Apfelwein (German Hard Cider)

This recipe comes from the very knowledgable EdWort from homebrewtalk.com

I highly recommend this as a first recipe for a new brewer to try.   The main key to this recipe is patience! As EdWort says:

"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."

I know how hard it is to keep your hands(and lips) away from your brew after it has finished, but do yourself a favour and follow his wise words!

So on to the fun part! Here is the original recipe and some instructions

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. 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) 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.

Although he recommends "Tree Top Apple Juice". I have always just stuck with "Sunrype 100% pure apple juice" since I cannot find Tree Top here on Vancouver Island.  Basically any pure apple juice without preservatives (Ascorbic Acid and Vitamin C are okay).  Look for the cheapest type at your closest War-Mart or Costco.

On the topic of sugar, you may have trouble finding dextrose at your local supermarket.  Pay a visit to your Local Home Brew Shop (LHBS) and they should have it on hand.  Do not substitute table sugar as it will impart off flavours.  Some people have experimented with using brown sugar to change the flavour, but as a first go I'd stick with the original recipe and then tweak the recipe as you see necessary.

Brewing terminology

The need to know kinda stuff.

To get a good start in home brewing its a good idea to know what people are referring to in their posts.  So,  I thought I would put together a basic list of definitions to get people started.

(Remember, this is a very basic list.  If you have any questions about terminology just ask and I'll be quick to clear up any questions.)

So here we go!

%ABV(Alcohol by volume): Simply refers to the percentage of the alcohol in question.  For example, an average %ABV for beer is 5%.

Equipment

Corny keg: Also known as soda kegs, Pepsi kegs(Ball lock kegs), Coke kegs(Pin lock kegs).  These are used regularly with home draft setups.  More expensive set up costs but I feel well worth it in the long run.

Primary fermentor: This is the vessel that you start your fermentation in.  People use carboys, better bottles, plastic buckets etc.

Secondary fermentor:  A carboy that is used to store the product after "racking" from primary fermentor.  When "racking" you want to make sure not suck up the layer of yeast at the bottom of the fermentor

Carboy: Also known as a demijohn.  A large glass or plastic container used to ferment beverages in such as beer, cider and mead.  Uses a rubber stopper with an airlock or blowoff valve to prevent oxygen and other nasties from getting into the fermentor

Racking cane: Hard plastic cane shaped instrument that fits through the opening of the carboy.  It has a flexible plastic hose attached and works by creating a siphon to transfer fluids from one bottle to another.

Airlock: Small plastic vessel partially filled with a sanitized solution that allows CO2 to escape without letting anything in.

Rubber stopper: Basically a rubber cork with a hole in it to allow an airlock to be fit into it.

Blowoff Valve:  This is a version of an airlock which allows for aggressive fermentations to vent off overflow.

Hydrometer: A must have tool for the home brewer! This measures the specific gravity of whatever you want to ferment.  You take an original gravity(OG) reading, and once your fermentation is done, you take a final gravity(FG) reading.  You can then use one of many online calculators to determine the alcohol content of your mash.

Processes

Fermenting: After your ingredients are mixed and yeast is added, it will start to ferment.  Fermenting is the process of yeast converting sugars into CO2 and alcohol.

Bottle Conditioning: Secondary fermentation or aging of the beer/cider/wine etc once removed from the primary fermentor

Bulk aging:  To bulk age one can leave the full ferment in the secondary for a certain amount of time so it can age together.  The other way to accomplish aging is to bottle condition.

Racking: Process of siphoning from one container to another using racking cane

Clearing:  The act of letting the sediment fall from the beverage.

Fining:  After fermentation is complete, one can add "Fining agents" to help clear the product.  This fining agents are made to impart no flavour to the product and work quite well.

Sugars, Yeast, Additives

Trub or Lees:  The layer of yeast and sediment at the bottom of the fermenting vessel after fermenting.  

Dextrose:  Corn sugar used in many recipes.  This sugar is made to leave no undesirable flavours in the final product.  Corn syrup should not be used as a substitute.

Cane sugar: Regular table sugar.  Not usually recommended as it is known to leave off flavors.

Hello home brewers!

I decided to make this blog as a resource for people interested in home brewing, as well as a place for ideas and techniques to be shared.  I will try to keep this continually updated with my triumphs and failures as well as general ideas and thoughts.