Acetaldehyde On Purpose

My very first beer was a simple American Light Ale extract kit that my wife had bought me. We didn't have any corn sugar, and since I didn't know any better, I substituted table sugar. Not only that, but I followed the 1,2,3 directions I was given. Of course, it turned out with quite a bit of "apple" flavor. While I remember being disappointed in the results, everyone else, especially those who like Woodchuck, loved it.

It's been almost a year now, and for my "Homebrew Anniversary" beer, I would like to re-create that apple beer. Trick is, I'm an all-grainer now, and would like to see if I can refine it a bit; make it seem a little more on purpose, than just a happy-accident.

I want this to be an apple beer, approx. 4-5% abv, not a cider, but a beer with strong apple flavor. I keg now, so I could rack while it's very green and reduce the chance of age stripping the apple flavor, and can use table sugar for alot of the fermentables.

What are your suggestions, recipes, or any other comments?

Table sugar isn't causing the green apple flavor.

Incomplete fermentation/poor yeast health caused the flavor (acetaldehyde is the precursor to ethanol) - people who experience "green" beer need to look at these factors rather than just thinking the beer is young.

If you're going for a green apple flavor, melt some green jolly ranchers back into syrup, and rack your beer on top

I think I would prefer to go the incomplete fermentation route... at what % OG to FG you think would have a solid amount of acetaldehyde production as well as having a solid beer foundation. I know this will be an experiment, but I guess that's why I ask.

Anything you do to promote acetaldehyde development can and probably will produce other related off-flavors you're not looking to include. It's not always an A+B=C equation, especially with many unknown and uncontrollable or semi-controllable variables at the homebrew level. It's not really a question of "what % to FG" either, because it can have a bunch of acetaldehyde even if it attenuates fully. You won't even know what your FG is going to be unless you do a force-ferment side by side. If it stalls high and you don't force carbonate, you might have bottle bombs on your hands. That said, if you're determined to go that route, underaerate, pitch warm, and good luck.

Not to mention that acetaldehyde can you give you skin problems... (google it).

M_C

Ok ok... maybe not such a brilliant idea after all...