg brand) with 250g of sugar and add the yeast.
I used a champagne yeast (Bayanus from Zymoferm) i had at home.
Oh, and I add also a pinch of raisins since i already had it. More nutrient for the yeasiies
OG: 1065

We'll see in a couple of week what will we get.