Crazytwoknobs
Well-Known Member
Has anyone else had this? I've got to make some. It's similar to JK Scrumpy's Organic cider, but spicier and sweeter. Any help would be greatly appreciated, even if it's just which spices you think they use.
That sounds so good I can't even get Woodchuck around here. The ONLY ciders that I can find are Strongbow and Bulmers/Magners.
Ok I have formulated a basic recipe for this and want to know what everyone thinks.
5 g of store bought apple juice
5 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp of nutmeg
Some amount of oak cubes - house toasted
1/2 g of bottled H20 to boil cinnamon sticks
Lalvin K1-V1116 yeast @ the suggestion of LHBS
I am going to boil the sticks in a similar fashion as in the post below.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/spiced-winter-cider-150705/
As an alternative, I am thinking of using 1/2g of apple juice instead, not boiled, but simmered, to extract the flavor from the sticks. I am also not sure how much oak cubes and what toasting to use. I do not want the oak to overpower the cider. I know I want to use them in the primary.
The plan is to boil/simmer stick adding the nutmeg at flameout. I will then cool that down add it to the primary with apple juice and oak cubes. I will pitch yeast and ferment between 68-75. When SG gets down around 1.014 1.010, I will bottle and pasteurize using the stove-top bottling method below.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/easy-stove-top-pasteurizing-pics-193295/
That is the plan so far.
Any Suggestions/changes?
This is not final yet so any input is appreciated.
Thanks,
Big Country
I boiled the cinnamon sticks in 1/2 gallon of Apple Juice, for 10 mins. I added the nutmeg and Oak Cubes at flame out. I cooled that down in an ice bath and added it to the primary with the other 5.5g of Apple Juice and Pectin Enzymes and let that sit for 24 hours under airlock.
Just for clarity, did you take the cubes, and sticks out before you poured the apple "wort" in the primary?
Do you think that chips might work better than the cubes? I have been doing a little reading on them and it sounded that if you are going to do a short time that chips may be better than cubes since they will generally "react" quicker. Other people with more knowledge than me will hopefully chime in.
Thanks for the recipe. I will be trying this next!!!
Anyone have thoughts on trying this with
WLP013 London Ale Yeast
Dry, malty ale yeast. Provides a complex, oakey ester character to your beer.
I have not used this yeast to know just how much or little oak flavor the yeast would impart but would be interested to find out!
I would be very interested to see the result of this..
1g of Motts Apple Juice
1 cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp yeast nutrient
WASHED White Labs WLP013 London Ale Yeast (approx 1/4 oz yeast with 1/2 oz wash on top, some yeast still in suspension) I had just racked to a keg so I feel confident the yeast was pretty fresh.
I boiled the cinnamon sticks in 1/2 gallon of Apple Juice, for 10 mins with the yeast nutrient. I added the nutmeg . I cooled that down in an ice bath and added it to the primary with the other 0.5g of Apple Juice.
OG was 1.052.
I am hoping that I have enough nutmeg though after reading the previous post I may be a little short. I will taste the cider when I take a sample and make an addition of more juice and nutmeg if I feel it needs more.
One thing to check on is the date of the nutmeg. The "fresher" it is the more flavor it will generally impart. I know that some spices tend to sit in peoples' houses (myself included) for several years and they tend to lose their punch. After checking the date on mine I have the feeling I should have upped the amount I used. Oh well. There is always round 2! I will report back later this week when I have more info.
I read this thread and got curious about making a clone of woodchucks fall seasonal. My wife had a 6-pack so I measured the FG. It came out at 1.060! I knew it was a little sweet but I didn't think it would be that much. This is pretty unfortunate because I do not keg and I am not sure I want to pasteurize.
In any case, its an awesome cider and when I get a kegging system this will be at the top of my to-brew list.
yea I waited till carbonation and head died down. I think it has kind of a tart bite that balances out the sweetness. It would be interesting to test the gravity on a woodchuck granny smith because it seem sweeter to me.That is kind of odd b/c I dont perceive it as being that sweet (1.06). Is that reading from when it was flat?
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