Mein erster Apfelwein

[loetz]

Ok, this is my first fermentation ever.

I need to help figuring out what all I should use.

I have:

• 15L (4 gal) Carboy
• 16L (4.2 gal)Apple Juice
• 2 pounds of American dark brown sugar
• 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) Cane Sugar
• 4X 5g packets of Champagne yeast
• 4x 5g packets of Steinberg yeast

I'm thinking about using:

• 13L (3.4 gal) Apple Juice
• 600g (1.3 pounds) Cane Sugar
• 5g Steinberg Yeast

Any thoughts on this?

I don't have access to dextrose, so I need to substitute. I know that some people use brown sugar, but I'd really rather save my brown sugar for making BBQ and cookies. Brown sugar is hard to come by here in Austria. I haven't seen anything about using cane sugar, but I'd like to give it a try. Do you think my ratio is ok? I could also go to the store and buy regular table sugar.

What about the yeast? I think I've read on the German fruit wine forums that people use Steinberg, but I know that people on here have used champane. I cant get Montrachet here.

Will 13L of apple juice and the sugar leave enough room for space at the top? I've read that there usually isn't any kruasen.

Anything else I should think of?

 

[dinnerstick]

you are using the oxi-clean for cleaning, right? it's a great cleaner but shouldn't be confused with sanitizers. if you don't have a good sanitizer like iodophor it's worth picking some up, it's cheap and a little goes a long way

 

[loetz]

This isn't oxiclean. It's Chemipro oxi.

http://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/colchesterhomebrewshop/prod_1090469-Brupaks-Chemipro-Oxi-CleanerSteriliser-1000gms.html

It's not meant to be as great as Star San, and I've found a place where I can order that, but I won't have it for another few weeks.


But seriously though, what about those sugars?

 

[divi2323]

If you want rocket fuel, add them all

Personally I vote to use the dark brown sugar. I like the hint of molasses at the end and the darker color that it makes when brewing.

 

[BarlimanButterbur]

Your cane sugar should be fine. It's sucrose just like the brown sugar, so since you want to save that, save it! Use the cane sugar.

I can't tell you how much of your juice will fit, but I'd say put in a few liters and your sugar and give it a good shake to dissolve, then top up with as much juice as you can get. You are correct that you don't have to worry about krausen.

I can't tell you what you should use for yeast. I suspect you can't really go wrong. This might give you a bit of help: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp

Ich hoffe, dass es gut geht.

 

[dinnerstick]

This isn't oxiclean. It's Chemipro oxi.

It's not meant to be as great as Star San, and I've found a place where I can order that, but I won't have it for another few weeks.

apologies! i didn't know there was a difference. i can't find star san in holland btw!

dextrose/glucose/corn sugar shouldn't give you hugely different results from sucrose, the yeast can break it down to monosaccharides and dispatch them forthwith
normally you would add a bit less sucrose as glucose powder tends to hold moisture whereas sucrose crystals don't... for bottle priming this is on the order of 95% so negligible really. for volume, 13L in a 15L carboy sounds pretty safe to me but i don't now that yeast. you can always add more juice after you assess the bubbliciousness of your ferment. agree with others- either style of sucrose, depends on your taste. good luck; get drunk

 

[loetz]

You can order Star San here if you're really interested.

http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/products/Reinigen/Five-Star-Star-San.html

I'm going to place an order later this week. They're going to be selling a false bottom for the 70L Schengler Thermoport starting this Saturday, so I'll order both at the same time to share the shipping.

Some of the British online stores offer it too, but they all seem to be out of stock at the moment.

 

[loetz]

The carboy was smaller than I thought it was.

I went with:
-12L Apple Juice
-500g Brown Natural Cane Sugar
-5g Steinberg Yeast

This is it after 24 hours:

No bad smells or anything... yet.

 

[loetz]

When the hell is this going to be done?

I started it on the 12th of last month and it is the 28th now. It started out at 18C and I've recently moved it into another room where it is 22C.

Do I need to wait until all of the bubbles are gone, or should I bottle this now?

 

[dinnerstick]

check the gravity. bubbles mean nothing. it can off-gas CO2 for a long time after fermentation is done, and warming it will drive more gas out of solution; more bubbles. it looks to be clearing nicely

 

[Cascadegan]

Cane sugar is fine

Also american brown sugar is just cane sugar and molasses... so if you just bought a jar of molasses it would be cheaper (and they probably sell that in austria?)

Prost