Question about adding Apple Juice to Ale wort...

[Kugel]

The label on the juice container says the ingredients are "water, apple juice concentrate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C)".

I'm going to brew an amber ale with Liquid Malt Extract (LME), Safale US-05 yeast and cascade hops. I want to add the apple juice for a little bit of flavor and sweetness. I do not have access to an apple orchard... Nearest one in about 6 hrs north of my location. I'm near Tallahassee, FL.

Questions:

1) Will the ascorbic acid inhibit fermentation?
2) When is the best time to add the apple juice?
a) Should I add it to the wort as it is boiling? Or,
b) Should I reduce the amount of water in the wort - say 4 gallons instead of 5 - and just use the AJ
to make up the difference with 1 gallon in the primary?

Thanks in advance for any input!!

Good Brewing and God Bless!!

Kugel

 

[Lampy]

This sounds kind of like graf (graff) which is quite tasty.
I frequently ferment juices containing ascorbic acid with no problem.
I would suggest NOT boiling the juice. Over on the winemaking/cider side of HBT heating up juice is generally not regarded as a good thing.

 

[Rish]

Agree with Lampy on the ascorbic acid (not a problem) and not boiling the juice. I would go with 4 gallons wort into the fermenter then add the juice after 3 or 4 days of fermentation. Early heavy fermentation activity can blow of flavor and aroma with the CO2 so adding later helps retain those. And it is a graf! Good luck!

 

[Kugel]

Thanks Lampy and Rish! Good info on adding the AJ after 3-4 days. What about adding into the secondary?

Good Brewing and God Bless!

Kugel

 

[Bobby_M]

I would add anything fermentable (fruit juice is fermentable) to the fermenter at the same time as the yeast. Opening up the fermenter to put it in later on is just another chance to let oxygen in. The fructose is going to ferment anyway, regardless of when you add it.

Secondary? I don't recommend moving the beer out of the primary fermenter until packaging time.

 

[Kugel]

I would add anything fermentable (fruit juice is fermentable) to the fermenter at the same time as the yeast. Opening up the fermenter to put it in later on is just another chance to let oxygen in. The fructose is going to ferment anyway, regardless of when you add it.

Secondary? I don't recommend moving the beer out of the primary fermenter until packaging time.

Thank you, Sir!

Secondary... I guess that comes from my first brew kit of 30+ years ago. There were two 5-gallon buckets Primary and Secondary, and the recipe called for siphoning over from Primary to Secondary after a certain number of days - when the fermentation slowed way down. The idea was to get as much of the "clear" liquid over to the Secondary as possible, add more corn sugar and let it continue to ferment and let it finish in the Secondary. Add Charging Sugar and Bottle with siphon from Secondary. Then cap the bottles (Brown Budweiser Glass Bottles) and let it age and carbonate in a cool dark place.

It worked and there were no problems... first batch was a little yeasty, but pretty good. We certainly drank all of it!!

Good Brewing and God Bless!

Kugel

 

[Rish]

chance to let oxygen in

Bobby, would the resulting fermentation of the juice use and/or push out the O2 that is introduced when opening the fermenter?

 

[AzOr]

+1 what Bobby_M said. The fermentation from the juice added in secondary may push out o2 but I would just add at yeast pitch.
Also, the aj will not add sweetness. It’ll actually thin out your ale and drive down the fg. It can impart some apple-y flavor, just not sweetness.

I actually have a saison on tap now with abojt a half gallon of aj. It’s really good but I’m not sure I would do it again anytime soon.

 

[Bobby_M]

Bobby, would the resulting fermentation of the juice use and/or push out the O2 that is introduced when opening the fermenter?

Some of it, but oxygen is constantly trying to ruin your beer at every turn. There's no benefit to adding it late.

I have tried apple juice and apple juice concentrate in beers before but I find it out of place. It just reminds me of a poorly fermented beer that has too much residual acetaldehyde. As AzOr said, it's not going to add sweetness and that goal can be achieved by lowering the bittering hops.

 

[DBhomebrew]

I brewed a graff a while ago. 50% strong Scotch ale wort (1.070), 50% fresh 'cider' (1.050). Everything went into the fermenter at the same time 1.060.

Yeast have no problem with 1.060. Beverage in the glass was mighty apple-y. This was quite balanced and the apple flavor was present enough to come across as belonging.

I've got two bottles in the cellar, 2yo. Should probably enjoy them sooner than later.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/a-wee-heavy-graf.690253/post-9069324

 

[Kugel]

I don't use "bittering" hops. Call me an odd duck, but I don't like bitter beer, especially IPAs. I've only used Cascade hops as a flavoring hop. It might have added a little bitterness, but it was "just right".

It's an experiment. Sometimes good results and sometimes not so good... but always data for the future!

Good Brewing and God Bless!

Kugel