Wooly mamoth cider

[snortwheeze]

Ok so this was inspired by hareebrownbeest and his experimental cider. I imagine that the final abv will be quite high and the color I think will be quite dark hence the name!
This will be a one gallon batch, so if it turn out good, ill make more!

1 gallon of spring water
1/2 # Carmel breiss (60l)
1/2 # flaked crushed barley
12 ozs dark molasses

 

[snortwheeze]

Forgot to add 2 cans of apple juice concentrate in the ingredients list!

First steep the Carmel and the barley in the one gallon of water at 155* or so for one hour. Once the grains have steeped for an hour, add the molasses so it can dissolve completely. At this point add the concentrate to cool the mixture down. After it has cooled and mixed completely rack to my primary and give it an ice bath to cool it to about 60* once it's cooled, pitch notty and hope for the best!

Hope this works out

 

[watomlinson]

I would very much like to know how this turns out, and if you could, include pictures! This sounds quite interesting. I think it might be a bit too much malt for a 1 gallon batch, but who knows. That's why it's an experiment. Might be nice to age it for a little in some vanilla beans in a secondary.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Hey just read this ( I'm inspiring?) awesome. I would go with what you got going there. I'm going to do my version again and add a bit more oats and breiss to my concoction and make it a bit more heavy. I noticed you didn't go with any cinnamon sticks (yet). I went with 4 sticks for 2.5 gallons and it was to cinnamon tasting to me. Good luck on yours.

 

[snortwheeze]

It is defiantly heavy!!! I like the idea of the vanilla beans. After my experience with cinnamon in my 5 gal batch of Carmel apple, I'm not going to use a solid form of cinnamon again! Lol! And yes, after smelling this while steeping, it's going to need some "curing". I agree that there is probly too much malt, but we'll see.

Ended up adding three cans of AJC, and my one gallon is so very full! I am going to need a blow-off tube for sure! Pictures to follow!

 

[snortwheeze]

First one is getting ready to start, didn't take any of the process because we had to rush through this (volleyball game)

Second is what I looked like when we got home

I know this is gonna pop, so I installed a redneck blowoff tube

You can see how much it has separated already, which I guess is a good thing!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

You mentioned volleyball, my daughter plays club ball and high school, she's 5'11 at 14 years old.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Man that cider looks great!!! I'm getting my yeast pack ordered tomorrow!

 

[zachattack]

You didn't boil the wort after you steeped? I feel like that's asking for a lacto infection (that's the bug that lives in grain, right?)

 

[snortwheeze]

Didn't boil he wort. Didn't know it was necessary! It's fermenting away nicely though, so well see! My first one piece airlock was washed this morning and replaced, and when I get home, the second airlock is full of cider! So far it's at least been fun!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

I didn't boil mine either, brought it up to 180*F and then down to 155* steeped for an hour. It turned out fine.

 

[snortwheeze]

This is as of today. As stated, that is the second airlock, installed this morning. That one will need to be replaced as well, but will have to wait till after playoff football tonight(GO TIGERS). Bubbling furiously! Constant activity in the airlock! I've lost the neck full of cider, but that's ok as I need headspace anyway. The smell is thick, sweet and fruity! I've also decided I really like the name "wooly mammoth" , gives it a sense of warm, heavy winter beer. Tiny little krausen on the top. The initial sediment in the pics from last night is gone! I assume, stirred up and will resettle. The good news: I was only able to use about half my rehydrated yeast, and almost dumped the other half, when I realized I had a pre boiled gallon jar of water, sealed and sitting in my cabinet. Dumped the rest of the yeast in there and cold crashed. Now it's waiting for my next batch! Score!!

 

[snortwheeze]

Oh yeah! The OG was about 1.078. Gonna come in around 12% abv. I imagine it might start up again after it dies out. Stay tuned!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Great stuff! How's the molasses addition coming along?

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

I might do a half honey half molasses mix, don't know.

 

[snortwheeze]

I was afraid the molasses would not dissolve but it mixed in fine!

Also the home team won 50-14 woot woot!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Did you heat it in the jar before adding it? Man I forgot to order my yeast in time today, I want to get started TONIGHT!!!

 

[snortwheeze]

I sanitized the jug before I poured the freshly boiled water into it. And it sat in my cupboard for about a week before I dumped my yeast into it. We're all good!

 

[snortwheeze]

Wooly mammoth is still bubbling away!

It has developed a very nice, thick trub at the bottom. (I think that's the proper term) still very dark, and surprisingly it still smells very fruity. Now the question of how to finish this. The breiss and the barley will add to head retention, and I would like it to be about as bubbly as beer. I have decided to rack it to the secondary with a vanilla bean and 1 cinnamon stick. Back sweeten with 2 cans of AJC. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Wooly mammoth is still bubbling away!

It has developed a very nice, thick trub at the bottom. (I think that's the proper term) still very dark, and surprisingly it still smells very fruity. Now the question of how to finish this. The breiss and the barley will add to head retention, and I would like it to be about as bubbly as beer. I have decided to rack it to the secondary with a vanilla bean and 1 cinnamon stick. Back sweeten with 2 cans of AJC. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

Sounds like your doing alright there, have you tried a sample yet?

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Wooly mammoth is still bubbling away!

It has developed a very nice, thick trub at the bottom. (I think that's the proper term) still very dark, and surprisingly it still smells very fruity. Now the question of how to finish this. The breiss and the barley will add to head retention, and I would like it to be about as bubbly as beer. I have decided to rack it to the secondary with a vanilla bean and 1 cinnamon stick. Back sweeten with 2 cans of AJC. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

I just ordered 2 lbs of oats and 2 lbs of breiss, I'm going to do a partial mash (or attempt one) and do a 2.5 gallon batch and I'm thinking using light brown sugar and some DME that I have laying around.

 

[snortwheeze]

Honestly, I'm a little afraid to! Didn't try a sample the night I made it because we had to leave right when I was done. It does smell good tough, so it shouldn't be terrible! When I rack, I'll see if I can snag a draught!

 

[snortwheeze]

Wooly mammoth transferred to secondary today. Added half a cinnamon stick and half a vanilla bean. Tried a sample and at this point it tastes like wooly mammoth ass! All I could taste was alcohol! Once I back-sweeten I plan to let it sit till probably February. This will need some time to mellow. Stay tuned!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Sweet, got all my grains and double mesh stainless strainer that I'm going to partial mash with. Starting tomorrow.

 

[AndrewTodd]

I made the mistake of going for a high tolerance yeast (Sweet mead) and to much sugar on my first cider, ended up at 12%. It kicked your ass but wasn't pleasant drinking. Lesson learned, shoot for a 6 to 7%. 8% max.

 

[zachattack]

I made the mistake of going for a high tolerance yeast (Sweet mead) and to much sugar on my first cider, ended up at 12%. It kicked your ass but wasn't pleasant drinking. Lesson learned, shoot for a 6 to 7%. 8% max.

My first cider was 10% abv. Tasted fine, just a little bland. After 10 months of aging the apple flavor was back and it was smooth as hell.

 

[snortwheeze]

Ok so today is bottling day for the wooly mammoth. Don't know if everyone is up to date, so I will just catch you up, starting from racking to secondary. I racked onto half a vanilla bean and half a cinnamon stick. Flavor at this point was rocket fuel. Sat in secondary for two weeks. Surprisingly, it cleared up nicely! Finished it with two cans of AJC and one can of apple cherry con. Also added 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar, for priming. Got slightly over one gallon. The taste today has mellowed considerably, and would be drinkable as is. But i like bubbles! Plus it would be silly to use the Carmel and the barley for head retention and not make it fizzy. The last picture is of my makeshift drying rack. Using an old dish drying rack, plastic clothes pins and my bottles. Cost a whole whopping 12 bucks and works beautifully! I think I'll pop one in about two weeks, after pasteurization and see what we have!

 

[huntingohio]

Ha I like you pumkin spice cider grolsch bottle.. I have one too

 

[MrTim]

I am absolutely new to this and I've got a question or two. When you back sweeten you just add the cans of AJC directly to your brew when you rack to secondary or are you doing it when you bottle? Is the 1/4 cup of brown sugar necessary for carbing? I'm assuming there are just not enough sugars in the AJC for yeast to use? I don't mean to thread jack but this sounds delicious and I'd like to try it for my first brew.

 

[snortwheeze]

You add the AJC at the bottling. Also, there is more then enough sugar in the AJC to facilitate carbbing, but I like bubbles, seeing as how I wanted a thick, heavy head, I figured a lil bit more sugar could only help. Also with the high ABV of this brew, I wanted a little sweetness to cut the dryness. It is very creamy, slightly sweet and almost chewy! I don't think I can "legally" call it cider, but I also can't call it a true "stout". Whatever it technically is, I love it!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

I am absolutely new to this and I've got a question or two. When you back sweeten you just add the cans of AJC directly to your brew when you rack to secondary or are you doing it when you bottle? Is the 1/4 cup of brown sugar necessary for carbing? I'm assuming there are just not enough sugars in the AJC for yeast to use? I don't mean to thread jack but this sounds delicious and I'd like to try it for my first brew.

Theres plenty of sugar in concentrate!!! I usually use two cans to three gallons when I back sweeten to carb.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

When bottling, sorry. Left that part out.

 

[MrTim]

Good to know, hopefully I will be ordering my kit this weekend and be brewing by the next. I'm excited to start making this.