Real fast Apfelwein Q

[Scrow]

Can I use plain ol sugar in the Apfelwine recipe, instead of corn sugar? Do I use the same amount?

Thanks!

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Yes, it's just harder to dissolve. You'll probably get a little more alcohol out of an equal amount of table sugar, but the difference won't be substantial.

 

[Scrow]

So 2 pounds of sugar is fine then?

 

[zac]

It will work, have at it.

 

[homebrewer_99]

FWIW, I made an apfelwein with SEVEN POUNDS of table sugar before.

It was a recipe from Mr. Steve's HB shop in York, PA.

It was very alcoholic...over 12% if memory serves me correctly.

 

[llazy_llama]

FWIW, I made an apfelwein with SEVEN POUNDS of table sugar before.

It was very alcoholic...over 12% if memory serves me correctly.

Yeah, but how did it taste? I'm guessing probably like my first batch, which was fermented at ~78 degrees. Forget about fusel, this stuff was diesel.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Got my notes here...

Brew date: 19 Aug 08

Warmed 1/2 gal AJ in pot. Added 7 lbs table sugar, dissolved.
Added 3 tsp Yeast Nutrient and 4 tsp Acid Blend.

Poured 4.5 gals AJ into primary.
Poured in contents of pot.

Temp: 84F
OG: 1.111 + 3 = 1.114.

Sample tasted like a candied appled, very thick body.

Yeast: 1 vial WLP775, English Cider Yeast

Time passes...notes taken...Aug...Sep...8...17...25 Oct...very clear, nice and sweet, nice apple flavor...2 Nov: FG: 1.016 (about 85% attenuation...)

10.290% ABW
12.863% ABV

:rockin:

 

[llazy_llama]

Got my notes here...

Brew date: 19 Aug 08

Warmed 1/2 gal AJ in pot. Added 7 lbs table sugar, dissolved.
Added 3 tsp Yeast Nutrient and 4 tsp Acid Blend.

Poured 4.5 gals AJ into primary.
Poured in contents of pot.

Temp: 84F
OG: 1.111 + 3 = 1.114.

Sample tasted like a candied appled, very thick body.

Yeast: 1 vial WLP775, English Cider Yeast

Time passes...notes taken...Aug...Sep...8...17...25 Oct...very clear, nice and sweet, nice apple flavor...2 Nov: FG: 1.016 (about 85% attenuation...)

10.290% ABW
12.863% ABV

:rockin:

Really? Man, I love candied apples, and I always find myself back-sweetening apfelwein with splenda. I shall have to try this.

Edited: I'm amazed that 7 lbs of sugar would dissolve into 1/2 gallon of AJ, but I guess the heat helps. I'll pop this into the fermenter next weekend and try it.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I'm amazed that 7 lbs of sugar would dissolve into 1/2 gallon of AJ, but I guess the heat helps. I'll pop this into the fermenter next weekend and try it.

I'm amazed that 1/2 gallon of AJ would even moisten 7lbs of sugar! But I'll take Bill's word for it.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I'm amazed that 1/2 gallon of AJ would even moisten 7lbs of sugar! But I'll take Bill's word for it.

Now THAT'S funny...I couldn't help but chuckle out loud...

I made another batch of cider (5 gals) and used 2 lbs corn sugar, 2 lbs honey and 2 lbs of dark brown sugar. It has the taste of maple, a very autumn-like flavor.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Really? Man, I love candied apples, and I always find myself back-sweetening apfelwein with splenda. I shall have to try this.

Edited: I'm amazed that 7 lbs of sugar would dissolve into 1/2 gallon of AJ, but I guess the heat helps. I'll pop this into the fermenter next weekend and try it.

Since you find yourself backsweetening you should really use a less attenuating yeast.

I forget who it was that did that cider and yeast experiment...but I have to tell everyone that using a weizen yeast for cider is a great choice since it attenuates at like 75% which leaves 25% residual sugar. Very nice and sweet. Kudos!!!

 

[injendsm]

I'm glad I saw this post when I did; I was just about to order a couple pounds of corn sugar from Midwest but now I'll be able to get the batch going sooner. Stupid question, but is table sugar what I want to look for at the grocery store?

 

[rsmith179]

Wow... Now I may have to re-think my trip to the store tomorrow. I'm planning on doing my first apfelwine batch and was planning on going with the 2 lbs. of sugar (table sugar). I noticed Llazy that you said you're always sweetening yours at bottling time, do you think I should up the amount of sugar in the batch tomorrow?

 

[Scrow]

So, I started it all up a few hours ago and I had a question. I didn't heat the AJ btw, as I figured it was pasteurized already. Anyway, I didn't prep the yeast (Red Star Pasteur Champagne), just mixed the sugar and juice, dumped it in, and poured in the yeast. A few hours later, there is an inch-thick ring (perfectly circular) around the inside of the carboy. It is about 2 inches or so from the edges, and it's white. Is this the yeast, forming a circle for some reason? Or is it possibly fermentation starting? It seems weird that it would be perfectly circular.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I'm glad I saw this post when I did; I was just about to order a couple pounds of corn sugar from Midwest but now I'll be able to get the batch going sooner. Stupid question, but is table sugar what I want to look for at the grocery store?

Yes. it is.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Wow... Now I may have to re-think my trip to the store tomorrow. I'm planning on doing my first apfelwine batch and was planning on going with the 2 lbs. of sugar (table sugar). I noticed Llazy that you said you're always sweetening yours at bottling time, do you think I should up the amount of sugar in the batch tomorrow?

If you up the sugar it'll just ferment out.

Sweetening at bottling time uses sugar at another time, not now.

 

[homebrewer_99]

So, I started it all up a few hours ago and I had a question. I didn't heat the AJ btw, as I figured it was pasteurized already. Anyway, I didn't prep the yeast (Red Star Pasteur Champagne), just mixed the sugar and juice, dumped it in, and poured in the yeast. A few hours later, there is an inch-thick ring (perfectly circular) around the inside of the carboy. It is about 2 inches or so from the edges, and it's white. Is this the yeast, forming a circle for some reason? Or is it possibly fermentation starting? It seems weird that it would be perfectly circular.

It'll be fine. I just heat up a 1/2 gal to help dissolve the sugar faster.

The yeast forming a circle is like a ripple in a lake.

 

[injendsm]

Yes. it is.

Sweet; thanks. I'll be picking up a couple pounds of the stuff tomorrow.

 

[Scrow]

It'll be fine. I just heat up a 1/2 gal to help dissolve the sugar faster.

The yeast forming a circle is like a ripple in a lake.

The yeast circle is normal then? I looked at it before work, and there appears to be some action going on... the ring looks much wider and looks like it's bubbling.

I am so excited! It's like magic in the making!

 

[JBooze]

You technically don't even need to add sugar. Apple juice has a bunch of sugar in it already. I believe the alcohol content will be lower, but a lot of old timers do it this way.

 

[Vic_Sinclair]

I forget who it was that did that cider and yeast experiment...but I have to tell everyone that using a weizen yeast for cider is a great choice since it attenuates at like 75% which leaves 25% residual sugar. Very nice and sweet. Kudos!!!

The Internets never forget.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/results-juice-yeast-sugar-experiments-83060/

 

[rsmith179]

Got my first batch of Apfelwine fermenting downstairs as we speak. Was wondering, I got it to a OG of 1.060 and know that it will be fermenting out pretty dry over the next month with the addition of 3ish pounds of table sugar. Question, would I be able to just "stop" the fermentation when it gets down to an semi-sweet gravity by racking into another carboy? Or should I let this ferment out and then sweeten to taste at bottling?

 

[homebrewer_99]

You can try to stop it at almost any time you want. The trick is catching at the right time.

In this type of situation I would want the yeast to ferment out all the sugar because this would result in a higher alcohol percentage whereas,
(back)sweetening is to taste.

Personally, I think yours will ferment out to a higher percentage than you quoted.