Man, I love Apfelwein

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Gave the brown sugar version a shot over the weekend. Used 6 gallons of apple juice, 2.4 pounds of light brown sugar, and a pack of montrachet yeast.

I like the thought of oaking it. Maybe I'll split the batch at some point down the road and give it a try.
 
Kind of a crotchety response there... poster can call his booze whatever he wants... clearly it is not freeze distilled bc he did not mention this process.

On the freeze distillation note though, I have been considering giving that a shot this winter. Should be fun.

I would suggest doing that now, if you want it ready by winter. takes a while to lose the "booziness"

lol... it's nobody's booziness but your own
 
I would suggest doing that now, if you want it ready by winter. takes a while to lose the "booziness"

lol... it's nobody's booziness but your own

I was planning on using one of my [3] currently fermenting batches (if you meant the cider needs to be well aged) and liquor lasts a looong time around here (if you meant the liquor needs to age) so I'm sure it'll be great in a year or two (currently sitting on 3 bottles of absinthe and one bottle of turkey that I bought when I moved in here... 4 years ago... they are all more than half full)

The reason I was going to try it this winter was because I don't have to worry about trying to cram 5 gallons of liquid in my small freezer if I can just stick a bucket on the back porch...
 
I was planning on using one of my [3] currently fermenting batches (if you meant the cider needs to be well aged) and liquor lasts a looong time around here (if you meant the liquor needs to age) so I'm sure it'll be great in a year or two (currently sitting on 3 bottles of absinthe and one bottle of turkey that I bought when I moved in here... 4 years ago... they are all more than half full)

The reason I was going to try it this winter was because I don't have to worry about trying to cram 5 gallons of liquid in my small freezer if I can just stick a bucket on the back porch...

that's the easiest way to do it!

I don't know what length of time is best between end of primary and jacking. I'm not sure if it matters or not, I haven't done experimenting along those lines.

But, I would presume the better the base cider is going into the freezer, the better the end product, so some bulk conditioning would be required.
 
that's the easiest way to do it!

I don't know what length of time is best between end of primary and jacking. I'm not sure if it matters or not, I haven't done experimenting along those lines.

But, I would presume the better the base cider is going into the freezer, the better the end product, so some bulk conditioning would be required.

Cool thanks for the heads up. That logic seems sound. I will bulk condition my oldest fermenter until it's time. Might as well try and make something nice since I will undoubtedly have it for awhile.

Could I just Jack it partially in a bottling bucket, drain that, and repeat? Or is there a reason that this would be bad practice? I figure it's cold enough and the alcohol volumes are high enough that I don't really have to be concerned about spoilage bacteria....
 
Cool thanks for the heads up. That logic seems sound. I will bulk condition my oldest fermenter until it's time. Might as well try and make something nice since I will undoubtedly have it for awhile.

Could I just Jack it partially in a bottling bucket, drain that, and repeat? Or is there a reason that this would be bad practice? I figure it's cold enough and the alcohol volumes are high enough that I don't really have to be concerned about spoilage bacteria....

never done it that way, but I am guessing between the cold & ABV it should be safe
 
I couldn't resist posting this today. I just bottled & tasted an Apfelwein. I named this one gallon batch Uncle George's Jonagold Apple Wine. It was made with organic apple juice, two Jonagold Apples from NY State, 2 cups of pure cane sugar, Brewcraft Yeast Nutrient and I used Red Star Premier Cuvee Yeast. It is medium bodied, slightly dry & quite good for being so immature.
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I made a batch going by the original recipe on 4/12/2016. Planning to keg it next week for a party on the 18th. Airlock still burping.

Is it going to be ok?
 
If I was going to jack this could I just add sugar to bump the abv to the limits of the yeast to make it a little easier on the tail end (ie, having to do the whole freezing process fewer times?
 
I started 5 gallons of this this evening..... I was wanting around 8.5 % but somehow I ended up with a PA of 10%..... Well maybe not "somehow" I put 4 gallons of juice in, and 5 cans of concentrate.... (meant to hold one back for a gallon side brew once the yeast started going, but got in a rhythm and dumped it in)... then my wife brought me the two pounds of extract I had bought before I really knew how I wanted to brew this and I had the first pound dumped in before I remembered that with the concentrate I really didn't need it....

So anyways, here goes the first batch. I didn't have a primary open but I did have a food grade bucket with sealing lid that I bought for 2 dollars at firehouse subs. (they sell their pickle buckets) I drilled a hole in it for use with a stopper and air lock.

Had a starter going with monrechet yeast and after only a hour it was bubbling so I pitched it.

All said and done here was my recipe.

1 packet montrechet yeast
5 teaspoons YN
5 cans concentrate
4 gallons juice
1 pound DME

I plan on tasting this as it goes and may not let it ferment all the way out. If I find a spot that my wife likes it then I will kill the fermentation right then and there, let it settle, and car/keg it. I plan on taking this on family vacation to the lake at the end of july so I wont get to know how good it aged unless someone wants to trade a bottle for a bottle of this.

Also, what was the link to the gallonage thread so I can add mine?
 
I did the original recipe over a year ago. I let it ferment out and bottled (and primed) at about a month. It was OK but it really wasn't "all that." My wife and mother-in-law tried it but were all kinds of "meh" about it. So it went into storage on top of the fridge, then we moved, and during the move it got placed in the downstairs fridge because it's not labeled and everyone else in the house assumed it was beer.

So tonight I was reading this thread for whatever reason and I decided to crack open one of the bottles just to see if the whole "aging makes it better" idea is for real. 18 months is good for a sparkling apfelwein. It's really good. I let it warm up in the glass a bit and it tastes even better than it did chilled. It's definitely not a hard cider but it's really good for what it is: a dry apple-tinged sparkling wine. Love it.
 
i did this recipe and after aging for 6 months it tasted outstanding.
over here in ireland its elderflower season now and i was wondering if i could add elderflower to the initial fermentation along with the original recipe?
has anyone ever added elderflowers or anything into the fermentor alongside apple juice, sugar and yeast?
 
i did this recipe and after aging for 6 months it tasted outstanding.
over here in ireland its elderflower season now and i was wondering if i could add elderflower to the initial fermentation along with the original recipe?
has anyone ever added elderflowers or anything into the fermentor alongside apple juice, sugar and yeast?

The world is your oyster. I have added hops. Lots of people have added other fruits. I'm sure your idea will turn out awesome as long as it's balanced right.
 
i did this recipe and after aging for 6 months it tasted outstanding.
over here in ireland its elderflower season now and i was wondering if i could add elderflower to the initial fermentation along with the original recipe?
has anyone ever added elderflowers or anything into the fermentor alongside apple juice, sugar and yeast?

The world is your oyster. I have hopped it. Lots of other people have added different fruits. I'm sure your idea will turn out awesome as long as you balance it right.
 
So I tasted this the other day and it smelled a little off (expected), but what I didn't expect was a somewhat sour taste.... Note sure if that's normal or not?

Either way, I measured the gravity at just below 1.10, so I pitched some sorbate so I could stop the fermentation and keep it somewhat sweet.

Is the sour taste normal?
 
So I tasted this the other day and it smelled a little off (expected), but what I didn't expect was a somewhat sour taste.... Note sure if that's normal or not?

Either way, I measured the gravity at just below 1.10, so I pitched some sorbate so I could stop the fermentation and keep it somewhat sweet.

Is the sour taste normal?

If you want a sweet cider you will probably want to look into sweetening with a nonfermentable sugar/other sweetener/pasteurization/sweetening in the glass with a simple syrup (best option imo).

The "sour" that you are tasting is *probably* not any sort of bacteria (if you think it came from brewing sours in the same environment or something) as I have found that these bacteria seem to draw out some of the fruitier flavors from the apples.
 
No I meant sour as in yucky sour.... Definitely not a pleasant sour, but doesn't seem to be rotten sour either.
 
Hi all! After a many year hiatus from homebrewing I've started into it again. And I've chosen to make an apfelwein based on Edwort's recipe. I've decided to try a one gallon batch. I played a little loose with the added sugar. I used 1gl pasteurized cider, about 2/3 cp corn sugar, a scant tablespoon of lightly crushed juniper berries, about 2/3 of a packet of Montrachet. I added 1/3cp sugar, 2cps cider, and the juniper berries to a sauce pot. I brought it to a bare simmer, removed it from the heat and let it steep for about an hour. I put it all together wednsday, and it's going nice and steady about 1 gurgle from the airlock a second.
 
I "brewed" two batches of this back in January and can report that it is definitely worth the wait, and Montrachet blows Lalvin EC-1118 out of the water.

I made one 5-gallon batch with Montrachet and one 1-gallon batch with EC-1118 and the Montrachet is awesome. Very white wine, but a lot of apple at this stage. The EC-1118 is funky. Not great. If you stick to the original recipe and just wait patiently you will be rewarded. You will also be hammered if you drink more than two pints.
 
I "brewed" two batches of this back in January and can report that it is definitely worth the wait, and Montrachet blows Lalvin EC-1118 out of the water.

I made one 5-gallon batch with Montrachet and one 1-gallon batch with EC-1118 and the Montrachet is awesome. Very white wine, but a lot of apple at this stage. The EC-1118 is funky. Not great. If you stick to the original recipe and just wait patiently you will be rewarded. You will also be hammered if you drink more than two pints.

Very nice. When did you bottle? I started a batch on 4/6/16 and I'm planning to serve it for a Thanksgiving party this November. It's still in the 5 gallon carboy. I plan on bottling it but I'm thinking it'll age better in the carboy rather than bottle.
 
I did not bottle, I kegged it. Much easier to dispense that way...which can be a blessing and a curse.

I left it in primary for a good 3 months, only transferred to keg because I wanted the carboy back. It then cold conditioned for the remainder in the keg.
 
I did not bottle, I kegged it. Much easier to dispense that way...which can be a blessing and a curse.

I left it in primary for a good 3 months, only transferred to keg because I wanted the carboy back. It then cold conditioned for the remainder in the keg.

Damn, I figured you were going to say that. Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to get better results with bulk aging in the carboy or in the bottle.

I really need a keg setup.
 
Damn, I figured you were going to say that. Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to get better results with bulk aging in the carboy or in the bottle.

I really need a keg setup.

If you have room to cold store it, I'd bottle. You could also prime and carb some.

I have 2 batches that are nearing a year old and a side-by-side of the one I've had cold and carbonated for 2 months vs. the one still in a carboy showed me that carbed and cold stored is the way to go. The other one still tastes very white wine-ish, while the carbed and lagered version is tasting more like a Hornsby or hardcider.

And it's true, all that sugar or whatever in this stuff makes for a horrid hangover. :) Good times.
 
And it's true, all that sugar or whatever in this stuff makes for a horrid hangover. :) Good times.

I don't drink much liquor or wine, and beer is usually self-limiting because there is not enough room in my stomach to put down 3 or 4 pints of double IPA in a session *usually.*

This one snuck up on me. It has been a long time since I have been that hungover. Turns out I don't deal with hangovers that well as I get older. Still working on the "wiser" part I guess!
 
Haven't had a chance to brew much the last few years with twins rounding out our house at 4 kids just over 2 years ago. But I was standing under a cherry tree at the in-laws family farm and couldn't resist picking 6 containers of tart pie cherries to bring back to see what happens if I add them to a batch of apfelwein. Plus I had recently gotten a bunch of free boysenberries, strawberries, bing cherries and blueberries from other friends and had just thrown them in the freezer a few days prior. And apple juice was on sale when I got home from the weekend. It was meant to be.

After not finding much in the way of apfelwein on fruit, I thought it was time to test out an idea. Could I just throw the fruit in the primary to save steps/sanitizing/cooking down the road and still get 2 nice tasty variants on Ed's recipe? Most posts that do reference fruit refer to adding to beer which has been brewed and cooled. Not many when we are just fermenting applejuice.

So here's a start and I'll try to post some follow up. Plan to age this 1-2 months like we have with past batches (some 3-6 months before bottling/kegging) while checking it a lot the next few weeks to make sure I don't need to get it off the fruit earlier than planned for either secondary ferment or just kegging it to let it sit a few months before adding co2.

PS, two batches of apfelwein fermenting in my beer closet after not fermenting anything since the sour we made last summer (which is still aging) is making quite the smell throughout the back half of my house. So awesome.
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two separate batches two days later after adding another gallon of apple juice to each. So total 4 gallons of apple juice and 1 gallon of apple cider in each, plus 2+ pounds of corn sugar and a pound or two of fruit in each(plus a packet of montrachet each). Both bubbling away nicely creating crazy fermenting cider/fruit smell in the back half of the house. And a definite color difference between the cherries from bright red to sucked half dry in just two days. And between the two ciders, the one with the red fruits is super red by comparison.

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Methinks I shall be hitting the LHBS for corn sugar and Montrachet on the way home tonight.

It really does take no time at all to make EdWorts' original recipe (if you don't count the several hours of cursing and searching for the StarSan that your family hid on you!)

Three quart "from concentrate" juice jugs (with Vitamin C added) $2.49 at the Walmart mega-center. Seven made for 5 & 1/4 gallons, I used it all having read how little krausen is expected with Montrachet .
21 quarts, 2lbs of corn sugar, one pack of Montrachet added exactly as proscribed; 1.060 OG, should be good for 8.5ish% if http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/ is to be believed. :tank:
 
Happy yeast burbling away in the airlock. Just a little more than one burp per second after 18 hours at 74 Fahrenheit
 
Just tasted my first batch of apfelwein after 3-4 weeks in the fermenter. I followed the original instructions but instead of 2 whole cups of corn sugar I did 1.5C corn sugar 0.5c light brown sugar just due to not having enough corn sugar. It has been cloudy for a while but really started clearing up over the last 5 days.

I tasted a sample two nights ago and holy crap I can already tell this will be dangerous once it's got another couple of months to age and is chilled and carbed in a keg. Wife enjoyed the sample as well. It had a strong sauvignon blanc wine smell with, obviously, a much stronger green apple scent. Flavor was very thin, slightly apply, and even though it's only 3-4 weeks old the alcohol was barely present. Amazing how good this tastes for being so simple.
 
I just bottled 5 gallons of apfelwein. Measured out to 8.27%. This stuff is great and yes it will get you drunk. This is my 4th batch in 1 year. going to start a 5th once I have an empty carboy. All 6 are in use right now.
 
I used to try and keep 2 carboys going as one was being kegged. Never seemed to have enough. :)
 
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