Apple Ale

[Hops-and-Dreams]

I want to brew an Apple Ale like Redd's. I looked for recipes but ingredients and quantities varied greatly. In the end I took an English ale recipe as the base. After mash I divided the wort into four pots.

Pot 1 was plain English ale acting as a control

Pot 2 had 20% apple juice to 80% wort

Pot 3 had 40% apple juice...

Pot 4 had 60% apple juice...

When I bottled them I sampled them and not one of them had a truly distinguishable apple flavor. They did have that cider feel, especially the 60% apple juice mixture.

So how do I get a subtle apple flavor with a pleasant apple aroma? Will the apple flavor become more noticeable after it rests for a few weeks?

Anybody have insight to an apple ale?

 

[Skipper74]

I brew a crabapple ale every year that I think comes out pretty well. I brew a basic wheat beer base (1.054 OG) and after fermentation is complete, I add about four pounds of crabapples directly to the fermenter. Mine has a pretty pronounced apple flavor, so you could dial back the amount of apples depending on your taste. If you do not have access to crabapples (which in my area are just ripening now), I would substitute Macintosh.

 

[Newsman]

You could try backsweetening a bit using frozen concetrated apple juice.

 

[fishnwhistle]

I would probably kill the yeast after fermentation and back sweeten with whatever you want to use for the apple flavor then force carb. Don't bottle.

 

[phug]

Isubbed


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[rekoob]

Okay, I'm interested.
I have been wanting to try something like this for some time now.
I haven't yet got into cider but will be doing this soon I hope.
An apple ale is what got me thinking about the cider side of all this so I am interested in your results.
I think adding frozen concintrate and the end of fermentation or "back sweeten" might be the trick. Of course I understand the yeast has to be taken care of before adding more sugar that would just ferment again. I would be kegging this and force cabinating.
If I get a chance to get the ingrediants for an english ale or the like I will get one fermenting and give this a shot.
Looking forward to hearing how your mix is turning out.

 

[fishnwhistle]

It's been several years (I'll have to look in my notes) since I've brewed a graff based off of a recipe on here and a brewing tv episode. I've never tasted it next to a Redds, but as I recall it is a similar taste and overall feel. Maybe not, it was a while ago. That may be another option. It's more a hopped cider with some malt than a beer with some apple though.

 

[Hops-and-Dreams]

One of my concerns is that I have read many comments about the beer turning into a cider instead of an apple flavored beer. So a few further brain pickins...

I don't have kegging option yet, so bottling is my only choice. That's going to prohibit my ability to back sweeten. Am I correct in thinking that without forced carbonation there is no way to add sweetness to it? Any sugars I add will be consumed by the yeast correct?

So I think the question then becomes an I get an apple flavor without having extra sugars? Like a sugar free extract or something...then try to create some level of sweetness by choosing a different yeast or hops?

 

[JimRausch]

A lot of good info. in the cider section of the forum- check it out.
2 years ago I did a cider with 5G of fresh unpasteurized cider+2 lb honey. It fermented very dry. Bottled with 2 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate. Result= excessive carbonation, no apple flavor, tart. I would add 1/2 tsp sugar to each glass to make it drinkable. After a year and a half it mellowed out, developed an applely flavor and is pretty nice now.
Last years attempt was a Graf with 4G cider,1 lb honey, and 1G of wort from 4lb malted grains. Put 1lb cranberries in secondary for 1 week and a second lb of honey. Bottled with 1 can of the concentrate and pasteurized the batch after 4 days to stop the fermentation, leaving a mild carbonation with some residual sweetness. This worked out very well, and I plan on repeating it this year when the fresh cider becomes available.

 

[rekoob]

I haven't done this so take it for what it's worth.

I had a blueberry wheat beer some years ago from another homebrewer who used the flavoring stuff in a few OZ bottle. The LHBS sells it and if I recall correctly it was sugar free. again, this was some time ago.

The flavor was subtle and the blueberry really came out in the finish. It was a fantastic wheat beer.

Now I'm wondering if an apple flavoring like that, if it's sugar free, would work with an Ale to give it a nice easy apple flavor.

 

[JimRausch]

One of my concerns is that I have read many comments about the beer turning into a cider instead of an apple flavored beer. So a few further brain pickins...

I don't have kegging option yet, so bottling is my only choice. That's going to prohibit my ability to back sweeten. Am I correct in thinking that without forced carbonation there is no way to add sweetness to it? Any sugars I add will be consumed by the yeast correct?

So I think the question then becomes an I get an apple flavor without having extra sugars? Like a sugar free extract or something...then try to create some level of sweetness by choosing a different yeast or hops?

The apple juice concentrate at bottling time will add apple flavor, but the sugars will be consumed by the yeast unless you stop them.
Potassium Sorbate plus Metabisulfate(Camden) will stop them cold, but I didn't want to add chemicals to my finished product, plus I wanted some carbonation. So, I found a thread in the cider section about 'cooler pasteurization'. Simple- put your bottles in a cooler and add hot water(I don't remember the temp. off the top of my head) and let them sit until they cool. It worked for me.

 

[phug]

I ve tried this beer, and enjoy it alot, and hope to try making it this winter, when I have lower basement temps.

but the only information I can find in the ingredients is below.
but it looks like but apple juice and apple essence are in there.

Green Apple Pilsner


Retail Price: $2.75 (473mL can)
ABV: 4%
IBUs: 12
473 ml cans are also available. Available at the LCBO: Prices include tax and deposit

About: This one of a kind beer is brewed as a pilsner style beer which is then combined with natural apple juice and essence. The result is a refreshingly smooth beer with a crisp, clean finish, which is perfect for complimenting or cooking with poultry, pork and seafood. Nickel Brook Green Apple Pilsner is a wonderful alternative for those looking for something new!

 

[phug]

Maybe make a pilsener and the secondary it on some crushed and frozen Granny Smith apples for a week?


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