newb with a ??? or two...

was going to post in the intro forum, but i had ?'s too!

anyway, i bought a Mr. Beer after thinking about it for a year.... then i did a ton more reading, so now i have a Mr. Beer sitting it it's original box, anda 6.5 gallon bucket fermenting my first batch (WCPA).

I am going to use the Mr. Beer for a batch of hard cider.
I picked up 2 gallons of cider from a local orchard (about 200 yards from the house) yesterday. it is partially frozen since it is not pasturized, they keep it very cold and sell a ton.

anyway, first question:
will boiling the 2 gallons hurt any of the fermentables? sounds dumb, but i better ask... i do not want to just ferment as-is due to it not being pasturized.

next, i would like to do a porter (my wifes fave), but all the recipes i see are AG, and ill be all extract, save for steeping some grains.... can anyone point me to a recipe? i have my shopping basket full, but i thought i better consult those with more experience before i buy ingrediants i do not need...


this is what i had in mind:

5lb dark LME
3lb light DME
1lb choc
1lb 60l crystal
2oz Kent goldings
2oz willamette

yeast, stuck there. i used wp001 for my WCPA that is fermenting, but only used 5.3lbs of LME, and the ferment was done in 48 hours.... did not have a hydrometer for the first batch, but it is in the cart now!
thanks for any guidance you all can give!!

(btw, been reading about 100 hours on this site the last few weeks, my wife is ready to kill me!)

Cider.
DON"T BOIL! You'll set the pectin and it will be hard to clear. Give it 24 hours with a campdon tab per gallon. That will kill off any wild yeast that you may have, and give your wine yeast a nice clean environment to work in.

The Beer.
Looks a bit over hopped to me (beer Smith it later)
and I'm a fan of dry yeast...for that porter...S-04 all the way!

Edit
Looks like a bit less hops, and less hops, cut back on the steeping grains, and less of the dark malt extract...you're right in the running for a nice brown porter.
This is what I whittled it down to in BeerSmith:

Date: 10/25/2008
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 2.43 gal
Boil Time: 60 min

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.00 lb Light Dry Extract
3.30 lb Dark Liquid Extract
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt
2.00 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (15 min)
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (5 min)

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.051 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.90 %
Bitterness: 26.9 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 24.0 SRM Color: Color

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Welcome to the addiction! Don't worry, unless your life insurance policy is huge, I'm sure your wife won't kill you, especially after you start making her favorite beer!

As far as boiling apple juice, it is technically possible to carmelize sugars, but I would imagine a good volcano boil for 15 to 20 minutes should be all you would need to sanitize it before adding your yeast.

I think that looks like a reasonable porter recipe, but I haven't actually made a porter yet. It looks a bit like the stout I just made, and that might be a little much chocolate, but it all depends on the flavor you're looking for. It's a good recipe because: 1. it is simple 2. You are going to brew it!

Go for it, have fun, and "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew" (or a good micro?)

You also might enjoy Beersmith brewing software. It's pretty user friendly, and they have a 21 day free trial. It is great to play with your recipes and see if they fit into a certain style, and what adding ingredients will do to your OG, FG, ABV, etc.

excellent, glad i asked first!

campdon tab?

more beer! has nothing... where to find?


thanks!

Big K- won't the set pectin settle out eventually? (I've never made cider, but I'm thinking about some and trying to learn.)

Kungpaodog said:

Big K- won't the set pectin settle out eventually? (I've never made cider, but I'm thinking about some and trying to learn.)

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Sometimes it won't.

Pectic Enzyme helps a lot if you need it, but I really don't like boiling anything not grain and hops. There is just too much at stake in this, and you boil off some flavor compounds whenever you cook fruit. That is NOT to say you can't...It's just that I'm a purist and like to keep what mother nature gave!

kahuna,

thanks again, i see you edited. much appreciated!
the grains i can only buy in 1lb abouts, and the hops 2oz.... so thanks for the help there. i will have to get this beersmith program!
honestly tho, the beer seems a tad low on the ABV, im quite the drinker, that might require a whole 12 pack each

and thanks to kungpao as well.

id like to hear on the boiling vs. no tho, some conflicting info. ill read up on pastuerization a bit, maybe hold it @ 170* for an hour??? i dont wanna mess it up, but again, ill be in this batch of 2 gallons for like 11 or 12 bucks.

nosmatt said:

k
the grains i can only buy in 1lb abouts, and the hops 2oz.... so thanks for the help there.

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You need to visit AHS.com!

nosmatt said:

honestly tho, the beer seems a tad low on the ABV, im quite the drinker, that might require a whole 12 pack each

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Actually the guide lines show 1.052 as the high end of the gravity limit for a brown porter.
If you're into getting wasted, I'd suggest serving with shots of Wild Turkey!

I'm also thinking you may need some roasted barley to "True Up" the flavor profile.

BigKahuna said:

You need to visit AHS.com!



Actually the guide lines show 1.052 as the high end of the gravity limit for a brown porter.
If you're into getting wasted, I'd suggest serving with shots of Wild Turkey!

I'm also thinking you may need some roasted barley to "True Up" the flavor profile.

Click to expand...

ahh, gotcha!


as for the wild turkey, HTF did you know that is my drink of choice?? (besides some good micro (Deschutes porter and pale are superb)

i will check out AHS now....