Graff Cider Idea

[anteup]

Here's my plan, yes/no and idea changes welcome.

Re-steeping grains saved for some extract brews.

Irish Stout:
4oz - Chocolate Malt
4oz - Caramel 10L
4oz - Roasted Barley
4oz - Flaked Barley

Porter:
8oz - Caramel 120L
4oz - Chocolate Malt
4oz - Black Malt

Steep grains for 45mins at 155 in 1gals of water.
Remove grains and add Amber LME.
Bring to a boil and add .5oz of NB hops. Boil for 30mins.
Cool wort. Place wort and additional fresh pressed cider into primary to make 5gals. Using Cider Wyeast 4766.

Comments appreciated.

 

[anteup]

I guess the votes are in. This recipe SUCKS. Thread has been posted for 5 days, had 66 views and NOT ONE reply. I'm going for it.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

Keep this updated when you have some taste test results

 

[zachattack]

You're going to re-steep spent grains? Sounds pretty gross to me, spent grain has almost no taste since hopefully you've removed it to get it into your beer. Taste the grains to see if they have any flavor left, also unless you freeze them spent grain doesn't have much of a shelf life.

 

[anteup]

Re-steeping of spent grains in a lower lower water ratio is call a Small Batch/Beer I believe. Check out Anchor Steam's Small Beer. Also grains were dried, placed in air lock bag and stored in frig. Oldest batch 3months.

 

[zachattack]

Well there are partigyle beers, that's just using the second runnings from a large mash to make a smaller beer, the idea there is that a large grain bill will usually yield a relatively low mash efficiency so there's plenty of sugar left for the second sparge. A lot different than using 3 month old spent grains. I don't mean to discourage you, but please try tasting the grains first. Spent grain has fiber, a little bit of sugar and not much else, so it's pretty bland to begin with. If it's 3 months old and hasn't been frozen it may be sour, rancid or just plain gross.

 

[anteup]

Well I brewed the "Franken-Graff" today. As suggested I sampled all the grains. None had a rancid taste and still had some flavor. I did modify the recipe using grains from 3 different extract batches: rye stout, irish stout and porter. Total grain weight was 3.5lbs and steeped in 1.5gals of water at 160* for 30mins. Now this is where things get really weird. At first boil added 1.5lbs of amber LME then 0.5oz of hops. Boiled for about 15mins. Aroma didn't seem right so I added the other 1.5lbs of LME and 0.5oz of hops. Tasted hydrometer sample with cider and wort, it was good. If you'd like more specific info let me know i took many hydrometer readings throughout the process. Also, I'm trying to figure out how to enter this into BrewSmith.

 

[zachattack]

good luck!

 

[anteup]

Still in primary. Tastings of samples are interesting on the good side.

 

[anteup]

Graff coming along nicely, I guess. Tastes good to me. Will the SG stop say around 1.012 or will it bottom out like ciders? Also, added 1/2 spiral of french light toasted oak.

 

[anteup]

Took a gravity reading today, SG 1.012. Same reading as a week ago. It is done. But would like it to condition more. Have wort and cider flavors blend some more. The oak added little if any nose or flavor. Should i add another 1/2 spiral? This is tough seeing that this is a fictitious beverage, can't go to packey and buy a 6 to compare.

 

[anteup]

Tapped the keg the other day. And would have to say it's not bad. Color is dark amber, taste is a tart sweet apple with a beer head.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

Tapped the keg the other day. And would have to say it's not bad. Color is dark amber, taste is a tart sweet apple with a beer head.

I'm glad you didn't listen to the Nae Sayers!

 

[zachattack]

Hey I wasn't a naysayer. I just suggested tasting the spent grains.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

Hey I wasn't a naysayer. I just suggested tasting the spent grains.

Why do you assume I was talking about you?
And I said Nae sayerS... And horribly butchered that word.. Lol

I just meant I think it's cool that people still try things even though they don't get hundred percent positive feedback from others....
Also, being a naysayer does not have to be a bad thing... People may have already tried these things and know better so they're trying to keep someone from a bunch of waste and work for nothing... I'm not saying this is the case, Just my opinion....
P.s.
It's all good

 

[zachattack]

Haha I was the only one that replied. That's why I assumed you were talking about me.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

Haha I was the only one that replied. That's why I assumed you were talking about me.

Don't worry bud, it was a general statement not directed at anyone

 

[anteup]

Enjoying a pint reading the comments. zachattack where in MA?