Johnny Apple Red Ale / Cider Recipe - Feedback???

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JonPenney1981

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Johnny Apple Red Ale / Cider Recipe

Okay, so I’ve now made several batches of cider based loosely around EdWort’s Apfelwein recipe found on the forum; changing up the yeast strain and/or type of apple juice used. However, the overwhelming thing I have noticed about all of them is that I want more body to it and wanted to drink them much sooner than it takes to ferment the typical Apfelwein. As a result, I formulated a 3 gallon test batch recipe for a Red Ale / Cider recipe. I plan to try it this weekend, so would definitely welcome any feedback or experience from others who have done something like this before. (Quick note – I generally let my past apfelwein recipes ferment for at least 3 months, but plan to follow a simply 2-3 week fermentation for this ale/cider recipe)

Here is the recipe I created entitled 'Johnny Apple Red:

Grain Bill:
-1.75 lbs Pale Malt (2-Row)
-0.10 lbs Red Malt Wheat
-0.05 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt 60L
-0.05 lbs Chocolate Malt

Adjuncts / Yeast / Hops:
-2 Gallons of 100% Apple Juice
-1 lbs Light Brown Sugar
-1 Stick of Cinnamon
-0720 Sweet Mead/Wine White Labs Yeast
-0.25 oz Cascade Hops (5.50% AAU)

Brew Process:
1.) Add grain bill to mash tun with 1.66 gallons of water at 152 degrees for an hour. Then siphon to boil kettle.
2.) Bring to a boil and then add the .25 oz of Cascade Hops (5.50% AAU) for a full one hour boil. (Most likely add a whirlfloc tablet at the 45 minute mark too). With my current set up and calculations, the mash and boil should bring my total volume to roughly 1 gallon of wort.
3.) Cool the wort down to at least 75 degrees and then add to the carboy.
4.) Pour half a container from each gallon sized 100% Apple Juice into the carboy. Then add half a pound of brown sugar to each container and shake until its mixed; then add to carboy.
5.) Oxygenate the wort / juice mixture for 10-15 minutes and then add the yeast.
6.) Add 1 cinnamon stick after 1-2 weeks of fermentation and allow it to ferment for one week longer.
7.) Rack to fermenting bucket and bottle with priming sugar.

Once again, I am open to comments / concerns / past experience / etc...

Otherwise, I plan to put it together later this week and will post updates along the way.

Thanks!
 
Wouldn't you want an ale yeast to eat thru the more complex malt sugars? It may come out more sweet that you would like
unless that is the intention. I am a bit of a noob so I apologize in advance if I am wrong. Cheers and best wishes.
 
Looks like an interesting recipe, and I mean that in a good way as I saved it to my bookmarks bar. Any update on how it turned out or if its still going?
 
This is scary-- my brew buddy came up with this same idea last year and brewed it up. I think he used too much LME, which over shadowed the apple. I'm not sure I would use any hops at all, unless you have tried the hopped cider thing-- like Graf. He's strictly an extract guy, but makes good beer. This just wasn't one of them. Ended up dumping it.
 
If I remember right, he steeped crystal, added LME to a couple gallons of water, then topped off a 5gal carboy with apple juice.
 
I just did a similar recipe to this and it came out a bit to sweet but it's still drinkable. It has plenty of body. I used a cider yeast.
 
hareebrownbeest said:
i just did a similar recipe to this and it came out a bit to sweet but it's still drinkable. It has plenty of body. I used a cider yeast.



image-255069224.jpg
 
Yes it is. Like I said, plenty of body, but a bit sweet. Maybe the cider yeast was a little weak. My starting gravity was 1.100! It has a decent taste and I'm sure some would love what it is, but it is still young and hopefully it will mellow out.
 
@stovetop535 Yes I ended up brewing something similar to this as a calibration project with a buddy. Should be ready to drink by this weekend. I have to find the recipe that we ended up using and then I'll put it on this thread. Otherwise I'll let you know how it turned out.
 
Okay, so I have a bottle chilling in the fridge for tonight for the official first taste. I'll post pics and comment on the flavor profile. In the meantime though, here is the highly altered recipe I went with since I collaborated with a buddy to make a 10gallon batch:

-1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt 40L
-1 lbs DME
-7 lbs LME
-1 oz Norther Brewer Hops
-1 Cinnamon Stick (whole)
-1 tbsp Sweet Orange Peel
-5 Gal 100% Apple Juice

We decide extract would be quicker and simpler since this was essentially a test batch, but on a large scale. We brewed the beer like any normal 5 gal extract beer, split it between two carboys once cooled, and then used the 5 gal's of Apple juice to top off both of our carboys. The OG was 1.055 and the FG I had on bottling day was 1.013.

More to come when I taste it tonight.
 
It tastes great in my opinion, but the carbonation is still very low. I'm going to give it another couple weeks to hopefully let it carb up some more.
 
I like the looks of the recipe Jon. I would have thought you'd get a higher OG than what you stated though. My base juice usually starts out at close to 1.050. I would think with that much extract it would have been higher. (Unless I'm not reading it right - I've had a couple of pints and I haven't been on the forum in a while haha)

Northern Brewer sounds interesting...I've just never been able to brew a graf with ANY hops that I liked.

BTW...what yeast did you use?
 
Awesome man. Thanks for sharing. I've never used that particular yeast before. I have tried the WLP810 San Fran yeast before, but didn't have great results.
 
The brew has gotten significantly better. However, I plan to brew the original recipe I formulated. Maybe tonight of tomorrow. Feel very strongly that it should stand up as a tasty brew still and want to compare to the collaborative recipe I ended up doing with my buddy.
 
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