Man, I love Apfelwein

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Thwizzit said:
The Apfelwein recipe calls for 5 grams of Montrachet wine yeast but if you want to try using Nottingham, do you still use 5 grams or do you use more? I ask because Montrachet comes in 5 gram packets and Nottingham comes in 11 gram packets so I wasn't sure if that meant each packet was for a 5 gallon batch.
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Use the whole 11 gram pack. I'd be ready w/ a blow-off. Monty doesn't need it but I don't know if Nottingham and apple get real active.
 
I just started my second Batch of Apfelwein, LHBS was out of Montrachet wine yeast so he gave me Champagne yeast as a replacement. At the last minute I decide to pour the Apple juice over the old yeast cake that I had just racked off of and skip the other stuff. I know people do this with beer all the time but have not heard of doing it with wine. Will this be a problem?
 
Schlenkerla said:
Use the whole 11 gram pack. I'd be ready w/ a blow-off. Monty doesn't need it but I don't know if Nottingham and apple get real active.
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Well I can confirm that apple juice and WLP300 definitely blows off...in fact, it (a 5 gallon batch in a 6 gallon better bottle,) blew off for about a week :eek:
 
Use the whole 11 gram pack. I'd be ready w/ a blow-off.
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I used the whole packet and it's been four days and I haven't experience any blow-off and it's bubbling once every second. Is that normal after four days?

Also, what temperature should Apfelwein be fermenting at? Is warmer better?
 
So true Apfelwein story.

I had batch kegged and carbed the other week. A friend comes by and has some. They loved the stuff so much, that they said for their fourth party, they would love a keg of it, maybe two! Thanks edwort!
 
Thwizzit said:
I used the whole packet and it's been four days and I haven't experience any blow-off and it's bubbling once every second. Is that normal after four days?

Also, what temperature should Apfelwein be fermenting at? Is warmer better?
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If you don't need a blow-off that's a good thing. I usually plan for them if I've got alot of sugar to ferment and not a lot space for krausen to form.
 
I had my first tast of apfelwein this afternoon. It had only been in the bottle for about a week after 7 weeks in the fermenter. Not bad. Very smooth and drinkable and rather tart. I drank it quickly and went outside to do some yardwork. A few minutes later upon returning, I realized that I had quite a buzz from that 12 oz bottle. I am not a small person so this was unexpected. The drinkability/drunkability ratio is quite high.
 
hellbender said:
...... I drank it quickly and went outside to do some yardwork. A few minutes later upon returning, I realized that I had quite a buzz from that 12 oz bottle. I am not a small person so this was unexpected. The drinkability/drunkability ratio is quite high.
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Yup. I've done this more than once on an empty stomach. It hits you quick. Its more of an after mowing drink rather than before.

I could see myself missing patches of grass all over the yard. SWMBO would be asking me if there is something wrong with the mower. (Me thinking, "Ahh yah the mower has had too much apfelwein.") I say a yah the blades need to be sharpened... yeah it been awhile since I had them done.

:D
 
My first batch of Apfelwein is underway...it is bubbling like crazy. I guestimated on the amount of sugar since I had no scales. What would be the difference if I put 2.5 pounds of sugar in instead of 2 pounds of sugar. Im guessing more alcohol???
 
If you think you know better than Ed what your first batch should be:
"I've made several batches according to EdWort (and now follow his 3 carboy rule) and Never had a problem...It all goes as planned.
THEN I decided to try a batch with Organic Evaporated Cain Juice.
3 months in Primary, last night I added Fining agents to try an clear it up a bit, as it has not even begun to clear."

(Ed, I've started an extra batch as penance.)
 
I joined the forum yesterday, came across this thread, and whipped me up a batch last night exactly to his specs. Can't wait.....
 
My first batch is just starting week 3. It was my reward for bottling my first batch of beer in over 2 years. This week I think I'm going to whip up a couple of batches, before I go pick up the wife from the airport this friday....who has just so happened to have been gone for 3 weeks for work. Now looking back I should have brewed more. :D
 
I polished of my first half-gallon of Blueberry-Pomegranate Apfelwein in the last two days cut with some Sierra Mist for carbonation and a little added sweetness and it was awesome. It fermented for about six or seven weeks and has been bottled for two months. I can tell it's going to age nicely and I'm stashing a few gallons for Thanksgiving.

Viva las Apfelwein!
 
If I used wyeast 1056 ale yeast and just about 1/2 cup of dextrose into 2 gallons of juice, will it still take a full month to drop clear?
 
Made my 1st batch tonight. I have a German friend who said she used to drink it all the time in Germany. They used to mix the store bought stuff with seltzer.
Brewday_6-3-08_Apefwien.jpg
 
skou said:
I started my last batch in December, and bottled it yesterday.

Came out just fine!

steve
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Did you prime it for carbing? Any problems carbing after such a long time in the primary?

EDIT: Is it better to age at room temp or refrigerator temp or does it not matter?
 
I made my first batch of apfelwein on the 11th of April and the yeast still hasn't dropped out. I checked and it's fermented all the way out (SG < 1) What gives? I used turbinado sugar, could that have anything to do with it?

I'm through waiting and will probably bottle tomorrow. Guess it'll just be cloudy.
 
hostileNabusive said:
I made my first batch of apfelwein on the 11th of April and the yeast still hasn't dropped out. I checked and it's fermented all the way out (SG < 1) What gives? I used turbinado sugar, could that have anything to do with it?

I'm through waiting and will probably bottle tomorrow. Guess it'll just be cloudy.
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+1. I used Organic Evaporated Cain Juice...Basically Turbinado. It's near 3 months and cloudy as hell.

SWMBO is bringing home Knox Gelatin. We'll give that a shot...I may carb, bottle, and keep for myself if it doesn't clear.

THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!! :D
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=138920&postcount=1
 
Bottled 5 gallons today...Been sitting happily on the counter since April 11th. To those of you that think you need to rack to secondary....PLEASE DON"T. This is as good as it gets coming out of a primary fermenter.

And I've actually told people that they "SHOULD" be fine when trying to prime and carb when Apfelwein is so clear and months in the primary...We will see first hand. I added just less than 1/2 cup to 2 1/2 gallons of it....25 bottles.
 
1.054 is about what mine was ed says it shoudl end up 1.066 but i think it might have to do with the brand of apple juice and how strong it is so you should be fine mine is bubbling away nicely right now im listening to it grinning
 
Can anyone tell me is it better to age Apfelwein at room temp or refrigerator temp or does it not matter?
 
Whew finally read all of this thread. Took me 3 days.

Just an update to my progress. Had bubbles starting a few hours after mixing it. The next morning had a layer of krausen on top all the way up to the bottom of the stopper. Today the krausen is gone but it is bubbling away nicely. Can't wait for this to get done.

I'm wondering if my OG reading I got was off. Might have not gotten it mixed up well before checking it. Either way it will have plenty of alcohol in it I'm sure.

The next morning with krausen:





A little over 48 hours in the bottle. No krausen just a nice steady stream of bubbles.

 
jay415 said:
Can anyone tell me is it better to age Apfelwein at room temp or refrigerator temp or does it not matter?
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I dont think it matters either way unless you are gonna bottle carb it. 3 weeks or so at room temperature to carb it.
 
I get to join the thread :D First batch of Apfelwein, second homebrew ever.

apfelwein_060808.jpg


LHBS didn't have Montrachet, so I'm trying Lalvin 71B-1122. Otherwise recipe is the same as Ed's original.

-Joe
 
Amiaji said:
I dont think it matters either way unless you are gonna bottle carb it. 3 weeks or so at room temperature to carb it.
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Perfect Thanks, My first 5 gal is going on 4 weeks, I can see the color changing as it is starting to clear. I am planning to go about 2 months then bottle carbing and aging as long as I can stand to wait.
 
Hey all, what a long thread. I read the first 5 pages and decided I'd finish the rest later. I got a batch brewing using walmart 100% pure. For some reason I started it in my primary bucket instead of the secondary carboy like Ed said. Now I want to make a batch, and I need my primary, so I want to rack it into the secondary.

Is there any problem with racking it at this stage of the game(fermenting ~1 week) into the glass carboy or should I wait another 3 weeks?

Thanks

B
 
All I have to say is mmmmm I tried my 1st sample of apfelwein. It was great. I only made 2 gallons. Added 3/4 c fructose to it. Pitched some wyeast 1056....its only been about a week and it is already about clear. I added a lil to a 40oz beer bottle (clear miller HL) since mine was in a bucket, I wanted to be able to see how the clearing was going. I drank some of it from the 40oz and put the rest into a 1L pete bottle. Added some sugar for an early bottled sample. I'll probably leave it to finish clearing atleast another week.
 
Revvy said:
I'm pretty sure I read here that if you followed Ed's recipe to the letter it would be around 1.060- 1.065 or so...
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I did, and I ended up with 1.072. Have I made Apfelwein rocket fuel? :D

I did have a good quart or more left over from the last gallon of AJ. I filled the carboy right up to the neck.

Today (the morning after) I don't see activity in the airlock, but I've got a thick brown foam coming up the neck of the carboy that looks almost exactly like the head on a root beer float.

-Joe
 
Now comes the wait. I made a case of traditional Apfelwein and a case using pear juice and a little sugar to prime and add a little sweetness.
 
I too can now join this post. I was so excited about this, (after reading the first 10 responses) I went out and bought a second primary to start it. 8 days and the airlock is still bubbling every 3 seconds and the color is looking good. Going to be hard to wait for this one...
 

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