How the „Stöffche“ is being made – about pressing

You should not start to early pressing, because unripe apples don’t make a good applewine. October seems to be he best time. If the apples have the right degree of sweetness (about 45° Oechsle) the must production can begin in the mid of september. But not all kinds of apple can be used. He perfect apple has to have the right grade of ripeness and consistence, a harmonic composition of sweet- and sourness as well as flavour and a solid pulp. For this, several kinds of apples from different regions are being blended, because the right mixture makes the taste. Few pubs serve applewines that are made from just one specific kind of apple – e.g. Roter Boskop, Schafsnase or Winter-Rambur – but these sorts have to be seen as mere specialities. But in general many different sorts should be blended to achieve the typical applewine, like we all know and love it. And everybody should know, that applewines are not rated by their origin, but by their degree of sweetness (in Oechsle-degrees).

The time of pressing lasts for 8 weeks. The apples used are from the Frankfurt area, from the Taunus, the Wetterau, the Main-Valley, the Vogelsberg and the Odenwald. Apples that are not useful are sorted out. The rest is being cleansed mechanically under floating water in a large tub. After that they are grinded, put into nylon tissues and pressed by a hydraulic system. The juice that is gained by this procedure – so called “Süsser”, is a speciality, that is available only in the pressing-period. After about two weeks, when the juice starts to ferment in the barrels, the brew is called “Rauscher”, also known as “Federweisser”. This is a real delicacy for applewine-aficionados.

Source: Vereinigung der Äpfelweinwirte Frankfurt am Main und Umgebung e. V.