Apple Bee (Woodchuck Clone) - Page 11

flyweed · 04-21-2009, 02:21 AM

Jay, oh this beverage would most certainly be lighter in taste and texture with the omission of the dark chocolate malt. I am wondering if after a week or so, to rack this onto a bunch of chopped up granny smith apples, or fresh pressed green apples would be wonderfully delicious.

Dan

Aleforge · 04-21-2009, 02:46 AM

Mine is ready to bottle, I ended up not moving it to a secondary and just let it clear up in primary an extra few weeks. Mostly because I got busy and forgot about it. The color looks awesome though, and it no longer carries any sulfur aroma.

Aleforge · 04-25-2009, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyweed

But again, it's definitely not light, clean and crisp it's a darker, heavier drink with good head, sour apple notes, and no residual sweetness. It is a unique flavor.

Bottled and sampled today, I would have to agree on all points.

Heavy, Dark, very tart / sour, no residual sweetness. How is it once it ages? I can taste the toasty malts in the background. I think that would be the biggest thing to omit for me in the future. Otherwise its interesting enough, hoping once carbed and cold it mellows out.

flyweed · 05-01-2009, 08:35 PM

Aleforge...it is really a nice drink with a little age. I have no noticable alcohol taste..but the dark/chocolaty/smoky taste remains prominent during the first smell and taste as it hits the front of your mouth..you get the sour apple sensation as you swallow with the smootheness of the malt as well. I prefer my cider a bit lighter and sweeter than this..so I have done an experiment I took 2.5 gallons of this off my 5 gallon keg and added a can of apple juice concentrate..am letting it sit for a week now and carbonating to see where that ends up. I think it'll bring back some sweetness and should be really really good.
Dan

wscott823 · 07-02-2009, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zul'jin

I really messed up this time. Yep. I should have made 1 pot to ferment and 1 pot to drink right now. I'm sipping a glass of it. WOW! It's apple and cinnamon and caramel (I didn't add caramel) and a light taste of beer all at once. Tspt-tspt-tspt... I can tastes a little allspice too. It is VERY sweet.

Revised, again. I cannot have a big pot boiling and not add stuff to it.

Brown sugar has been lessened by 2 cups and other spices measured.

*1 pound crystal grain cracked and steeped from room temp to 170F
*3 gallons treetop apple juice
*3 pounds extra light DME full boil
*1 cup turbinado brown sugar near the end
*Heaping 1/8 cup cinnamon near the end
*4 dashes nutmeg also near the end
*4 dashes allspice near the end
*Cool and pitch starter made with red Star champagne yeast, turbinado brown sugar and water
*Let 3 gallon wort ferment for 2-3 weeks, taking hydrometer readings
*Put 3 gallon wort plus 2 more gallons juice and maybe 1 cup turbinado brown sugar into secondary
*Probably wait a long time since fermentation will ramp back up
*Maybe transfer to thirduary vessel
*Prime and bottle
*Wait
*Druck

I wonder how this one that Zul'jin did toward the beginning of this thread turned out? I'll probably be trying this recipe with a few steps of yeast energizer to ensure avoiding stuck fermentation.

**Brewkowski** · 08-20-2009, 11:08 PM

I did a slight variation of this recipe, and although I thought it turned out wayyy to dry I entered it in a competition as an English Cider and it took 2nd place. Thanks for the inspirational recipe Jay! For my drinking pleasure I'm going to go a little sweeter next time.

flyweed · 10-07-2009, 08:43 PM

Well I know it's been some time since I last visited, but I have finished the keg of this. I am going to make another batch but with some different additions. I'll post as I go. THis one, in it's original form, is just too dark, chocolatey and sour for my tastes. I may give Brandon's recipe a whirl.

Dan

tommy_cian · 10-30-2009, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zul'jin

I really messed up this time. Yep. I should have made 1 pot to ferment and 1 pot to drink right now. I'm sipping a glass of it. WOW! It's apple and cinnamon and caramel (I didn't add caramel) and a light taste of beer all at once. Tspt-tspt-tspt... I can tastes a little allspice too. It is VERY sweet.

Revised, again. I cannot have a big pot boiling and not add stuff to it.

Brown sugar has been lessened by 2 cups and other spices measured.

*1 pound crystal grain cracked and steeped from room temp to 170F
*3 gallons treetop apple juice
*3 pounds extra light DME full boil
*1 cup turbinado brown sugar near the end
*Heaping 1/8 cup cinnamon near the end
*4 dashes nutmeg also near the end
*4 dashes allspice near the end
*Cool and pitch starter made with red Star champagne yeast, turbinado brown sugar and water
*Let 3 gallon wort ferment for 2-3 weeks, taking hydrometer readings
*Put 3 gallon wort plus 2 more gallons juice and maybe 1 cup turbinado brown sugar into secondary
*Probably wait a long time since fermentation will ramp back up
*Maybe transfer to thirduary vessel
*Prime and bottle
*Wait
*Druck

I made this last week, a little different though, I cracked and steeped 1 lb of 40L Briess Crystal grains at 155 (25 mins), then brought to boil:

I added 3 pounds of ex light DME, then 1 pound of Belgian Dark Candy Sugar, and 4 ounces of Tupelo Honey at the end of the boil. As well as half of the cinnamon, all of the nutmeg and all spice as described above.

Once this was complete, I cooled, then added 6 cans of frozen Apple Juice, and three and a half gallons of bottled Apple Juice...

As this was going on, I prepped two packets of Lavlin Wine Yeast (EC-118), had them started and then added to the wort.

ended up being 5 3/4 gallons, OG = 1.086.

Day 5, so far there was a lot of movement in the bucket, but it has slowed considerably. Gravity reading this morning was 1.022. I'm going to leave in primary for 2 more full weeks, then transfer to secondary, where I was going to core, peel and cut up 6-8 apples and "dry hop" with a few cinnamon sticks (depending on how much cinnamon it tastes like, I don't want it over powering). I'm considering back sweetening, although I have never done anything like that so I'm not sure how to...

Once in secondary, I'm thinking I will leave for about 10 days, anyone have any suggestions?

I was going to keg this, but I may bottle a case and keg the rest...

tommy_cian · 11-30-2009, 03:18 AM

Left this in primary for 18 days, everthing stipped, had it in secondary for a week when it was started slightly moving for another week, in total, 18 primary and 17 secondary. when I added potassium sorbate, it was at a 1.017 gravity. so about 9.06 (or rocket fuel, to me...). To much alcohol, I'll soften this when I'm completed.

Next, I added 2 pounds of dark brown sugar, mixed into 1/2 gallon of boiling water, then 3/4 gallon of apple juice, to bring it up to 7 gallons even. Since this watered down the alcohol, I re-worked my calculation like this: (9.06*5.75)/7 which told me that I now have a 7.44%, 7 gallon batch of cider. It still seems really strong when I taste it, so I'm not sure what to do.

Here is my plan, stick it into a secondary for about 5 weeks (New Years...). Then, at that point I'll drink it. If its too strong, then I'll cut it with another gallon of apple cider.

Jewrican · 12-01-2009, 03:15 AM

So, i brewed mine on 11/6 - but it feels like forever LOL - and have it kegged and carbed. I tasted it today and it is kinda odd. it is malty and then applish sour... is it just too young or did i somehow manage to mess up such a simple task?

I pulled it out of the kegerator to allow it to warm up in the garage (live in Georgia... not all that cold) and age a little more.

What do you think?