serious post: did I ruin my Apfelwein?

[FSBrewer]

I put together a batch of this about 2 months ago. I brought it upstairs to bottle about a week ago. It was crystal clear in the carboy. As my bottles were soaking I rinsed off (but didn't sanitize) a bottling hose and siphoned off (the old fashioned way) a pint. It was so good that I siphoned off another. Over the next few days every time I was ready to rinse out the bottles and bottle it the baby was sleeping and I couldn't make any noise, so it didn't happen. Then back to work for the rest of the week.

Well, today my beautiful Apfelwein is no longer clear and there are a couple of tiny spots of white foam on the top and a little bit around the edge.

It still smells OK (to my nose) but I'm quite worried that I ruined my Apfelwein!

Any words of hope?

 

[Flyin' Lion]

What does it taste like? I would think that if you had an infection you would be able to taste it. On a side note, always sanitize--I ruined my first batch of beer due to poor sanitizing (bottling much the same way you are) and vowed to never make that mistake again; to date I have not.

I don't know if I have words of hope, but I wouldn't want to discourage you either. Taste it and see is about all the advice I have until someone smarter chimes in.

 

[FSBrewer]

Yes, I will taste it later. I knew I was breaking the "golden rule" by not being super-careful, but I figured it's fully fermented and thought the alcohol would keep it clean.

 

[Nurmey]

You're fine, I think you just knocked some yeast around. It would be incredibly hard to mess up your apfelwein at this stage. RDWHAA

 

[Revvy]

You're fine, I think you just knocked some yeast around. It would be incredibly hard to mess up your apfelwein at this stage. RDWHAA

Yeah that's what I was thinking...just some yeasties re-awakened...

 

[FSBrewer]

Yeah that's what I was thinking...just some yeasties re-awakened...

Gee, I don't know, there are more little "colonies" of bubbles floating on top in a ring-like pattern. The entire carboy of wine is now no longer clear and it's been a week since I siphoned some off. It's also true, though, that I stirred up some yeast sediment from the bottom when siphoning off the second bottle.

The biggest question I now have is: is there any chance of hurting myself by drinking it?

 

[Nurmey]

The biggest question I now have is: is there any chance of hurting myself by drinking it?

Not one chance in the world except a headache from drinking too much.

 

[RGH]

So would you be able to add more sugar for those yeasties and continue to ferment, thus making a higher octane wine? serious question.

 

[Kilgore_Trout]

So would you be able to add more sugar for those yeasties and continue to ferment, thus making a higher octane wine? serious question.

Yes.

Why bother though? It's well aged and tasty, if you add sugar you'll just have to wait longer.... if you want more ABV make another batch.

 

[FSBrewer]

My apfelwein settled out again and mostly cleared up. I bottled it a couple of days ago. It tasted OK, although not quite as nice as when I first tasted it. I think there was still a little fermentation going back then because it had a faint fizz to it which gave it a nice taste. Hopefully after some time in the bottle it will be as good as back then.

 

[FSBrewer]

follow up: It's completely cleared up now and tastes good. Very mild tasting and somehow very soothing. Seems to let me have a nice sleep at night. I'll definitely be making more of this in the future, probably with more corn sugar next time (I didn't have enough for the full amount that the recipe calls for).

 

[Zymurgrafi]

As my bottles were soaking I rinsed off (but didn't sanitize) a bottling hose and siphoned off (the old fashioned way) a pint. It was so good that I siphoned off another.

Glad it is better now but the above quote has me concerned.

When you say siphoning "the old fashioned way" please tell me you do not mean sucking on the end of the siphon hose to start it!? And then repeating the process a second time?!

If that is the case I think you are damn lucky it did not get infected! :cross:

 

[jds]

Glad it is better now but the above quote has me concerned.

When you say siphoning "the old fashioned way" please tell me you do not mean sucking on the end of the siphon hose to start it!? And then repeating the process a second time?!

If that is the case I think you are damn lucky it did not get infected! :cross:

Why would that be? I'm not trying to be a smartass here. Bacteria and yeast can't swim upstream. Unless OP backwashed from the siphon into the fermenter/carboy, it would seem the only thing he might have a chance to infect is a couple of glasses of apfelwein, which he promptly drank.

Agreed with the RDWHAEWA crowd, no problemo.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

Why would that be? I'm not trying to be a smartass here. Bacteria and yeast can't swim upstream. Unless OP backwashed from the siphon into the fermenter/carboy, it would seem the only thing he might have a chance to infect is a couple of glasses of apfelwein, which he promptly drank.

Agreed with the RDWHAEWA crowd, no problemo.

Okay, got me there.

I revise my concern to, please don't start a siphon you are not going to drink immediately with you mouth.

 

[FSBrewer]

belated follow-up. I did in fact suck on the hose with my mouth. It was already mostly fermented then, though, so the alcohol probably helped to keep it pure.