creating a graff mixed with a prior brew.

[conmer16]

Okay hey everyone! My first post here. I've been lurking for awhile getting tons of info and good advice but my time is running out to brew as i'm going back to college. This year i have nowhere to brew while I'm there so this will be my last of the summer.

So I had an idea while browsing this forum and reading the "Graff" thread. I read all the hype about it and now I need to try a cider beer. So with no time to go to the LBHS and pick up supplies plus a day of brewing, I thought i'd try a little experiment. I'll mix 4 gallons of Mott's apple juice with an IPA I brewed about 3 weeks ago. The IPA is ready to bottle so, say i bottle 4 gallons of the IPA and keep 1 gallon. I'll transfer the 1 gallon off the yeast cake and dry hop residue into a new fermenter and add the 4 gallons of Mott's ontop of it as well as some S-04 yeast I have left over. Does this sound like a good or bad idea? any thoughts? I'd love some feedback. Thanks!

 

[honreth]

First off.. Welcome to the world of the non-lurker.

Secondly, I've never made a graff before but, based off what I have read here, Go for it. if nothing else you'll still have 4 gallons of IPA, a story to share, and more experience under your belt.

 

[LandoAllen]

I've done something similar but I mixed an IPA with a year old aged cider when I went to bottle. Turned out amazing. The nice thing about mixing during bottling is you can get the ratio that works for you. In your case you will have a 1:4 ratio of IPA:cider. I started with a 1:1 ratio tasting and mixing till i found something i really liked and complimented the IPA and the cider combined. now that i have my ratio down I plan on brewing it all up together from scratch instead of doing each separately. The other nice thing about mixing when you bottle is that you can age the cider for as long as you want. I say to for it!

 

[conmer16]

thanks alot! All signs point to -> "why not?". Sorry i forgot to add in my OP that this is a 5gallon brew.
So I'm going to go for it tomorrow. Its going into a freezer set to 68f-70f. probably for about 2 weeks. I'm probably coming home in the first couple weeks to pick some last minute things i forgot the first time around so thats when i'll bottle most likely. The IPA is a Cigar City Jai Alai clone with a few hop substitutions *recipe from HBT!* because my LHBS didn't have certain ones but i tried my very best. sample tasted great but smelled even better. The IPA itself may be a little bitter for most but i think cut with 4 gallons of Mott's it will be an enjoyable cider. I'll try my best to post back here if anyone is interested with the outcome. Can't say school won't get in my way though! thanks again.

 

[DisplacedSailor]

Silly question....do the grains need to be milled or used whole?

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Milled.

 

[nysideshow]

Great idea. I have a Honey Wheat that has a week left in secondary. I think I'll pull a half gallon of it off and mix it with 2 gallons of the same AJ I made a simple cider with last week. The Honey Wheat is low hopped with hopped wheat LME and 1oz of Tettaning hops. Clover Honey, wheat, and hard cider? How could it be wrong? I'll only have 2 1/2 gallons to struggle through if it's not stellar. BTW, I'm new to posting here, but have gotten a crap load of info over the years. Good to be here.