Apfelwein (Hard German Apple Cider)

[Drez]

While the recipe doesn't call for it, is it better to rack down and stabalize after 3 mo or should I not even bother?

 

[sly22guy]

Don't need too. I talked to ed wort directly about this and he told me is drinking from 4 yr old batches with no issues. I've never added any to mine

 

[WineyDoc]

First Apfelwein

I just had my first taste of Ed Wort's Apfelwein. I pitched the yeast on January 3rd, 2011 and left it in the carboy until yesterday, when I bottled it into wine bottles. I was a good boy and gave it over 8 months of aging without tasting a drop.



OH MY GOD! I have 30 bottles of this stuff! I am a rich man indeed!

 

[MikeBitting]

Using Unfiltered Cider

I just finished fermenting 5 gallons of fresh unfiltered cider. I was wondering what other people's experience was with the final product. Mine was almost tasteless, with a slight warmth going down and an aftertaste of the fresh cider. Is this light taste normal? When I used apple juice it was much sweeter when I finished. Also, has anyone added any fruit, such as blackberries to the process. If so, what's the best way of doing this properly?

 

[chevs15]

So this stuff can go straight from a carboy to bottle? No racking or stabilizing needed, correct?

 

[DSimpson]

Started 5 gals from Colorado apple juice. Curious if any Colo folks have tried this with Talbotts cider?

Hoping to start skeeter pee from the leftover yeast. Any thoughts/comments?

 

[sly22guy]

if your going to use the yeast for pee you will need to rack to a secondary after the sg has dropped below 1.00. if you let it run full course the alcohol will kill off most of the viable yeast. also let this stuff age! 6 months is good but a year is better, 2 year is outstanding!

 

[DSimpson]

Thanks for the reply sly22guy!

Yeast slurry didn't work out very well. The Montrachet Red/apple slurry started a wee krausen in the SP and died after two days.
Put a belt on the bucket, built a 1118 yeast and raspberry slurry and successfully got the SP going.

The apple cider is off to a good start. Reminded me a lot of the cider we sampled in the German farms while backpacking around Europe. It is resting in the carboy till July and then the celebration will begin!

 

[OldYamaha]

I have a 5 gallon batch, and I allowed mine to ferment to .994, Degassed, then added 5 camden tabs and 1 tablespoon of KMet to keep the fermentation from restarting and waited 6 days and backsweeten up to 1.004, and waited overnight to see if it would start to referment, and it has restarted. What can I do at this point? add more camden and Kmet, or just wait until it goes dry again and try to backsweeten again?
Harry

 

[OldYamaha]

I have a 5 gallon batch, and I allowed mine to ferment to .994, Degassed, then added 5 camden tabs and 1 tablespoon of KMet to keep the fermentation from restarting and waited 6 days and backsweeten up to 1.004, and waited overnight to see if it would start to referment, and it has restarted. What can I do at this point? add more camden and Kmet, or just wait until it goes dry again and try to backsweeten again?
Harry

Slow up here you guys, don't Eeveryone answer at once... maybe a hint?

 

[g8keeper]

camden tablets, and kmeta, are the same thing....if you are trying to prevent a refermentation, then what you needed to add, in addition to the kmeta, or camden tablets, is potassium sorbate....this is the inhibitor to yeast reproduction, used in conjunction with kmeta, to not necessarily kill the yeast, but apply a coating the the yeasts currentlty living in your batch, that prevents them from eating anymore sugar, and therefore prevents them from multiplying....

 

[pjd]

After 5 Camden tablets and onr TABLESPOON of k meta, I would dump it down the drain. You have approx 10 times more sulphite than was recommended. That has to be rank! You will never be able to save this one.

 

[OldYamaha]

camden tablets, and kmeta, are the same thing....if you are trying to prevent a refermentation, then what you needed to add, in addition to the kmeta, or camden tablets, is potassium sorbate....this is the inhibitor to yeast reproduction, used in conjunction with kmeta, to not necessarily kill the yeast, but apply a coating the the yeasts currentlty living in your batch, that prevents them from eating anymore sugar, and therefore prevents them from multiplying....

Sorry, I meant 5 camden tabs, and 1 tablespoon of sorbate. That is why I was confused by the fermentation restarting.
I had sweetened back up to 1.004 from OG .994. after a week now it is back down to 1.002. I also found that it has again stabilized. Just tasted it and I may have added to much backsweetening. It is ok, but I won't do that on my next batch. It has been fermenting now for 2 weeks and I used confectioners sugar instead of corn sugar like this batch.

 

[OldYamaha]

Sorry, I meant 5 camden tabs, and 1 tablespoon of sorbate. That is why I was confused by the fermentation restarting.
I had sweetened back up to 1.004 from OG .994. after a week now it is back down to 1.002. I also found that it has again stabilized. Just tasted it and I may have added to much backsweetening. It is ok, but I won't do that on my next batch. It has been fermenting now for 2 weeks and I used confectioners sugar instead of corn sugar like this batch.

Well after all the imput, it seems the fermentation stopped, and I just bottled the applewein, and it is good tasting, but a little too sweet. I'll not add so much concentrate in the next batch.

Thanks all, for the help.

 

[samwisegamgeese]

Carboy?

I had a request to post the recipe for Apfelwin which is a hard apple cider recipe. I have made this before and it is sort of hard to describe. It is a cross between a beer and a wine. It is pretty tasty. I will post the recipe I use here as well as a link to our sister site Homebrewtalk.com of the post for the recipe creator, EdWort to give him full credit for this tasty recipe. Here is Ed's recipe:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

Award Winning Apfelwein Recipe (German Hard Cider) Apple Wine Recipe

Placed 1st in the Cider & Apple Wine category at the BJCP sanctioned Alamo Cerveza fest (out of 11 entries) and took 2nd place for Best of Show for the main category of Meads & Ciders (out of 50 entries).

Ingredients

5 Gallons 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives) I use Tree Top Apple Juice

2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) in one pound bags

1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast

Equipment

5 Gallon Carboy (I use a Better Bottle)
Carboy Cap or Stopper with Airlock
Funnel

First sanitize the carboy, airlock, funnel, stopper or carboy cap.
Open one gallon bottle of apple juice and pour half of it into the carboy using the funnel.

Open one bag of Dextrose and carefully add it to the now half full bottle of apple juice. Shake well.

Repeat Steps 2 and 3, then go to step 5.

Pour in the mixture of Apple Juice and Dextrose from both bottles into the carboy.

Add all but 1 quart of remaining 3 gallons of apple juice to the carboy.

Open the packet of Montrachet Yeast and pour it into the neck of the funnel.

Use the remaining quart of juice to wash down any yeast that sticks. I am able to fit all but 3 ounces of apple juice into a 5 gallon Better Bottle. You may need to be patient to let the foam die down from all shaking and pouring.

Put your stopper or carboy cap on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka. No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv.

There’s no need to worry about filling up a carboy so full when you use Montrachet wine yeast. There is no Kreuzen, just a thin layer of bubbles I'm able to fit all but 4 oz. of my five gallons in the bottle. Ferment at room temperature.

It will become cloudy in a couple of days and remain so for a few weeks. In the 4th week, the yeast will begin to drop out and it will become clear. After at least 4 weeks, you can keg or bottle, but it is ok to leave it in the carboy for another month or so. Racking to a secondary is not necessary. It ferments out very dry (less than 0.999, see here)

Apfelwein really improves with age, so if you can please let it sit in a carboy for up to 3 months before bottling or kegging, then let it sit even longer. Here's what some folks think.

If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of corn sugar will work fine. Use as you would carbonate a batch of beer.

Remember to reserve judgment till after 3 glasses. It grows on you.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND START ANOTHER BATCH 2 WEEKS AFTER YOU START THIS ONE.
YOU WILL THANK ME LATER!


GENERAL QUESTIONS
compiled by Dammed Squirrels from the first 37 pages of this thread. Thanks DS!

How does it taste?
It ferments quite dry. Some people have tried different yeasts in order to achieve a sweeter taste. It may take you a few glasses to get a feel for the flavor. It is very reminiscent of a sort of apfelwein produced locally in Germany. There really is no comparable product in the United States. It's drier and less sweet than commercial hard ciders. It gets better with age and at 6+ months, the apple flavor really comes out.

How do you sweeten it?
Many folks back sweeten it with Wine Conditioner. Wine Conditioner is a blend of sucrose and sorbic acid. The addition of 2-4 oz. per gallon adds sweetness and prevents renewed fermentation. It can be purchased as any LHBS that caters to wine makers. Others will use Splenda or lactose (other non-fermentable sugars). Germans who prefer it sweet (or Suß as they say) will add a splash of Sprite or 7up to a glass. This is the easiest method as you don't have to make a whole "sweet" batch that way.

What is the difference between Apfelwein and hard cider?
EdWort says, “Most ciders are a bit sweeter. Ciders and Apfelwein are about 6% abv, but I like the little boost I give it with 2 pounds of Dextrose. It adds no body or flavor and still tastes like Possmann's Apfelwein, only it will kick your butt much quicker.”

Is this like Apfelmost / Apfel Korn?
No. Apfel Korn is a german liqeur made from wheat spirits. Apfelmost is spontaneously fermented with fresh-pressed apples or apple juice. It is probably similar, but the results may vary as a result of the spontaneous fermentation. Either way, Apfelmost is most certainly has a lower alcohol content since the initial gravity is not increased by the use of concentrate or corn sugar.

What’s the difference between apple juice and cider?
Cider is made by pressing apples. Juice is then filtered to remove all of the stuff that makes it cloudy.

Can I use apple cider instead?
Sure! You can use whatever you want. However, there is not enough information in this thread to give you any better details as to how it will turn out. I recommend starting a new thread or ask more experienced cider-makers.

What kind of Apple Juice should I use?
Ideally, you want to use 100% natural apple juice with no preservatives. The only acceptable preservative is ascorbic acid, which is a source of vitamin C and does not affect fermentation. Pasteurized juice is preferred, since it will have less bacteria.

How much will this recipe cost me?
5 gallons of Apfelwein can be made for between 20 and 25 dollars.

What else can you do with this recipe?
EdWort says, "this makes a great Grog in the winter time. Take a quart in a sauce pan, add some rum, turbinado sugar, and float a cinnamon stick in it and simmer for a while. Serve hot in mugs. It'll warm you right up."

Is a carboy the same as a demi-john in UK?

 

[samwisegamgeese]

Cloudy apple juice

I had a request to post the recipe for Apfelwin which is a hard apple cider recipe. I have made this before and it is sort of hard to describe. It is a cross between a beer and a wine. It is pretty tasty. I will post the recipe I use here as well as a link to our sister site Homebrewtalk.com of the post for the recipe creator, EdWort to give him full credit for this tasty recipe. Here is Ed's recipe:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

Award Winning Apfelwein Recipe (German Hard Cider) Apple Wine Recipe

Placed 1st in the Cider & Apple Wine category at the BJCP sanctioned Alamo Cerveza fest (out of 11 entries) and took 2nd place for Best of Show for the main category of Meads & Ciders (out of 50 entries).

Ingredients

5 Gallons 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives) I use Tree Top Apple Juice

2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) in one pound bags

1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast

Equipment

5 Gallon Carboy (I use a Better Bottle)
Carboy Cap or Stopper with Airlock
Funnel

First sanitize the carboy, airlock, funnel, stopper or carboy cap.
Open one gallon bottle of apple juice and pour half of it into the carboy using the funnel.

Open one bag of Dextrose and carefully add it to the now half full bottle of apple juice. Shake well.

Repeat Steps 2 and 3, then go to step 5.

Pour in the mixture of Apple Juice and Dextrose from both bottles into the carboy.

Add all but 1 quart of remaining 3 gallons of apple juice to the carboy.

Open the packet of Montrachet Yeast and pour it into the neck of the funnel.

Use the remaining quart of juice to wash down any yeast that sticks. I am able to fit all but 3 ounces of apple juice into a 5 gallon Better Bottle. You may need to be patient to let the foam die down from all shaking and pouring.

Put your stopper or carboy cap on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka. No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv.

There’s no need to worry about filling up a carboy so full when you use Montrachet wine yeast. There is no Kreuzen, just a thin layer of bubbles I'm able to fit all but 4 oz. of my five gallons in the bottle. Ferment at room temperature.

It will become cloudy in a couple of days and remain so for a few weeks. In the 4th week, the yeast will begin to drop out and it will become clear. After at least 4 weeks, you can keg or bottle, but it is ok to leave it in the carboy for another month or so. Racking to a secondary is not necessary. It ferments out very dry (less than 0.999, see here)

Apfelwein really improves with age, so if you can please let it sit in a carboy for up to 3 months before bottling or kegging, then let it sit even longer. Here's what some folks think.

If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of corn sugar will work fine. Use as you would carbonate a batch of beer.

Remember to reserve judgment till after 3 glasses. It grows on you.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND START ANOTHER BATCH 2 WEEKS AFTER YOU START THIS ONE.
YOU WILL THANK ME LATER!


GENERAL QUESTIONS
compiled by Dammed Squirrels from the first 37 pages of this thread. Thanks DS!

How does it taste?
It ferments quite dry. Some people have tried different yeasts in order to achieve a sweeter taste. It may take you a few glasses to get a feel for the flavor. It is very reminiscent of a sort of apfelwein produced locally in Germany. There really is no comparable product in the United States. It's drier and less sweet than commercial hard ciders. It gets better with age and at 6+ months, the apple flavor really comes out.

How do you sweeten it?
Many folks back sweeten it with Wine Conditioner. Wine Conditioner is a blend of sucrose and sorbic acid. The addition of 2-4 oz. per gallon adds sweetness and prevents renewed fermentation. It can be purchased as any LHBS that caters to wine makers. Others will use Splenda or lactose (other non-fermentable sugars). Germans who prefer it sweet (or Suß as they say) will add a splash of Sprite or 7up to a glass. This is the easiest method as you don't have to make a whole "sweet" batch that way.

What is the difference between Apfelwein and hard cider?
EdWort says, “Most ciders are a bit sweeter. Ciders and Apfelwein are about 6% abv, but I like the little boost I give it with 2 pounds of Dextrose. It adds no body or flavor and still tastes like Possmann's Apfelwein, only it will kick your butt much quicker.”

Is this like Apfelmost / Apfel Korn?
No. Apfel Korn is a german liqeur made from wheat spirits. Apfelmost is spontaneously fermented with fresh-pressed apples or apple juice. It is probably similar, but the results may vary as a result of the spontaneous fermentation. Either way, Apfelmost is most certainly has a lower alcohol content since the initial gravity is not increased by the use of concentrate or corn sugar.

What’s the difference between apple juice and cider?
Cider is made by pressing apples. Juice is then filtered to remove all of the stuff that makes it cloudy.

Can I use apple cider instead?
Sure! You can use whatever you want. However, there is not enough information in this thread to give you any better details as to how it will turn out. I recommend starting a new thread or ask more experienced cider-makers.

What kind of Apple Juice should I use?
Ideally, you want to use 100% natural apple juice with no preservatives. The only acceptable preservative is ascorbic acid, which is a source of vitamin C and does not affect fermentation. Pasteurized juice is preferred, since it will have less bacteria.

How much will this recipe cost me?
5 gallons of Apfelwein can be made for between 20 and 25 dollars.

What else can you do with this recipe?
EdWort says, "this makes a great Grog in the winter time. Take a quart in a sauce pan, add some rum, turbinado sugar, and float a cinnamon stick in it and simmer for a while. Serve hot in mugs. It'll warm you right up."

I used "cloudy" apple juice to make "Apple Wine"...it is fermenting fine but will it clear?

 

[TJsBasement]

Is a carboy the same as a demi-john in UK?

It is in the US but you guys have different laws lol
Not sure if I'm right but when I think demijohn I see big hand blown and wicker ,for carboy I see machined glass jug.

 

[samwisegamgeese]

It is in the US but you guys have different laws lol
Not sure if I'm right but when I think demijohn I see big hand blown and wicker ,for carboy I see machined glass jug.

OK so for carboy read demi - john. You Americans stealing and changing the Queens English. How does the world understand you!

 

[SarahRides]

In the US a demi-john usually holds 15 gallons (not sure of the Liters), is made of thinner glass than a carboy. A carboy around here is much smaller, 23L, 18L or 11L. (or in the US 6, 5 or 3 gallons). I guess the size could be a good indicator!

 

[samwisegamgeese]

Oh ok our demijohns are only 1 gallon (4.5 litres).....everything is smaller in Blighty!