Graff (Malty, slightly hopped cider)

[mgonbrewlab]

There is no lactose in malt or extract. Hoped cider sounds nice and is an experiment I haven't tried yet. Just pour quickly because the hoops add nucleation points and will stir up the year/gush the bottle once it's carbonated.

LOL- that should have said gluten intolerant. Oops

 

[mgonbrewlab]

There is no lactose in malt or extract. Hoped cider sounds nice and is an experiment I haven't tried yet. Just pour quickly because the hoops add nucleation points and will stir up the year/gush the bottle once it's carbonated.

LOL- that should have said gluten intolerant. Oops

 

[brewski09]

Thought so. If they aren't highly sensitive you can also try using the clarity ferm from whit labs.

 

[MrSnacks]

Juiced up half a paper grocery bag worth of crab apples tonight, got a bit more than a gallon's worth.

Gorgeous pink color and I was shocked to find a gravity of ~1.075. Will be following standard Graff procedure and adding another 3 or so gallons of Kirkland apple juice. Excited to see how this turns out!

 

[blackhammer]

I really appreciate the Graff recipe. My hydrometer samples are tasting great! I have been fermenting my Graff for two weeks at 63 to 68 degrees. I used Nottingham yeast. My F.G. is 1.014. I have found that in my beers, Nottingham finishes around 1.008. Is 1.014 too high or does it sound about right for Graff? Should I adjust my priming sugar amount down a bit to accommodate the higher gravity, or just wait a bit longer?

 

[hopbrad]

1.014 seems very high. wait or pitch a new yeast.
Mine usually goes down between 1.000 - 1.004.
I use motts apple juice and Amber DME. and have used a variety of yeasts. all take it down very low.

I really appreciate the Graff recipe. My hydrometer samples are tasting great! I have been fermenting my Graff for two weeks at 63 to 68 degrees. I used Nottingham yeast. My F.G. is 1.014. I have found that in my beers, Nottingham finishes around 1.008. Is 1.014 too high or does it sound about right for Graff? Should I adjust my priming sugar amount down a bit to accommodate the higher gravity, or just wait a bit longer?

 

[jekeane]

I really appreciate the Graff recipe. My hydrometer samples are tasting great! I have been fermenting my Graff for two weeks at 63 to 68 degrees. I used Nottingham yeast. My F.G. is 1.014. I have found that in my beers, Nottingham finishes around 1.008. Is 1.014 too high or does it sound about right for Graff? Should I adjust my priming sugar amount down a bit to accommodate the higher gravity, or just wait a bit longer?

I have 4 batches done and all finished at 1.010 using whitehouse freshpressed juice and us-05.

 

[blackhammer]

1.014 seems very high. wait or pitch a new yeast.
Mine usually goes down between 1.000 - 1.004.
I use motts apple juice and Amber DME. and have used a variety of yeasts. all take it down very low.

Thanks for the reply hopbrad. I appreciate it. I'll wait another week

 

[blackhammer]

I have 4 batches done and all finished at 1.010 using whitehouse freshpressed juice and us-05.

Thanks jekeane. It seems mine will probably finish around the same.

 

[blackhammer]

I have 4 batches done and all finished at 1.010 using whitehouse freshpressed juice and us-05.

How much priming sugar did you use with a FG of 1.010?

 

[brewski09]

I really appreciate the Graff recipe. My hydrometer samples are tasting great! I have been fermenting my Graff for two weeks at 63 to 68 degrees. I used Nottingham yeast. My F.G. is 1.014. I have found that in my beers, Nottingham finishes around 1.008. Is 1.014 too high or does it sound about right for Graff? Should I adjust my priming sugar amount down a bit to accommodate the higher gravity, or just wait a bit longer?

At this point I would raise the temperature as well. Sometimes Nottingham needs a temp boost at the end to come to full fermentation. 1.014 is not unreasonable at all for the Notty range though (it can underrattenuate like most British strains). I would let it get up to 75 this week and then chill it again before bottling. You should not have any of flavors from this so late in fermentation like you would if this were the first few days.

 

[blackhammer]

At this point I would raise the temperature as well. Sometimes Nottingham needs a temp boost at the end to come to fill fermentation. 1.014 is not unreasonable at all for the Notty range though (it can underrattenuate like most British strains). I would let it get up to 75 this week and then chill it again before bottling. You should not have any of flavors from this so late in fermentation like you would if this were the first few days.

Thanks brewski09! I appreciate the assistance. How long should I chill it before bottling?

 

[mwbrewer]

I cold crashed my first batch of this for 48hrs before bottling today. And i had beautifully clear cider with a super compact yeast bed. I made some slight variations to the recipe, but man it is fantastic already. Definitely my best cider to date(and I've made plenty). So thanks Brandon for the awesome recipe, this will now be a regular recipe in my house.

 

[MrSnacks]

So my batch came out quite tart, probably due to the crab apple juice. The crystal didn't do much of anything to cut it. Any luck backsweetning with something like stevia? I'm almost tempted to steep some Crystal and toss that in the primary to see what happens.

 

[jekeane]

How much priming sugar did you use with a FG of 1.010?

I keg unfortunately so I'm not sure of the process for priming cider...

 

[jekeane]

Just kegged 2 batches 1 standard batch for a wedding rehearsal dinner.

The second batch I racked on top of 1 lb frozen cherries and let it sit for a week. I got what I was hoping for which was a slight cherry sweetness and aroma and a reddish color. This batch is for a local keg competition on October 4th so we will see how that goes!

 

[Aarong2008]

Og:1.058 Fg:1.004 Alcohol:7.09%
Nottingham Yeast
.5 oz of Cascade hops 7.8% aa
.5lbs crystal 60l
1oz Torrified wheat
4 gallons Motts Apple juice
1lb Muntons amber dme
1lb Muntons extra light dme
5oz priming sugar.

I bottled my graff, which I brewed 8/8, last night and it tasted good. A little tart, but definitely tasty. It came out a little darker than expected.

Has anyone ever tried putting cinnamon in it? I feel like that would be a nice addition.

 

[brewman551]

About to brew my third batch of this stuff. I always use a swamp cooler for about two weeks, then room temp for another week before bottling. Next weekend though, I'm going out of town. You think six days of icing it down in a tub will be enough, or should I hold off on brewing? I'll leave it in a water bath while I'm gone. Also I'm using my old standby Safale 05.


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[hopbrad]

that should be fine. I live in a hot climate and keep my fermenter cool for about a week or so then let it go up to room temp when fermenting most styles with s-05, including Graff.
The first 2-3 days are most important when it comes to temps and off flavors. Thats why alot of belgian yeasts, brewers will keep on the cool side for a day or so then let it take off at higher temps to get those desired esters.

About to brew my third batch of this stuff. I always use a swamp cooler for about two weeks, then room temp for another week before bottling. Next weekend though, I'm going out of town. You think six days of icing it down in a tub will be enough, or should I hold off on brewing? I'll leave it in a water bath while I'm gone. Also I'm using my old standby Safale 05.


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[jekeane]

Unless you have an unusually long lag period you should be fine.

 

[zamo27]

Is the juice in this recipe and most recipes pasteurised?
I have real apples and I am planning to juice them, shall I just filter the juice or boil it so it clarifies and get rid of all the small particles



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[hunter_le five]

Is the juice in this recipe and most recipes pasteurised?
I have real apples and I am planning to juice them, shall I just filter the juice or boil it so it clarifies and get rid of all the small particles

If you are going to pasteurize, I would not boil the juice. Just bring it up to pasteurization temps (160*F / 71.1*C) and hold it there for about a minute or so, and chill.

Alternatively I do believe there are additives you can use to neutralize the wild yeast/bacteria in fresh apple juice in lieu of heat pasteurization before pitching yeast, but I don't know anything about their use.

Or you could just roll the dice and do nothing, just pitch the yeast. But understand that the wild yeast/bacteria already present will likely contribute to the flavor, and it might not be a good contribution.


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[brewski09]

Is the juice in this recipe and most recipes pasteurised?
I have real apples and I am planning to juice them, shall I just filter the juice or boil it so it clarifies and get rid of all the small particles



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How are you planning on juicing them? A traditional cider press operates differently than a juicer so you may end up with some other issues to deal with (tannin balance, pectin haze). I would probably use k-meta (Camden tablets are readily available in homebrew shops everywhere). Beer/wine/cider years are more tolerant of the sulfur than wild yeasts. Store bought ciders/juices are pasteurized for safety though so you could go that route. Just know they are flash pasteurized so it doesn't change the flavor that much and home pasteurized may taste cooked (not sure what this will actually do to the finished product, but it may affect it). As for clearing, the "raw" pasteurized ciders in the store should clear just fine after fermentation from what I've read.

 

[zamo27]

I'm planning in using a juice extractor
It's a fruit and veg juicer that we use for breakfast juice
Apple juice comes with a lot of scum when using an extractor hence why I would bring it to a boil or 71 degrees like suggested, skim the ****e off the top pass it through a muslin cloth and what's left is clear juice
Is this ok.. No chemicals there like sorbate acid citric acid or worse aspartame like store bought apple juice



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[brewski09]

I'm planning in using a juice extractor
It's a fruit and veg juicer that we use for breakfast juice
Apple juice comes with a lot of scum when using an extractor hence why I would bring it to a boil or 71 degrees like suggested, skim the ****e off the top pass it through a muslin cloth and what's left is clear juice
Is this ok.. No chemicals there like sorbate acid citric acid or worse aspartame like store bought apple juice



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That will work fine. I would add some pectic enzyme so you don't have to deal with haze in the finished product (more gets in with the juicer than a press). i would do some with apple "scum" in there and some without to see what the difference in taste is and see what i liked better (you may like the one that requires less work, who knows).

FWIW, not all store bought juices have those additives. also, I had to add acid to my cider made from store bought juice (blended to personal taste)

 

[zamo27]

Cheers brewskis



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[brewman551]

You mean lag before fermentation starts? Pretty intense fermentation started within 12hours or so. I think I'll be okay.


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[redzeker]

Would the OP's recipe benefit from the addition of lemon juice (acid) and black tea (tannins) like other cider recipes call for, or is it unnecessary? Are there any popular modifications (pumpkin pie spices?) that are generally agreed to be a "must" if one is making this for the first time? Otherwise, I'm sticking with:

2.0lbs amber DME
0.5lb Crystal/Caramel 120L
1.0oz torrified wheat
4 gallons cheap apple juice (potassium sorbate free, but with "130% vitamin C")
0.5oz German Tradition hops (6.9% AA)
Safale US-05 dry ale yeast

Also, would too much headspace in the carboy be an issue with this? I'm thinking about doing only 3 gallons because I'm doing another cider (ginger-lemon, based loosely on Citizen Cider's The Dirty Mayor) and don't know that I have 10 gallons worth of bottle space at the moment

Also also: priming and backsweetening. There was no mention of priming sugar in the OP, yet I assume it would be necessary in order for it to carb...right? Is backsweetening a bad idea for the style? I don't mind dry ciders, but I'm trying to avoid the champagne-y tastelessness that was my last attempt at apfelwein

Thanks!

 

[jekeane]

I wouldn't vary much from the op for a first attempt. I have 4 batches completed and am just now trying out new things. Each time I think of a new ingredient I ask myself is it worth messing up the original.

 

[sportpak]

Bottled 2.5 gallons yesterday. Roughly 6.5% abv and pretty tart. I'm optimistic after 3-4 weeks to carb/condition this will be pretty awesome. My only deviation was mt hood hops.

 

[Cainmos]

Just started 2 gal with the following:

Brettanomyces Trois - WLP644

1.5 gal Langer's 100% Apple Juice (SG 1.046)

3.2oz 60L Briess Caramel Malt
0.4oz Torrified Wheat
12.8oz DME (50/50 Golden Light 4L / Sparkling Amber 10L)
0.2oz Nelson Sauvin Hops

Final SG = 1.066

 

[NickAus]

Just brewed this tonight, smells fantastic! I used Simcoe hops, scaled right down so they aren't too overpowering (0.5g per litre, 13%AA), and only did 9.6L as that's all the juice I had. Will let you know how it goes!

Oh, I sort of FWH with my version, accidentally threw the hops in before bringing to a boil, should be good as gold though.

 

[Aarong2008]

Just tasted my graff. After a week of bottle conditioning and 3 hours in the fridge, it tasted amazing. I'm very happy I brewed this.

 

[redzeker]

Just tasted my graff. After a week of bottle conditioning and 3 hours in the fridge, it tasted amazing. I'm very happy I brewed this.

Did you prime and if so, what and how much did you use?

 

[brewski09]

I would prime this lightly. 1.8 volumes of co2 would be my target. You can use that to get a priming calculator like the one from Northern Brewer going.

 

[jakeasaur]

Brewed this about 7 weeks ago. Drinking one now. One week in the bottle. 1 day in the fridge. If I would of put more than one in the fridge I'd have another.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

I think I'll try this recipe next. Only instead of 2 lbs DME I would mash 3 lbs of 2-Row, together with 0.5 lbs of C-60 in a gallon of water.

 

[richlong8020]

So what's the updated recipe that is the general consensus of what everyone likes. I want to make another batch but there are sooooo many different options.



~RDWHAHB~

 

[hunter_le five]

So what's the updated recipe that is the general consensus of what everyone likes. I want to make another batch but there are sooooo many different options.

~RDWHAHB~

I've made the Colonel's Original Recipe... er, I meand BrandonO's... several times now and have thoroughly enjoyed it each time. I haven't tried any tweaked versions yet, but I think for my next batch I might change the juice-to-beer ratio to make it a bit maltier. Instead of 4:1, maybe 3:2?

 

[richlong8020]

That's exactly what I was gonna do. 3:2. I also wanted to have it a little maltier. I'll stick with the original recipe and check out the new batch.


~RDWHAHB~