Munich Graff/ EisGraff

[wscott823]

Graff is a fine beverage I've personally enjoyed and gotten to watch flourish into a style of it's own here on the forum. With that in mind I'm working on my own interpretation of the cider as a blend of 2:3 ratio of beer to cider. I want it to have a pretty malty backbone, so I'm building the recipe on a sort of bock or munich dunkel. I expect to lager this for a few months using the WLP833 strain. After fermentation is complete I intend on experimenting with ice concentrating to make a sort of EisGraff.

Updates, including recipe formulation to follow.

 

[gicts]

I am extremely interested in your findings. I found the wort alone to smell heavenly before adding the apple juice.

 

[claphamsa]

where can you buy graff? Ive never had it...

 

[wscott823]

Nearest I've been able to tell so far, it's not really commercially available. A few guys here on the forum started playing around with specialty grains and adding DME to apple juice and it kind of took off as Graff. Al just said he made 10 gallons of it. Maybe you can try some of it at the next MdBrewday

 

[gicts]

where can you buy graff? Ive never had it...

newb

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-malty-slightly-hopped-cider-117117/


Really? It was the first thing that showed up doing a search!

 

[wscott823]

He's far from being a noob, but thanks for the linkback.

I've been swamped at work, but hope to get a recipe for feedback up here within the next week.

 

[LightningInABottle]

where can you buy graff? Ive never had it...

You can't buy some of the best things in life! So brew some up just in case Gunslinger shows up at your door thirsty

 

[wscott823]

So here's the breakdown of my proposed recipe.

Recipe: München Apfel-Bier
Brewer: Bass Brewer
Asst Brewer:
Style: Fruit Beer
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Boil Size: 3.58 gal
Estimated OG: 1.072 SG
Estimated Color: 11.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 26.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.75 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 41.82 %
4.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 29.09 %
1.00 lb Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 7.27 %
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 26.9 IBU
3.00 lb Apple Juice/Cider (3.0 SRM) Sugar 21.82 %
1 Pkgs German Lager (White Labs #WLP830) [StarterYeast-Lager


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body
Total Grain Weight: 10.75 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Full Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 13.44 qt of water at 167.1 F 155.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 5.38 qt of water at 205.2 F 168.0 F


Notes:
------
Since the cider/juice should not be boiled, work with a 3 gallon "mini mash". It will be viscous as hell prior to the addition of cider, so consider conditioning your malt for some ease in sparging.

Cider units are actually gallons (not pounds)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[theonlygreat]

I have done a few of these recipes with more/darker malts, it didn't turn out like I expected. It was still very good though. The apple flavor is pretty easily overshadowed by the darker malts. Think along the lines of mixing paints, take a little red and add it to a whole jar of white and you no longer see white anymore, just lighter red (pink). That is the best way I can describe the flavor of what I got, is just lighter malt with a kick you in the ass 7.5% or more ABV. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

 

[wscott823]

Any suggestions on modifying the grain bill to help it balance with the apple better?

 

[theonlygreat]

I haven't been able to get a good malty flavor and a good apple flavor in one. Personally I am happy with a slight malty hint, which I would accomplished by cutting your grains in half and adding another gallon of apple juice. Perhaps your attempts could differ from mine. Things I have not tried are boiling the apple juice with the wort or adding concentrate to boost flavor. I have used concentrate to boost the flavor of a generic cider and was not pleased with the results, compared to just using apple juice or apple juice with added sugar.

 

[wscott823]

Just kind of talking outloud here, it seems the apple flavor of ordinary fermented cider alone isn't strong enough to balance the malt. I wonder if fermenting cider, freeze concentrating and then blending with a malty beer would be the better solution for the flavor I'm seeking.

 

[TAPPAR]

Any updates here? The original idea sounds delectable, how did it turn out?