I made a 2.8 gallon batch with the following recipe:
5.5 cans/6.5L/1.7G Goya Apricot Nectar 30g sugars/8 oz.
8 oz crystal 56L
8 oz flaked oats
1.5 oz torrified wheat
5 oz Special B 145 L
5 oz 2row 2.5L
16 oz light DME
0.5 oz Czech Saaz Whole leaf 3.2%aa 30 min boil
0.5 oz Czech Saaz Whole leaf 3.2%aa slowly added over the last 5-10 minutes of the boil and then allowed to steep (no heat) for 30 min
0.4 G Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast starter @ whatever temp my air-conditioned kitchen is.
Juice by itself had a OG of 1.062
I forgot ot measure my OG before I added about 0.4 gallon starter, but when all was said and done my OG was 1.078 (beer smith had predicted 1.094)
The grain bill used is 81% unmalted, and with the wheat and oats you would think it'd be a mess to sparge, but it wasn't. I did a sloppy (poor temp control) combined protein/beta-glucanase rest for 20 minutes @ around 100-120F. And even with the 2 lbs of grain there was NO gummy/doughy problem.
I was using the Special B to try and increase body, and add a little caramel flavor, so next time I'm going to try and keep the rest below 113, or use no rest at all. A protein rest supposedly can cause a massive reduction in body with malted grains. I was also worried that the 145L Special B would make the Graff too dark. It didn't.
I used 1G of water to Mash in, and another 0.5G to sparge. Next time I'll reduce the sparge water to about 0.3G.
I've read that a cider all comes down to the quality of juice that you use, and I don't think that the Goya quite cuts it. It has a slight metallic tast that is amplified in the brew. The uncarbonated sample that I just tasted has a hi alcohol taste, the hops are barely noticeable, and it's THICK. I thought that the thick puree of the nectar would settle out. It hasn't. I tried to filter it with a cofee filter... no flow. I tried to filter it with a stainless strainer... no change. I give up. It's going to be thick.
I might add some dark french oak chips and cascade hops to a seconday and give it another two weeks before bottling.
Anyone else have experience fermenting nectar?
5.5 cans/6.5L/1.7G Goya Apricot Nectar 30g sugars/8 oz.
8 oz crystal 56L
8 oz flaked oats
1.5 oz torrified wheat
5 oz Special B 145 L
5 oz 2row 2.5L
16 oz light DME
0.5 oz Czech Saaz Whole leaf 3.2%aa 30 min boil
0.5 oz Czech Saaz Whole leaf 3.2%aa slowly added over the last 5-10 minutes of the boil and then allowed to steep (no heat) for 30 min
0.4 G Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast starter @ whatever temp my air-conditioned kitchen is.
Juice by itself had a OG of 1.062
I forgot ot measure my OG before I added about 0.4 gallon starter, but when all was said and done my OG was 1.078 (beer smith had predicted 1.094)
The grain bill used is 81% unmalted, and with the wheat and oats you would think it'd be a mess to sparge, but it wasn't. I did a sloppy (poor temp control) combined protein/beta-glucanase rest for 20 minutes @ around 100-120F. And even with the 2 lbs of grain there was NO gummy/doughy problem.
I was using the Special B to try and increase body, and add a little caramel flavor, so next time I'm going to try and keep the rest below 113, or use no rest at all. A protein rest supposedly can cause a massive reduction in body with malted grains. I was also worried that the 145L Special B would make the Graff too dark. It didn't.
I used 1G of water to Mash in, and another 0.5G to sparge. Next time I'll reduce the sparge water to about 0.3G.
I've read that a cider all comes down to the quality of juice that you use, and I don't think that the Goya quite cuts it. It has a slight metallic tast that is amplified in the brew. The uncarbonated sample that I just tasted has a hi alcohol taste, the hops are barely noticeable, and it's THICK. I thought that the thick puree of the nectar would settle out. It hasn't. I tried to filter it with a cofee filter... no flow. I tried to filter it with a stainless strainer... no change. I give up. It's going to be thick.
I might add some dark french oak chips and cascade hops to a seconday and give it another two weeks before bottling.
Anyone else have experience fermenting nectar?