Man, I love Apfelwein

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I have 2 batches in primaries. One made on 9-14 and one on 9-18. The one made on 9-14 is considerably clearer than the one on 9-18 and I made them using the exact same ingredients/recipe. However, there are some differences in the equipment. The one on 9-14 I used a rubber stopper with the bubbler airlock and the one one 9-18 I used the orange carboy (wine) cap with the 3 piece airlock. Both airlocks were filled with the same vodka and have been sitting right beside one another the entire time. I know I'm just a stickler for details, but any suggestions here or am I overthinking?
 
Don't worry. One had 4 days more time to work than the other. Take a picture, wait 4 days, and compare. It will be fine.
 
I'm debating on racking my apfelwein to another bucket tonight so I can use my ale pail it's in for my beer on tuesday. I hadn't planned on using that to ferment it, but didn't have the right stopper for my other bucket. But the one it's in is my only fermenter that's not 5 gallons. I'd like the headspace for my beer. And no time to go the the LHBS to get a new one.
 
Umm these question is probably here somewhere in the four thousand posts, but I'm going to ask again. First, if I use a carboy for this, do I have to use a vapor lock on it as well? Second, do I have to have a specialty carboy (like a Better bottle)? I was wondering if I could buy a 5 gallon water jug thing at Safeway (I don't have a homebrew store anywhere near me.) And third, do I even have to use a carboy, or can I make it in a 5 gallon bucket?
 
Posted by formsand...

Umm these question is probably here somewhere in the four thousand posts, but I'm going to ask again. First, if I use a carboy for this, do I have to use a vapor lock on it as well? Second, do I have to have a specialty carboy (like a Better bottle)? I was wondering if I could buy a 5 gallon water jug thing at Safeway (I don't have a homebrew store anywhere near me.) And third, do I even have to use a carboy, or can I make it in a 5 gallon bucket?

You can make it in anything you have handy - bottle, bucket, barrel, tank, tub, glass, food grade plastic, stainless steel, etc., as long as you can fit an airlock on it!

Pogo
 
Hmmm... I racked my apfelwein to another fermenter tonight so I could make my beer on tuesday. I took a hydrometer sample while I had it open and it's still at 1.004 after almost 4 weeks. I'll just have to give it time and check in another week, I guess.
 
Excessive consumption of Apfelwein WILL get you drunk at warp speed.

Drink a quart of water and take 3 aspirin before going to sleep tol help reduce the effects of excessive Apfelwein consumption as well as the urge to call EdWort a M'F**kR the next morning! :D

I want you to know, Ed, that I was infact calling you a M'F**kR yesterday morning. I loved you Friday night, but by morning you had made an enemy. :mug: Thanks for the recipe.

P.S. College girls at parties love this stuff. Just sayin...
 
You can make it in anything you have handy - bottle, bucket, barrel, tank, tub, glass, food grade plastic, stainless steel, etc., as long as you can fit an airlock on it!

Pogo
So I have to have a fermentation lock? Do they make them for buckets?
 
It is best of you use something with an air lock. For a bucket you need a lid for the bucket, A 3/8 rubber grommet and a hole in the lid for the grommet. You put the grommet in the hole and the air lock in the grommet. You can buy lids with the whole already drilled in the top.
 
It is best of you use something with an air lock. For a bucket you need a lid for the bucket, A 3/8 rubber grommet and a hole in the lid for the grommet. You put the grommet in the hole and the air lock in the grommet. You can buy lids with the whole already drilled in the top.

Ok thanks for clearing that up for me.
 
On sunday I pitched half a Montrachet packet into one gallon of Tree Top apple juice (no corn sugar). It is bubbling away now at 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do you think it'll ferment into something drinkable by Halloween weekend?

Don't worry, I'm making more that I can be patient with :D
 
No...Halloween it will be green and scary!

Come to think of it.....

Mix it with beer...like a Pale Ale, and some crushed Pineapple, add green food coloring, and you've got a great swamp juice.
 
No...Halloween it will be green and scary!

Come to think of it.....

Mix it with beer...like a Pale Ale, and some crushed Pineapple, add green food coloring, and you've got a great swamp juice.

+1 I agree with BK (due to 10 chars)
 
I just (like 30 seconds ago) finished the first glass of 78 day apfelwein....it seems like I should have left this for another 12 days....just to be an even 90, but I had a variation on tap, and I just couldn't take it any more. I had to switch it out.
Anyway, All of this to say, IF you can let apfelwein sit for a while...It'll reward you!
 
This may well have been discussed in the 4000+ replies to this post, so forgive me if it has been, but I'm wondering what the best temperature is to brew this stuff at. I just put together my first batch yesterday. The room here is close to 80 deg F all the time. Today it is spewing gas like there's no tomorrow and the whole room has a wonderful apple + egg smell. I started worrying that this temp might be too high, so I just moved it down to my study which is closer to 70 deg.

Is this important?
 
If I want to sweeten my batch when bottling what is the best thing to use. I have read where slenda is being used to sweeten, but I don't believe it said how much should be used per gallon. Is the best thing to use?
 
This may well have been discussed in the 4000+ replies to this post, so forgive me if it has been, but I'm wondering what the best temperature is to brew this stuff at. I just put together my first batch yesterday. The room here is close to 80 deg F all the time. Today it is spewing gas like there's no tomorrow and the whole room has a wonderful apple + egg smell. I started worrying that this temp might be too high, so I just moved it down to my study which is closer to 70 deg.

Is this important?

In my experience, the cooler fermented batches are cleaner tasting. I've also never experienced the hangovers that people claim to get with this stuff. I attribute that to too hot fermentation.

Also with my last two batches, yeast nutrient and re-hydrating the yeast before pitching has made a huge difference with the egg smell and < 12 hr lagtimes. Made some @ 6:30 P.M. last night and it was full-on bubbling @ 8 this morning.
 
I've got 5 gallons in the bathub ready to bottle, and I wonder if anyone has had experience putting this in champagne bottles and carbing naturally. I was thinking of doing this for New Years.

I'd also like to backsweeten, so I wonder if it work to force carb with CO2, then use Biermuncher's gun to fill the bottles prior to corking.
 
I started a 5 gallon batch last night. 100% apple juice, pound of dextrose, pound of brown sugar, and a pack of nottingham ale yeast...followed the rest of the recipe to a t. Last night no bubbles. Today no bubbles, and I'm thinking what the heck I thought this was supposed to be easy. I've never had a stuck fermentation before this. Are the yeasties just sleeping? I gave it a shake and I'll wait a while...I know I'm just being impatient. Hope I won't have to repitch!
 
Yeah that's what I figured and now that I look at the carboy it seems like there's some activity going on in there...thanks for the reassurance
 
I have had a batch that I started on 9/21. I still has not seemed to have started clearing at all. It is still about the same as the middle carboy on Eds first post. Is this normal?
 
I'd try it with the local stuff.
I'd try it with anything....I always keep the expiramental stuff seperate from my EDWORTS APFELWEIN!

Of course...I tend to be pretty adventurous...but with Apfelwein...Ed has made a believer out of me. That stuff is just where it's at! (Dont' tell anyone...but I use Motts Juice)
 
I use motts too. The motts juice tastes better than treetop to me. Can't comment if there is any different in the final product between the brands though. I suspect there is little difference.
 
Finally the Apfelwein I started on 9-8-08 is clear enough to bottle... guess I'll do that tonight.

Now to decide if I want it still or sparkling. Opinions?
 
Mine has been fermenting for 17 days. It has been at 76 *F the whole time. Chugging along just fine. I know that is pretty high up for the Monteracht that I used with this batch. I'm getting ready to do another with Cote des Blancs that will ferment right next to it. Same temp. My MIL lives with us in the basement apartment and she keeps it at this temp. I work 24 hour shifts so would not be able to tend to my fermenters daily.
Will the Cote be fine at this temp? Is there any point in putting the first batch in a cooler full of water at this point? Any benefit to putting the batch with Cote in a water bath from the start?
One more quickie. Do I need a starter with the Cote? I do have the Nutrient for it. I'll search for this but just in case someone reads this before I have time to sort through 400 pages, thanks.
 
Well, I've read about 80 pages of this and got tired of trying to find an answer. I bottled my batch last night and I'm concerned it has become infected. The smell is more like a sour apple. It is still drinkable but underwhelming; not much apple taste. I followed Ed's recipe to the T. I've bottled it and will wait a while but thought I would see what everyone here thought. I've not had anything I've brewed get an infection and don't know if this is the problem, or something else.
 
hey snowbum,
relax, it was just bottled! my still apfelwein had a green apple scent a month after bottling, but i carbed most of the batch and those did not have the sour apple taste or smell at all. The still bottles kinda tasted like a green apple jolly rancher, but not sweet at all. Ooohhh... has anyone ever tried dissolving some jolly ranchers into the apfelwein before fermentation? You could always try a couple pounds of those rather than the corn sugar :drunk:

As for cabed vs. still, i totally go for carbing. Maybe leave some still for your first batch just to see the difference.
 
My advice for you snowbum and anyone else making this.....

1. Forget you brewed it
2. Set a reminder on your calender 6 months from now
3. Get reminder 6 months from now, and bootle/keg your wein, carbonate if desired
4. Wait another two to four months
5. Enjoy what you have made and rest assured that it is ridiculously better than it would have been had you drank it any earlier.

This stuff REALLY improves with age. I'm not exaggerating. I was very underwhelmed with this and a little confused why everyone says it is sooo good. Then, I followed my above directions and reaped the fruits of my patients. It really doesn't mature for at least 7 months. Then it is dangerously good. I have many requests for more now.
 
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