I've made Ed's Apfelwein. Several times. I didn't care for it so I aged it, added concentrate to it, added other juices, etc. I still wasn't happy so I tried Brandon O's Graff. It was much more what I was looking for but still not quite right.
I've made all sorts of wines, Welch's, SkeeterPee, Winexpert, etc. However, I'm always happier with the beer I make.
Graff is supposed to be good in 2-4 weeks. I think anything under 6 weeks is rushing things. Buy yourself some extra buckets and get the pipeline going. You'll be happier if you let it mellow for a while.
Anyway, I modified Brandon O's Graff recipe and came up with something that I really like. I call it Ffarg Apple Ale because it is pretty much the opposite of his recipe.
In 3 Gallons of water
Steep .5lb Caramel 120l @ 150-160 deg. F for 20-30 minutes
Add 4lb Golden Light DME
Boil 1 oz. of hops (I used Willamette 4.8%AA) for one hour
Chill and top off with 2 gallons of Vitamin C and preservative free Apple Juice.
Ferment with a neutral ale yeast at 68 deg. F for 4-6 weeks then keg or bottle.
I strongly recommend juice that does not have Vit. C added. I found that I could tell a marked difference in the Apfelwein I made with Vit. C and those without. Without is much smoother with much less tartness.
I've made all sorts of wines, Welch's, SkeeterPee, Winexpert, etc. However, I'm always happier with the beer I make.
Graff is supposed to be good in 2-4 weeks. I think anything under 6 weeks is rushing things. Buy yourself some extra buckets and get the pipeline going. You'll be happier if you let it mellow for a while.
Anyway, I modified Brandon O's Graff recipe and came up with something that I really like. I call it Ffarg Apple Ale because it is pretty much the opposite of his recipe.
In 3 Gallons of water
Steep .5lb Caramel 120l @ 150-160 deg. F for 20-30 minutes
Add 4lb Golden Light DME
Boil 1 oz. of hops (I used Willamette 4.8%AA) for one hour
Chill and top off with 2 gallons of Vitamin C and preservative free Apple Juice.
Ferment with a neutral ale yeast at 68 deg. F for 4-6 weeks then keg or bottle.
I strongly recommend juice that does not have Vit. C added. I found that I could tell a marked difference in the Apfelwein I made with Vit. C and those without. Without is much smoother with much less tartness.