Gunslinger's Graff

[greencoat]

Recipe Type

Extract

Yeast

US-05

Yeast Starter

Nope

Batch Size (Gallons)

5

Original Gravity

1.056

Final Gravity

1.011

Boiling Time (Minutes)

60

IBU

68

Color

41 SRM

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

21

Tasting Notes

Slightly tart, bitter and roasty.

This is my literal interpretation Graff (not to be confused with Brandon O's creation,) based off Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. Nerdy, yes, but equally delicious. I used Mott's apple juice for mine, I'm sure if you could find something a little more pure it would be better.

4 Gallon, 60 min boil.

3.3 lbs Amber LME
1 lb. Crystal 120
3/4 lb. Black Patent
1/2 lb. Roasted Barley
1/2 lb. Smoke Malt
2 oz. Tortified Wheat

1oz Centennial (9.7%) @ 60
.5 Cascade (7.5%) @ 60
1.5 Cascade (7.5%) @ 20

After the boil, top off with 2.75 gallons Apple Juice

Pitch US-05

Ferment for 21 days @ ~68 degrees.

Serve a little warmer than usual and this thing shines.

(Yes, I realize the ABV listed on the label is incorrect. I made them before the beer was finished. I get excited, ok?!?)

 

[HalfPint]

Looks cool man. I may have to give it a shot when I have a fermenter open.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I wonder if Special B would be good instead of the C120?

 

[Cheeto]

Special B would give some hints of Raisin? It might help with the tartness.

 

[wcarter1227]

i made brandons recipe with some special b along with the crystal, its definatly given some hints of raisin and also given it some more complexity. i do think i should have dropped the crystal and just used the special b though.


nice recipe, i think ill have to give this a try.

 

[wcarter1227]

did you have to cold crash this or did it stop at 1.011 on its own. my first batch of graff went all the way down to 1.00. does this stop a little earlier due to the extra grains and less juice?

 

[Tonedef131]

Could you post the description from the book?

 

[greencoat]

I wonder if Special B would be good instead of the C120?

That's certainly worth trying. I've never used Special B, I think I'll give it a shot on my next batch!

did you have to cold crash this or did it stop at 1.011 on its own. my first batch of graff went all the way down to 1.00. does this stop a little earlier due to the extra grains and less juice?

I didn't do any cold crashing - though I would take the FG reading with a grain of salt. I had SWMBO take it, as she wanted to be my little helper. I trusted fermentation was done 'cause I let mine sit for 30+ days, but she's never read a Hydrometer before.

Could you post the description from the book?

I haven't actually read the books, but this drink was a group effort (my friends telling me what graff is and asking me to make it.)

They described it to me as an 'dark apple beer.' The Gunslinger's crew were served a meal with a 'good strong graff' before heading out on their final journey.

 

[Rowdy]

any suggestions on how to brake this down to 1 gallon recipe?

 

[ratville]

i just read that part in that part of the dark tower not too long ago, and i too was tempted to try and recreate it. ill give this and try soon, because i am quite interested in this recipe now.

 

[greencoat]

Let me know how you like it when you make it. I might chill out on the apple juice next time and give it a maltier backbone. Next time I'm gonna do it AG and mash on the high side to beef it up.

 

[greencoat]

I just drank one of the last three bottles of this. Man do I wish I let the whole batch age longer. The slight bit of sourness from the apple juice has completely faded and it has smoothed itself out very nicely. I'ma need to remake this soon,

 

[l1ranger]

this is very cool - one of my favorite reads.

will have to make up a batch before long.

 

[JDennis]

I just finished re-reading the series and was thinking about trying to make some. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[Bradinator]

I just finished brewing up a batch of this following your recipe as closely as I could with the ingredients I had available. Hopefully it turns out as well as yours did!

 

[greencoat]

I just finished brewing up a batch of this following your recipe as closely as I could with the ingredients I had available. Hopefully it turns out as well as yours did!

Awesome, let me know how it turns out! It really seems to do well with a lot of time in the bottle.

 

[Bradinator]

How long would you suggest in the bottles? I was planning to do 3 weeks in the primary, a week in the secondary to clean it up a bit and finally into bottles for 2 or 3 weeks. Would it do better a few months rather then weeks?

 

[greencoat]

How long would you suggest in the bottles? I was planning to do 3 weeks in the primary, a week in the secondary to clean it up a bit and finally into bottles for 2 or 3 weeks. Would it do better a few months rather then weeks?

It'll be drinkable as soon as it's carbed for sure, but the flavors will continue to improve for months. The initial tartness will subside and more roasties will come through with more age.

 

[drumblebum]

Could you post the description from the book?

It's actually 7 books... Stephen King's answer to Lord of the Rings... LOL there is a forum dedicated to it that looks an awful lot like this one... (hope it's ok to link to that here - maybe there is info about graf there?)

I'm not sure there is much of a description of graf other than it being a "strong apple beer".

Thanks for bringing up the graf thing though, I had forgotten about that. Sounds like it would be great if I could pull it off...

 

[Bradinator]

I got around to bottling it today and had a half-pint extra so I tossed it in the fridge and enjoyed it flat, but cold. Got to say its a little on the sour side right now, but still very tasty. I imagine with at least a few days in the bottles its going to be good. I cannot wait for the long weekend!

 

[Blauvelt]

I brewed something that was originally intended to be this recipe but I :
- Added another pound of caramel 120
- added a little more roast barley
- took away the smoke malt
- added more hops!
- I used nearly 10 litres of grape juice!

well the resulting brew was quite awesome. I walked into the grocery store intending to buy apple juice, but the stuff is gosh darn expensive in Canada. Right next to the apple juice was some Welches white grape juice (apparently it is a non-varietal kinda grape) for the same price.

I brewed her up with all kinds of love and attention. OG was 1.054, FG was 1.007. I tried the first bottle yesterday (only 3 weeks in the bottle). It was freaking amazing! It was not quite black, with a nice carbonation level and a nice head. it smelled slightly of grapes. The taste was a slightly sweet grape flavour perfectly complemented by a resinous hop flavour (I used a lot more hops) and a complex deep yet slight roasty-ness.

The only thing I would change if i brewed this up again (I will), I would use a better kind of grape juice, this tastes less like wine and more like non-varietal Welches. I bet it would be good with some oak as well.

thanks for the inspiration!

 

[greencoat]

I got around to bottling it today and had a half-pint extra so I tossed it in the fridge and enjoyed it flat, but cold. Got to say its a little on the sour side right now, but still very tasty. I imagine with at least a few days in the bottles its going to be good. I cannot wait for the long weekend!

Awesome. Yeah, that sour tartness will go away the longer you let 'em sit. This recipe always got mixed reviews from anyone who had it, I really like it a few months in the bottle. Next time I may cut the juice content a bit and get rid of the smoke malt. That little amount doesn't really add anything, I made the recipe almost as a 'kitchen sink' type of deal.

I think it's about time I re-brew, going AG this time.

 

[greencoat]

I brewed something that was originally intended to be this recipe but I :
- Added another pound of caramel 120
- added a little more roast barley
- took away the smoke malt
- added more hops!
- I used nearly 10 litres of grape juice!

well the resulting brew was quite awesome. I walked into the grocery store intending to buy apple juice, but the stuff is gosh darn expensive in Canada. Right next to the apple juice was some Welches white grape juice (apparently it is a non-varietal kinda grape) for the same price.

I brewed her up with all kinds of love and attention. OG was 1.054, FG was 1.007. I tried the first bottle yesterday (only 3 weeks in the bottle). It was freaking amazing! It was not quite black, with a nice carbonation level and a nice head. it smelled slightly of grapes. The taste was a slightly sweet grape flavour perfectly complemented by a resinous hop flavour (I used a lot more hops) and a complex deep yet slight roasty-ness.

The only thing I would change if i brewed this up again (I will), I would use a better kind of grape juice, this tastes less like wine and more like non-varietal Welches. I bet it would be good with some oak as well.

thanks for the inspiration!

Hah, cool! That sounds like pretty interesting, is did you record your recipe?? I'd love to see it.

 

[Blauvelt]

I did record it but I've lost it now. I might have the receipt from the lhbs, but I doubt I will find it. For hops I think I added 1 oz more centennials, and 1-3oz more cascade sometime during the boil. Its funny how when you are brewing, the recipe is pretty much all you think about, and a few weeks later you're like... hmm, ahh, hmm...:cross: but perhaps I am exceptionally forgetful. Usually I record everything I brew, this one just kinda disappeared.

 

[wcarter1227]

yeah id like to see the recipe as well. im sure the grape and roasted malt flavors worked well together.

 

[Blauvelt]

Yeah it's pretty tasty. I looked for a receipt but didn't find one. I'm sure that anyone could make something similar, Just use greencoat's recipe as a baseline and use grape juice instead of apple and add whatever strikes your fancy. I might try it as an all grain recipe with Munich malt, a little rye malt, and a few oz's of cocoa next time. I will definitely add more hops! :fro:

 

[wcarter1227]

Yeah it's pretty tasty. I looked for a receipt but didn't find one. I'm sure that anyone could make something similar, Just use greencoat's recipe as a baseline and use grape juice instead of apple and add whatever strikes your fancy. I might try it as an all grain recipe with Munich malt, a little rye malt, and a few oz's of cocoa next time. I will definitely add more hops! :fro:

Im thinking dropping the smoked malt, subbing special b for the crystal 120, and adding some chocolate malt and some aromatic malt might add some complexity.

What you guys think about using Chinook as bittering hops?

 

[Blauvelt]

I like Chinook hops! I will probably use them next time.

 

[StLouisBrews]

I'm going to try this recipe this weekend. I was curious if it would be ok to use unfiltered apple cider instead of apple juice? I'm also going to take your advice and use a gallon less cider and more malt.

 

[greencoat]

Try the cider, I bet it will a less abrasive flavor once it's fermented out.

 

[tim87tr]

I'm going to make 3 batches using cider. Anyone use dark malt extract and/or chocolate malt? I've got a couple ideas I want to try out.

 

[StLouisBrews]

I'm going to make 3 batches using cider. Anyone use dark malt extract and/or chocolate malt? I've got a couple ideas I want to try out.

I used the cider and i 3.3 lbs. of Munich LME, 1/2 lbs. choclate malt, 2lbs of caramel 120 and 2lbs of caramel 45. So my personal opinion: use both.

 

[tim87tr]

I used the cider and i 3.3 lbs. of Munich LME, 1/2 lbs. choclate malt, 2lbs of caramel 120 and 2lbs of caramel 45. So my personal opinion: use both.

Oh cool, I did use both in one batch last weekend. I made three: one of regular Graff with additional 1/2oz of Saaz aroma hops added at 10 min left in boil, one of just fresh cider and muntons ale yeast (thinking it would end up sweeter/higher FG with a medium attenuation yeast), and one batch very similar to yours...as follows:

Graff Dunkel

4 gal fresh cider, no preservative (24 hr Camden tabs)
2 gal water
6 oz Crystal 120
8 oz chocolate malt
2 oz torrified wheat
2 lb amber dry malt
.5 oz Chinook 11% bittering hops 30 min boil
.5 oz Saaz 4% aroma hops 10 min boil

You used a lot more LME and grains, sounds good. We'll have to report back the results of the modifications to the Gunslinger.

 

[StLouisBrews]

Nice. I used saaz and liberty on mine. Also a side. Note I forgot to mention I added half cup of honey and brown sugar as well as a teaspoon of pumpkin spice at the last fifteen of my boil. Got a little crazy lol. OG1.065

 

[StLouisBrews]

So I'm going to check the gravity tommorow. I've read other threads on Graff and how it became too dry.

I think a standard 3 week fermentation should be fine, but if anyone has some differing opinions or advice I'm all beers....er ears.:fro:

 

[Bradinator]

Not that this is anything new or unexpected, but this gets so much better with age. I bottled mine back in mid-May this year and I am finding that the tartness has mellowed out a lot.

 

[StLouisBrews]

Did my FG reading. 1.012. Its tart actually borderline sour. Wonder if I infected it somehow. Time will tell I guess.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Thankee-sai. May your days be long upon the earth!

 

[ReverendTenHigh]

Awesome. I'm really curious as to how those darker malts work with the apple...I don't recall any mention in the books that is was "dark" apple beer, just that it was strong. Oh well, it looks tasty and I'm inspired to try using some darker malt because you say its good but man, my mind just can't imagine how those would taste together...seems like they wouldn't jive and make for some pretty acrid/dry/bitter brew. did you really use 12 oz black patent and 8 oz roasted barley?

Anyway, I brewed up an all grain graf yesterday. Was shooting for 5.5 gallons but ended up with six somehow so it's a bit weaker than I wanted @ 1.052 SG. I'm considering freeze distilling the extra gallon that won't fit in my secondary.

2 lbs munich
2 lbs pale
8 oz crystal 20
8 oz crystal 40
2 oz wheat
all that mashed @ 154. I meant to pull off a bit more than 1.5 gallons but evidently i pulled off a bit more than 2 gallons wort.
boil for half hour w/ .5 oz 5.4% cascades, chill and combine with
4 gallons of fresh apple cider from local orchard (no preservatives, flash pasteurized)

pitched wyeast 1450 2 liter starter

 

[tim87tr]

Graff Dunkel

4 gal fresh cider, no preservative (24 hr Camden tabs)
2 gal water
6 oz Crystal 120
8 oz chocolate malt
2 oz torrified wheat
2 lb amber dry malt
.5 oz Chinook 11% bittering hops 30 min boil
.5 oz Saaz 4% aroma hops 10 min boil

We'll have to report back the results of the modifications to the Gunslinger.

I bottled this at 3 weeks and it has been bottled 2 weeks. I am very pleased with the results. The taste is rich, smooth, not bitter, with a dry finish (which I like). Only thing I think it needs is a little more malt flavor, which I intend to add and modify on the next batch. I like the original Graff, but this dark stuff is much much better for my tastes.

Next batch I'm going to use 1 lb of choc malt, 1 lb of crystal malt, 1 lb amber dme, 1 lb dark dme, columbus bittering hops and saaz or liberty aroma to finish. The fresh unpasteurized cider really made a difference too.