Extract Graff

[jcobbs]

I've been wanting to get this going for a while and finally started it up tonight. Here's what I have:

4 gallons Mott's Apple Juice
2 lbs powdered cane sugar
1 2.2 lb can Premier Malt Extract, light, lightly hopped
2 packs "gold pack" Cooper's brewing yeast

Yes, that PME--the stuff that dates back to Prohibition. Quite by accident I discovered that two little country grocery stores around here carry it, and it's about $5 a can. Hey, my LHBS is 30 miles away and they charge out the schnozz because they can.

I poured the Mott's into my bottling bucket. As I got each jug half empty, I recapped it and shook it up to get some O2 in there. Stirred in the 2lbs of sugar. Corn sugar would be better I'm sure, but I was trying to see what I could do without another run to the LHBS (I already had the yeast on hand.) I went back & forth on whether to do a small boil but in the end just opened the can of PME and stirred it in till it was all dissolved. It's just as well because with the added volume from the sugar and PME and allowing some head space, I really didn't have room for another gallon of liquid. I didn't have a 5-gallon carboy cleaned up & ready yet, so I pitched the yeast and re-filled the jugs, plus a 3-liter water bottle I had on hand. I kept the wort stirred as I went so that all of the jugs got their share of yeast. The PME came with a packet of lager yeast, but I didn't use it because I have no way to ferment at lager temps. Also I know one package of yeast will do 5 gallons but I used two since I was dividing the wort into gallon jugs--I wanted to be sure to have enough yeast in suspension to get a good dose in all the jugs. Airlocks all around and away we go! Before I pitched the yeast I got a taste--fantastic! Can't wait to see how this turns out.

I have some apfelwein, some pear wine, and a version of Ancient Orange Mead all in various stages. Planning to give fermented gifts for Christmas this year--wine & mead for the wine drinkers and Graff for those who prefer beer. If this turns out half as good as the wort tastes, the beer drinkers may just get another set of handkerchiefs....

 

[karmabrew]

I can't wait to see how mine turns out. I figured it was something new to try and different. I'm excited to taste it when it's ready!

 

[Brandon O]

I've been wanting to get this going for a while and finally started it up tonight. Here's what I have:

4 gallons Mott's Apple Juice
2 lbs powdered cane sugar
1 2.2 lb can Premier Malt Extract, light, lightly hopped
2 packs "gold pack" Cooper's brewing yeast

Yes, that PME--the stuff that dates back to Prohibition. Quite by accident I discovered that two little country grocery stores around here carry it, and it's about $5 a can. Hey, my LHBS is 30 miles away and they charge out the schnozz because they can.

I poured the Mott's into my bottling bucket. As I got each jug half empty, I recapped it and shook it up to get some O2 in there. Stirred in the 2lbs of sugar. Corn sugar would be better I'm sure, but I was trying to see what I could do without another run to the LHBS (I already had the yeast on hand.) I went back & forth on whether to do a small boil but in the end just opened the can of PME and stirred it in till it was all dissolved. It's just as well because with the added volume from the sugar and PME and allowing some head space, I really didn't have room for another gallon of liquid. I didn't have a 5-gallon carboy cleaned up & ready yet, so I pitched the yeast and re-filled the jugs, plus a 3-liter water bottle I had on hand. I kept the wort stirred as I went so that all of the jugs got their share of yeast. The PME came with a packet of lager yeast, but I didn't use it because I have no way to ferment at lager temps. Also I know one package of yeast will do 5 gallons but I used two since I was dividing the wort into gallon jugs--I wanted to be sure to have enough yeast in suspension to get a good dose in all the jugs. Airlocks all around and away we go! Before I pitched the yeast I got a taste--fantastic! Can't wait to see how this turns out.

I have some apfelwein, some pear wine, and a version of Ancient Orange Mead all in various stages. Planning to give fermented gifts for Christmas this year--wine & mead for the wine drinkers and Graff for those who prefer beer. If this turns out half as good as the wort tastes, the beer drinkers may just get another set of handkerchiefs....

I would really recommend steeping some specialty crystal grains, 60L should do and I would use a pound since you are using dextrose and PME.

This is will go a long way in balance and a hint of residual sweetness.

 

[jcobbs]

I'm sure I'll be doing more of this so I'll try a batch with the 60L and see how it goes. I'm really hoping the PME turns out well--I'd love to be able to use some on a regular basis so the store here will keep carrying it. I like the idea of being able to pick up a can of inexpensive malt any time the brewing mood strikes. I've been browsing the PME thread and I may try a regular extract beer with it sometime. Not going for a contest winner, just something drinkable.

 

[jcobbs]

18 hours later and all five jugs are bubbling away, all at about the same rate. Looks like I got my yeast pretty evenly distributed. They look fabulous, and smell better! Wish I'd kept out one more glass of wort....

 

[jcobbs]

Tonight was bottling night for this--transferred it to the bottling bucket on to 1/2 lb corn sugar. This was my first time to try anything larger than a gallon--ended up with a total of 36 bottles; 29-12oz, 6-15 oz swing-tops, and one odd 20oz I had hanging around. Tasted pretty good--with the sugar fermented out I could taste the hops that were masked by the sweetness of the original wort. Now the really hard part--waiting till it's ready to drink! Fortunately I still have a bit of apfelwein left. Can't wait to try this when it's carbed & chilled...

 

[jcobbs]

Just an update--took a swig from my "tasting bottle" and it is starting to smooth out nicely. There's still some tartness left, but it is smoothing out, just like Brandon O says it will. Clearing very nicely as well. The 12oz PET bottles I used are getting firm, so I'm on my way to a batch of bottle-carbed extract Graff. My swing tops I'm saving for Christmas gifts are looking fantastic as they clear too. Can hardly wait till this is all carbed and ready for a serious taste test. Looks like this is going to be a nice easy way to make Graff, almost as easy as regular apfelwein!

 

[jcobbs]

Apparently this had fermented out more than I expected, as it has carbonated only slightly. However, it has finished clearing in the bottles and the color is very nice. It's a bit dryer than I anticipated. I think next batch I will add some more DME or steep some 60L as Brandon suggests, to increase the non-fermentable sugars. For now though, I've hit on the solution. Put some ice in a glass, sprinkle in a packet of Splenda, and pour the graff. Awesome! Since it's not carbing anyway I may open the swing tops and backsweeten with a Splenda packet or two.

 

[jcobbs]

Like everything else with homebrewing, time, time, time. The last two bottles I've opened are nicely carbed, even making a nice (if small) head. The taste is even better. I'm glad now I didn't mess with the swing tops. Going to force myself to leave them alone till the holidays. I have a feeling by the time this is all gone I'm going to kick myself for not already having another batch started. For the moment though, a batch of beer first....then another Graff!!

 

[jcobbs]

Broke open my next-to-last one tonight to watch the BCS game. Poured it over a couple of packs of sweetener, which made a huge head. Delicious! Tart, still a little dry even with the sweetener, apple tasting, a little hops. An ideal football drink--and I made it! I love homebrewing!

Oh yeah, and ROLL TIDE!!!

***Edit*** This batch is hereby renamed NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GRAFF!!!!!

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[jacob1484]

I might have to give this a shot.. and ROLL TIDE!