garnede
Senior Member
Below is a Recipe for Apfelwein, it is not mine, but it is too good not to share. It was the first wine I made and is so easy, that anyone who is interested in making their own beer or wine should try it. It makes an award winning quality wine on a budget. It is only apple juice, sugar, and yeast. If you want to use a food grade bucket as your fermenter, which you can get for free at most grocery store bakeries and for $5 at lowes, Just drill a 3/8" hole in the lid and insert a $1 air lock filled with alcohol or sanitizer. With buying a bucket and air lock you can still make 5 gallons (54 12oz bottles) of this wine for less than $30.
Ingredients
5 Gallons 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives) I use Tree Top Apple Juice
2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) [can be replaced with table sugar (cane sugar), you'll just have to shake more since it takes longer to dissolve]
1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast, or latvian EC-1118
Equipment
5 gallon icing bucket with lid
Airlock
sanitizer (I like StarSan)
Instructions
First sanitize the carboy, airlock, and lid.
Open one gallon bottle of apple juice and pour half of it into the bucket.
Open one bag of sugar and carefully add half of it to the now half full bottle of apple juice. Shake well. then pour into the bucket.
Repeat
Pour in the mixture of Apple Juice and sugar from the bottles into the carboy.
Add the yeast to the bucket.
Use the remaining apple juice to rinse any leftover sugar out of the other 4 bottles.
I am able to fit all but a cup or two of apple juice into a 5 gallon bucket. You may need to be patient to let the foam die down from all shaking and pouring.
Put your bucket lid on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka or clear rum. No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv. If you don't keep cheep vodka/rum on hand then use a little sanitizing liquid or expensive vodka/clear rum.
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 (see here). I'm able to fit all but 4 oz. of my five gallons in the bottle. Ferment at room temperature. 67-75 degrees If you go colder than 65 it can take anywhere from 6-14 weeks to finish, but it will have better flavor. You just want to keep the temperature as stable as possible.
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). If you don't have a hydrometer just wait till the wine clears and it should be finished below 1.000
Apfelwein really improves with age, so if you can please let it sit in a bucket/carboy for up to 3 months before bottling or kegging, then let it sit even longer. but if this is your first batch feel free to drink it as soon as it is ready, just know that you will drink it all long before it reaches it's prime. So if it is your first batch start a second batch as soon as you can after you start the first.
If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of sugar will work fine. dissolve in 1 cup of water on the stove and then let it cool and add it to the wine. Then stir it and bottle it. It will be as bubbly as champagne, but it will not hold a head like beer. You can not use wine bottles or screw top glass bottles/jars to carbonate in. It must be a beer bottle, champagne bottle, or heavy glass bottle like a martenelli's apple cider that can be capped with a beer bottle cap. I have heard of some people using plastic 20 oz bottles, but I would rather not rely on plastic for a second use.
Remember to reserve judgment till after 3 glasses. It grows on you. WARNING: If you drink 3 glasses you'll probably be smashed!
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND START ANOTHER BATCH 2 WEEKS AFTER YOU START THIS ONE.
YOU WILL THANK ME LATER!
GENERAL QUESTIONS
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. But it is easily drinkable a month from when you start brewing if you want it still and 8 weeks after starting if you want to carbonate it.
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 local home brew shop (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.
You can also try to make it sweeter by using a little molasses, brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup in place of some of the sugar.
What is the difference between Apfelwein and hard cider?
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 sugar. 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, as long as it does not have preservatives that might harm the yeast.
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. From concentrate is ok as long as there is no ingredients other than water apple juice concentrate and ascorbic acid.
How much will this recipe cost me?
5 gallons of Apfelwein can be made for between 20 and 25 dollars.
Ingredients
5 Gallons 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives) I use Tree Top Apple Juice
2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) [can be replaced with table sugar (cane sugar), you'll just have to shake more since it takes longer to dissolve]
1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast, or latvian EC-1118
Equipment
5 gallon icing bucket with lid
Airlock
sanitizer (I like StarSan)
Instructions
First sanitize the carboy, airlock, and lid.
Open one gallon bottle of apple juice and pour half of it into the bucket.
Open one bag of sugar and carefully add half of it to the now half full bottle of apple juice. Shake well. then pour into the bucket.
Repeat
Pour in the mixture of Apple Juice and sugar from the bottles into the carboy.
Add the yeast to the bucket.
Use the remaining apple juice to rinse any leftover sugar out of the other 4 bottles.
I am able to fit all but a cup or two of apple juice into a 5 gallon bucket. You may need to be patient to let the foam die down from all shaking and pouring.
Put your bucket lid on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka or clear rum. No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv. If you don't keep cheep vodka/rum on hand then use a little sanitizing liquid or expensive vodka/clear rum.
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 (see here). I'm able to fit all but 4 oz. of my five gallons in the bottle. Ferment at room temperature. 67-75 degrees If you go colder than 65 it can take anywhere from 6-14 weeks to finish, but it will have better flavor. You just want to keep the temperature as stable as possible.
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). If you don't have a hydrometer just wait till the wine clears and it should be finished below 1.000
Apfelwein really improves with age, so if you can please let it sit in a bucket/carboy for up to 3 months before bottling or kegging, then let it sit even longer. but if this is your first batch feel free to drink it as soon as it is ready, just know that you will drink it all long before it reaches it's prime. So if it is your first batch start a second batch as soon as you can after you start the first.
If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of sugar will work fine. dissolve in 1 cup of water on the stove and then let it cool and add it to the wine. Then stir it and bottle it. It will be as bubbly as champagne, but it will not hold a head like beer. You can not use wine bottles or screw top glass bottles/jars to carbonate in. It must be a beer bottle, champagne bottle, or heavy glass bottle like a martenelli's apple cider that can be capped with a beer bottle cap. I have heard of some people using plastic 20 oz bottles, but I would rather not rely on plastic for a second use.
Remember to reserve judgment till after 3 glasses. It grows on you. WARNING: If you drink 3 glasses you'll probably be smashed!
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND START ANOTHER BATCH 2 WEEKS AFTER YOU START THIS ONE.
YOU WILL THANK ME LATER!
GENERAL QUESTIONS
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. But it is easily drinkable a month from when you start brewing if you want it still and 8 weeks after starting if you want to carbonate it.
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 local home brew shop (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.
You can also try to make it sweeter by using a little molasses, brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup in place of some of the sugar.
What is the difference between Apfelwein and hard cider?
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 sugar. 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, as long as it does not have preservatives that might harm the yeast.
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. From concentrate is ok as long as there is no ingredients other than water apple juice concentrate and ascorbic acid.
How much will this recipe cost me?
5 gallons of Apfelwein can be made for between 20 and 25 dollars.
