DrJerm

Recipes 

On Feb 16 we started a 5 gal batch:

2 ½ gal pasteurized apple juice
2 gal unpasteurized apple juice
2 x 12 oz cans apple juice concentrate
Liquid of 3 lbs rolled oats steeped for 55 min in apple juice & water
4 lbs golden brown sugar
2 lbs light brown sugar
2 c white sugar
½ tsp potassium metabisulfite
OG 1.112

24 hrs later we pitched Lalvin EC-1118 yeast.

At between 55˚ and 60˚ it is going strong at the moment.

We will step up the sugars with more apple juice concentrate soon.

DrJerm

Recipes 

Yes, I decided I will start my own test batches - thanx to everyone’s comments. Any suggestions on this are welcome.

•5½ gal apple juice.
•½ gal apple juice concentrate.
•Brown sugar (as much as needed).
•1 lb. Flaked Oats, steeped.
•Vanilla beans, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.
•Thickeners & backsweeteners to taste: Maltodextrin, Lactose, Glycerine, Liqueur Thick.
•4 yeast strains: SafAle S-04, Lalvin D47, Lalvin 71B-1122, Red Star Montrachet.
•4 x 1 gal containers. (Ferment ≈72˚. Step up sugars until yeast peters out.)
•4 x ½ gal containers. (Ferment ≈65˚. Target ABV 8%.)
•½ tsp potassium metabisulfite

Mix apple juice, concentrate, enough brown sugar to achieve an OG of 1.064 (8% potential ABV), and metabisulfite. After 24 hrs, pour into the 8 containers. Create yeast starter with each yeast and divide among a 1 gal and a ½ gal container for each of the 4 yeasts. All 1 gal jugs ferment at 72˚ with steeped oats and sugar stepping until maxed out. All ½ gal jugs ferment at 65˚ until dry, then get steeped oats added for 1 week. Every batch gets racked to a secondary for minimum 2 weeks, then cold crashed. 1 gal maxed out batches get apple juice concentrate sweetened. ½ gal 8% batches get lactose / non-fermentable sweetened. Thickeners and spices will be used to taste on both sometime before bottling. No carbonation.

Many samples and notes will be made throughout the process.

Can the SafAle S-04 yeast start alright with an OG of 1.064 (8% ABV)?

DrJerm

Recipes 

Anyone think that heating (mulling) the juice before fermenting might result in a more authentic baked apple pie flavor? I understand that it tastes different, but does it tend to taste bad or all right?

(I'll be using Field Day unfiltered, pasteurized, organic apple juice.)

gratus fermentatio

Recipes 

You can actually heat juice without getting that "cooked" taste, but I honestly don't know at what temp the "cooked" taste is created. I do know if you boil/simmer the juice you will get that "cooked apple" flavour from it. You'll also set the pectins, which will make the end product cloudy. You might want to add some pectic enzyme to help break down the pectins, even then it might still be cloudy.

The difference in taste is similar (not exact) to the difference in taste between a fresh apple & a baked apple. I think "softer" kind of describes the "cooked" flavour. You might be able to add some "softness" to the flavour profile by doing a malo-lactic fermentation, or by using Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast, it metabolizes some of the malic acid in apple juice. At least with MLF or 71B you won't set the pectins, I'd still add some pectic enzyme though. Regards, GF.

nsw8148

Recipes 

Very interested to see how this turns out

DrJerm

Recipes 

My 8 test batches are in secondary at the moment. I hope to finish them this month and post results.

We bottled my buddy's 5 gal batch last month, so I can comment on that. In the days leading up to bottling, we added cinnamon, nutmeg, a vanilla bean, toasted almonds and toasted oats, leaving each one in until it tasted right to us (a couple hours to a couple days.) Taste wise it does resemble an apple pie with vanilla ice cream, though my 1st impression was honey bunches of oats cereal. It is med sweet, with a pronounced vanilla-almond-oat flavor, ample mouthfeel, and warm finish. It burns like a strong mixed drink though, with an ABV around 20%, so we set some aside for future years.

Thanks again to the home brew talk community for this tremendous resource!

gratus fermentatio

Recipes 

Any problems with oil from the almonds?

DrJerm

Recipes 

Didn't notice any. I would guess that any oils would stay behind on the surface when racking to the bottling bucket.

AwesomeSquad

Recipes 

How did this turn out?

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