So how do I carbonate and store this?

[Xenemorph]

I'm making 30 gallons of Apfelwein and I'm about halfway through setting up the carboys. So far it's looking good but I need advice on carbonating and storing.


The only carbonation I've ever done has been with SodaStream but I imagine there's a much better, cheaper, and faster way? Then I'm not sure how much corn sugar I should add (the guide does give an amount) and how I should add it, how long I should wait, or how I should do everything to where I don't create a huge mess of broken glass.

Also since I'm doing 30 gallons, storage is a huge issue. I don't think I can save up that many bottles as I don't drink THAT often.


So some questions:

• Kegs or bottles?
• Where to buy them?
• How to carbonate properly?
• How to add sugar/added flavoring?
• Any setups that do all this? (store, carbonate, cool)

I won't have to worry about this for a few months but I want to prepare early. With that said, I'd also like to know what's the best way to move these to secondary after 1-2 months? Should I purchase another empty carboy and basically round-robin through all of them to siphon them over? I'd love to have a kegging setup for beer specifically as I was just recommended to do this recipe for beginners and would love to brew some beer afterward.

And yes I know I don't have to store all of it at once and can do it as I drink it but I plan on having these stored so I can re-use the carboys to brew something else afterward.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[ol-hazza]

This is a large topic to cover, so will try to narrow down some key points.

Bottling is cheaper, but more work. You mix sugar with the applewein, put it in sterilized bottle and cap. Would be a big task with 30 gal.

Kegging is expensive to set up but easier to do. You syphon into the clean keg, hook it up to a co2 tank and leave it for a week. (There are some other ways but im giving you the short version) most people who keg also have a spare freezer or fridge to keep their kegs cool and save some gas.

As for the specifics of each method i would need more info once you have decided what you are doing.

And as for where to buy it i suggest brewshop.co.nz, but being a new zealand store that might notbe suitable for you. Where are you based?

 

[dwhite60]

That's roughly 300 12 oz. bottles.

Does NOT sound like a fun evening.

30 gallons? You must really like the stuff

You don't need a full kegging set-up. You can just buy the
kegs, fill, prime, and seal them. They'll carbonate and hold
pressure. You could then bottle them at your leisure, keg by
keg.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[Subdivisions]

This way ^^ is probably the best compromise between ease and cost if you buy used corny kegs. The only problem I see with it is that you won't initially know if the kegs seal well without a CO2 tank to put some pressure on them. You'll also need a tank to push the apfelwein out of the keg when it's done.

You don't have to package it all up at once (or do you?). Apfelwein gets better with age so you could do 10 gallons at a time then package more when you're getting low. That will free up a couple carboys in the meantime.

Carbonate it like it's a beer. There are countless threads on how to do that. Search the bottling/kegging forum. Adding sweetness AND carbonation is something that can only be done if kegged using a CO2 tank and kept cold. If you want to bottle and have sweet fizzy apfelwein then try mixing it with some apple juice when you pour it or do like Edwort and bottle it still (uncarbed) and mix with sprite when served.

You don't need to secondary. The bottle or keg is the secondary. That also frees up your fermenters

most people who keg also have a spare freezer or fridge to keep their kegs cool and save some gas.

The same amount of gas is used, the pressure must be set higher when it's warm though. You put it in the fridge to allow carbonation at serving pressure or to do a quick carb at high pressure.

 

[Xenemorph]

Bottling is cheaper, but more work. You mix sugar with the applewein, put it in sterilized bottle and cap. Would be a big task with 30 gal.

What would be the best way to bottle them? Should I mix the sugar in the Carboys after siphoning some out and then just put them in the bottles, then carbonate a bottle at a time?

And as for where to buy it i suggest brewshop.co.nz, but being a new zealand store that might notbe suitable for you. Where are you based?

I live in the US.

That's roughly 300 12 oz. bottles.

Does NOT sound like a fun evening.

Right now I'm doing it every few days when I have spare time. I would probably split it up throughout a few weeks.

30 gallons? You must really like the stuff

It just made more sense to do it in bulk due to the startup costs and the wait time. That way if I do like it I won't have to wait another several months for more.

You don't need a full kegging set-up. You can just buy the
kegs, fill, prime, and seal them. They'll carbonate and hold
pressure. You could then bottle them at your leisure, keg by
keg.

All the Best,
D. White

You don't have to package it all up at once (or do you?). Apfelwein gets better with age so you could do 10 gallons at a time then package more when you're getting low. That will free up a couple carboys in the meantime.

You don't need to secondary. The bottle or keg is the secondary. That also frees up your fermenters

What happened if it's left in the carboy for more than a few months? If I don't get a keg and don't bottle it, and decide to do the carboys for the secondary, should I just siphon them into clean carboys for the secondary?

 

[ol-hazza]

What would be the best way to bottle them? Should I mix the sugar in the Carboys after siphoning some out and then just put them in the bottles, then carbonate a bottle at a time?

Use a priming calculator to work out how much sugar, whivh you then bring to the boil with half a cup water. Let cool and put into a carboy or bottling bucket, syphon the rt into the vessel which mixes the sugar solution through it and then bottle.

You can also add sugar to each bottle but that can easily lead to adding the wrong amount of sugar and over/under carbonation

 

[Gavin C]

Why do it all at once. Why not stagger the batches. The stuff tastes better and better with age.

Secondary is not needed with Apfelwein as per the author Edwort himself so forget about that for a start.

Do not add sugar to the carboy to prime. That is not the way to do it for a variety of reasons. This priming needs to be done when you rack the wine off the lees at the bottom of the carboy to a bucket (the bucket should already have the priming solution in it). Allow the two to mix without stirring (a coil of tubing at the bottom of the bucket creates a swirl, that's all you need). There is a whole section on bottling in the forum with good how to vids. these will be of use to you.

For that much volume at once, kegs would be the way to go and force carbonate. I wouldn't want to bottle 300 at once. It could be done though

Bottle conditioning will take 4 plus weeks to carbonate at these ABV levels I'm my experience with Apfelwein. 2 months for it to peak at it's best level. Pours like a champagne. Crystal clear, effervescent, light and refreshing. Got 5 gallons brewing as I type. I will bottle after 2-3 months in the primary and let it bottle condition for 2 months. Worth the wait. That's why I would stagger the batches.

 

[Subdivisions]

What happened if it's left in the carboy for more than a few months? If I don't get a keg and don't bottle it, and decide to do the carboys for the secondary, should I just siphon them into clean carboys for the secondary?

You could. Wine is often left on the lees for a few months though anyway so it won't hurt anything to leave it in primary

Just kegged a 5 gallon batch of Apfelwein and brewed up a blonde ale today. Woohoo!! I'll probably let it sit another few weeks in the keg before I start carbonation. It has a lot of residual CO2 from fermentation still.