Apfelwein - Your opinion please

[bearpaw8491]

I hope to start a batch of Apfelwein using EdWort’s original recipe Apfelwein German Hard Cider Recipe later this week.
From my research, it appears that this will top out somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-8% ABV.

I plan to bottle in 750 ml bottles and age for approximately 1 year.
The recipe makes no mention of K-meta but does indicate that standard winemaking practices, although not required - may be used.

My question is with the low alcohol level and extended bottle aging would the use of K-meta at the standard dosage of 0.4 gms/5 gal carboy be advisable?

 

[BigDaveK]

Read the link and it sounds interesting. I'm always game to try something new. I'll have to think about this.

No mention of pectic enzyme or nutrient, bit of a surprise. And only 2 lbs sugar for 5 gallons? Wow.

Don't quote me but I think 7-8% ABV is just barely in the safe zone for long storage.

Also keep in mind that the amount of kmeta "needed" depends on pH. The standard dosage might be more than enough if the pH is much below 3.5.

 

[Raptor99]

At 7-8% ABV it is closer to a hard cider than a "wine." So you could follow procedures used to make hard cider.

I would definitely add pectic enzyme if you want it to clear. For me, nutrient is a must as well. It helps to prevent off flavors from stressed out yeast.

Don't quote me but I think 7-8% ABV is just barely in the safe zone for long storage.

Hard cider is typically around 6% ABV using only apple juice, with no sugar. People regularly keep it for several years. Kmeta will help with long term storage.

 

[bearpaw8491]

Dave, you're spot on concerning the low ABV. I get a little uneasy if my wines approach 11% ABV but others who have made this recipe have not mentioned concerns/problems with 1 year bottle aging. Raptor99 indicates above that hard cider ( 6%) regularly keeps for a year. Believe I'll modify and include pectic enzyme and nutrient.
Good point of K-meta & pH and acknowledged. In my yrs of winemaking, I've found that I can add K-meta at 0.4 gm/5 gals routinely at every racking without detection. I also add this amt at bottling with good results. I will take pH reading(s) and make notes for future reference.
Thanks to you both for info and recommendations. Don't worry, I'm not going over to the "Dark Side" aka brewing just yet! !
If others have experience with Apfelwein would appreciate any pointers you may have to offer.

 

[Raptor99]

I also made a batch of apple wine. I added FAJC and sugar to raise the SG so that I got 12% ABV. I'm treating this one as a wine rather than a cider, although there really isn't much difference in procedure. My cider usually goes into beer bottles and usually is carbonated.

 

[Rice_Guy]

* I have had vintage French hard cider which is five years old. With traditional apples it shouldn’t be to hard to have several years. With US table apples/ very low tannin & bitters oxidation is a problem and you will lose shelf life.
* For microbial stability against food poisoning families 5% is the general break point. Industry will push this lower with preservatives like Velcorin, traditional cider and industrial beer would pasteurize.
* A natural source of apple tannin is in some types of crab apple. If you taste neighborhood plantings and fence row apples you will find smooth apple tannin. The trend seems to be the larger the diameter the more juice. I crush crabs and then steep in apple juice or grape juice or rhurbarb or gooseberry etc. I put crab tannin in most wines and will build up Petite Pearl with crab tannin in a few weeks
* meta let’s you be more sloppy. How careful are you? Wine is a multi-variable preservative system. If low on one variable like alcohol you can compensate with another variable as pH or no sugar. Practically speaking oxidation is your shelf life risk with US apple so I would use sulphite.

 

[bearpaw8491]

I also made a batch of apple wine. I added FAJC and sugar to raise the SG so that I got 12% ABV. I'm treating this one as a wine rather than a cider, although there really isn't much difference in procedure. My cider usually goes into beer bottles and usually is carbonated.

Thanks

 

[bearpaw8491]

* I have had vintage French hard cider which is five years old. With traditional apples it shouldn’t be to hard to have several years. With US table apples/ very low tannin & bitters oxidation is a problem and you will lose shelf life.
* For microbial stability against food poisoning families 5% is the general break point. Industry will push this lower with preservatives like Velcorin, traditional cider and industrial beer would pasteurize.
* A natural source of apple tannin is in some types of crab apple. If you taste neighborhood plantings and fence row apples you will find smooth apple tannin. The trend seems to be the larger the diameter the more juice. I crush crabs and then steep in apple juice or grape juice or rhurbarb or gooseberry etc. I put crab tannin in most wines and will build up Petite Pearl with crab tannin in a few weeks
* meta let’s you be more sloppy. How careful are you? Wine is a multi-variable preservative system. If low on one variable like alcohol you can compensate with another variable as pH or no sugar. Practically speaking oxidation is your shelf life risk with US apple so I would use sulphite.

Crabapples - just my luck! I cut down our 50 yr old and failing crabapple tree this spring! If it was rainin' soup, I'd be standin' there with a fork!!!
Will be using commercial apple juice so I'm going for the K-meta as you suggest and will bump up ABV to ~ 12%
Thanks for the great info.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I really like soft tannins in about 20% of the crabs I taste. I feel it is a good addition to any wine. You will find it if you look, as at church or under power lines or in the neighbors.
Hard apple tannin has bitter notes I stay away from, but they are antioxidants too.