Batch 19: Escape from the Germans Alt Bier 2012

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
19	Beer	11/26/12	by Brew Kettle?	N/A	N/A	12/17/12

Yeast Type: Alt Bier yeast by The Brew Kettle (Yeast 810)
Ingredients:  Grains: Munich Malt, 2-Row Barley, Special "B", Cara Munich
Extract:  Light Malt Extract
Hops: Galena Hops, Tettnang Hops
Process aid
Comments:  This batch was done as a "brew on premises" batch at The Brew Kettle (TBK) in Strongsville.  The original idea was to evaluate their bottling operation, since they take inexperienced folks and have them filled a carbonated alcohol-containing beverage into glass bottles without terrible foaming problems or an end product that is undercarbonated.  We hope to learn something about carbonated filling.

There is no data as there is no in-process testing of the batches at TBK.  We may do some testing of the finished product, though it will be already carbonated.  Per the recipe, ABV will be 4.5% and IBU = 33.

The Brew Crew was Jim, Charles, and Eric for the wort/primary on 11/26/12.  Damavandi was in Philly.

TBK allows for customer label generation.  As all of us brewing all recently left the same German company, we created this label:

Batch 18: Home pressed pear cider with WILD yeast

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
18	Pear Cider	10/27/12	1/8/13	2/15/13	3/19/13	3/19/13

Yeast Type:  WILD
Ingredients:  1/2 gallon of home pressed pear cider
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient

Comments:  Sister batch to 17, this one is not sulfited and uses wild yeast.  This batch oxidized and turned dark brown and while batch 17 stayed golden color due to the sulfite.

Did not take measurements, anaerobic primary under airlock, slow to secondary, all due to laziness.

12/3/12 update:  Did not rack yet as still bubbling under airlock.  Layer of schmutz floating on top, thick layer on the bottom, cloudy and brown.  Planning to rack by decanting.

1/8/13 update:  Racked by decanting.  Took a tiny taste, it is good, though dry, and much more tart than an apple cider.  Wild yeast was fine, though, and no spoilage.  About 1" of fruit pulp and lees in a 1/2 gallon glass bottle. Color is very close to straw and similar to batch 17, though this batch started much darker after initial pressing.  Final color does not appear to be impacted by initial oxidation of juice.

2/15/13 update:  I racked by decanting, stabilized, and backsweetened with sweet pear cider which I did not pasteurize or kill with metabisulfite. I added about 1:4 by volume.

3/19/13:  Racked, still cloudy.  Astringent with very low alcohol content, some residual sweetness, definite different flavor than the commercial yeast.  Probably more traditional, but I think I prefer the commercial.  Sour, too.  Very acid.   Bottled 4 6 oz crown caps and combined remainder with batch 17 to freeze concentrate.

Update 4/10/13: The freeze-concentrated product was too sweet and too acid.  It concentrated to a volume approximately 1/3rd to 1/4 the original volume, so I'm guessing about 20%ABV.  But since the starting perry was acidic and sweetness was adjusted prior to freeze concentrating, the end product is overacid and cloyingly sweet.

Batch 17: Home pressed pear cider with commercial yeast

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
17	Pear Cider	10/27/12	1/8/13	2/15/13	3/19/13	3/19/13

Yeast Type:  Premier Cuvee

Ingredients:  1/2 gallon of home pressed pear cider
1/2 campden tablet
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient

Comments:  Sister batch to 18, this one is sulfited and has commercial yeast.  This batch stayed a golden color as the sulfite was added right away and not much oxidation occurred while batch 18 turned a dark brown.

Did not take measurements, anaerobic primary under airlock, slow to secondary, all due to laziness.

12/3/12 update:  Did not rack yet.  One big chunk of schmutz floating on top, compact layer on the bottom, clear and yellow liquid.  Planning to rack by decanting.  The big chunk fell to the bottom after gentle shaking.

1/8/13 update:  Racked by decanting.   Color is very close to straw and similar to batch 18, which was much darker after initial pressing.

2/15/13 update:  I racked by decanting, stabilized, and backsweetened with sweet pear cider which I did not pasteurize or kill with metabisulfite. I added about 1:4 by volume.

2/28/13 update:   It has some pretty fantastic contamination growing.  The contamination was probably present in the previously frozen juice and took over on that sugary alcoholic juice because the yeast had been stabilized.  I'll get a pic before I dump it.  It is less than 1/2 gallon and I was careless.  When tasted at bottling, it was too tart, even after sweetening.

3/7/13 update:  Turns out it was not contamination, just a thick layer of protein on top, formed some big bubbles I thought were blooms when I looked at it casually in a poorly lit corner of the room.  Looks like the brew survived sweetening with unpasteurized cider.

3/19/13:  Cleared very nicely.  Bottled 4 each in 6 oz crown caps.  Drinkable with very low alcohol content, some residual sweetness, and not much in terms of off flavors.  Sour, though.  Very acid.  Going to freeze concentrate a tiny bit of this combined with some from batch 18 to see what I get.

Update 4/10/13: The freeze-concentrated product was too sweet and too acid.  It concentrated to a volume approximately 1/3rd to 1/4 the original volume, so I'm guessing about 20%ABV.  But since the starting perry was acidic and sweetness was adjusted prior to freeze concentrating, the end product is overacid and cloyingly sweet.

Pressing Cider Pics

Pictures of initial cider pressing with homemade press system done 10/6/12.  I turned 203 pounds of apples into 8 gallons of cider and many samples for the family and me.  Most of the apples were picked from a neighbor's trees (Chuck). 

The sweetest part is collecting and sampling the cider.

Batch 16: Home Pressed Cider w/ WILD Yeast

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
16	Cider	10/27/12	12/3/12	4/10/13	7/8/13	Bottled

Yeast Type:  Wild from apple skins

Ingredients:  1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
Nearly 1 gallon of Jim's home pressed cider from apples he picked (Barbara's tree)

Comments:  Documentation is poor on this batch, pressed 10/27/12.  No pre-fermentation measurements noted.  Primary was anearobic under airlock because it was easy.  I was busy pressing this and pear cider.  Racked by decanting from one plastic water jug to another. Tasting on 12/3/12 during movement to secondary was surprisingly good, nearly a pure alcohol flavor with very little off flavors good mouth feel.  Legs.

Update 4/10/13:  Upon racking (via decant) it was evident this is not nearly as clear as batch 15 brewed with commercial yeast.  The taste is good, a little more harsh probably due to cloudiness.  I don't know if this is a function of the wild yeast or the small batch size in a 1 gallon jug.  I bottled 1 each 6 oz bottle to share during a tasting (also one bottle of sister batch 15), one quart went into the freezer to freeze concentrate, and the rest went into a 1/2 gallon jug under airlock to age and later get sweetened.  I noticed a foamy residue/film that hung out at the surface.  This is not present on batch 15 and I thought might be due to the wild yeast, but that is inconsistent with what I noticed in the perry.  I noticed surface foam on perry batch 17 (commercial yeast), so extensive that I thought it was contamination, but not on perry batch 18 (wild yeast).

7/8/13:
Racked again, very little sediment so very little loss due to transfer.  Tastes flabby, low alcohol, more apple character in taste and nose than batch 15.  Kind of dry and blah right now.  Need to stabilize and sweeten, probably with apple conc

9/30/13: "Bottled" into a 1/2 gallon glass jug.  Same taste as 7/8/13.  Plan to stabilize and sweeten.

4/10/14:  Racked this while I had a mini racking cane from Charles.  Very clear now.  Did not taste.  Still smells so wonderful.

Batch 15: Home pressed cider!

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
15	Cider	10/22/12	12/3/12	4/10/13	7/8/13, 1/3/14, 2/1/14, 12/31/15	12/31/15

Yeast Type:  Fermentis Safale S-04 (ale yeast), then Red Star Cuvee after freaking out the Fermentis did not take

Ingredients:  5 gallons Jim's fresh pressed cider from apples he picked (Chuck's)
5 tsp yeast nutrient
2.5 tsp pectic enzyme
5 campden tabs 
Comments:
Pressed cider 10/6/12, but since it was at Jim's house and he didn't plan ahead to have brewing stuff around, it was frozen.  Thawed 10/21/12-10/22/12.  Added ingredients other than yeast on 10/22/12 and it was still slushy.  I pitched the Fermentis yeast on 10/23/12 (half a packet that was supposedly good for 10 gallons and last used 10/28/11), though the batch was still cold, about 60 degrees.  The fermentation did not start right away, despite stirring every other day to oxygenate must.  Since the yeast was so old I was freaking out that the fermentation was not rapid enough to have active bubbling on the airlock.  On approx 10/27/12 I added a fresh pack of Red Star Premier Cuvee, our standby.

Let this sit in the primary longer than normal, just being lazy.  When I racked to the secondary on 12/3/12 it tasted good, needing to clear and age.  I did not take measurements, again being lazy.  This was a solo effort at Jim's due to the absentee Damavandi.

Update 4/10/13: 
Racked to carboy, some residual sediment on bottom which did not transfer.  This has cleared very nicely.  Bright flavor, dry.  Will need to stabilize and backsweeten.  Bottled 1 each 6 oz bottle for a tasting, 1.5 quart went into the freezer to freeze concentrate, and rest is held in a 5 gallon carboy under airlock.

7/8/13:
Racked again, very little sediment so very little loss due to transfer.  Tastes flabby, low alcohol, lacking apple.  Kind of dry and blah right now.  Need to stabilize and sweeten, probably with apple conc.  Batch 16 had much more apple nose.

1/3/14:

Pale yellow color, very clear, thin layer of skin (protein?) on top surface which clung to the walls of the carboy during racking.  Tastes dry, mellow, slightly tart.  Ready to adjust, so I stabilized with 2.5 tsp of potassium sorbate.  Could use additional sweetness, mouthfeel, alcohol, and carbonation.

 

1/7/14:
Sweetened with crystalline maple sugar and crystallized honey (totalling approximately 1lb) which I dissolved in about a quart of boiling water and pasteurized on the wood stove.  By 1/11/14 it had dropped clear with a honey/maple sediment on the bottom.  I will taste and decide if more honey/maple will be needed, and if so, add more before racking.  I did this on a Tues evening because I did not want to go out in sub-zero temps.

1/22/14:
Tasted good and was sweeter than last, but not sweet enough.  Still dry, not yet semi-sweet.  Added ~1 cup honey, ~3/4 cup maple syrup, both diluted in ~1 cup boiling water.  Mix was heated to boiling for ~5 minutes before adding directly to the batch.

1/23/14:
Taste is fair, better balance of sweet and tart, but somewhat flabby with insufficient mouthfeel.  Might consider adding some glycerin for mouthfeel and clove, cinnamon, or both for interest/complexity.  I hope to carbonate soon and perhaps fill on 2/1?

2/1/14:  Racked, added 4 oz. glycerin and transported in car to Cam's brewhaven. There added 1 TBSP homemade clove extract and 2 TBSP homemade cinnamon extract.  Mixed poorly.  Tasted nice clove flavor, cinnamon not really noticed.  Balanced, better mouthfeel.  Target filling 3/1, carbonating a week prior.

2/21/14:  Found fermentation re-ignited after last racking and sweetening.  Added 1 Tbsp cinnamon extract and 2.5 tsp sorbate on 2/25/14.  Added bentonite dregs from batch 5 on 3/1/14 to help clear it as it was all clouded up.  Tasted fine, though, so added no more sweetness.

12/31/15:  Tart, slightly sweet, decent mouthfeel, but needed something more.  After racking I made a test batch with cinnamon extract, ginger, anise, clove extracts and maple.  Test batch had too much of everything, but gave me an idea of how the flavors would work in relative proportion.  To the final five gallon batch I added 40mL cinnamon extract, 30 mL ginger extract, 2.5mL anise extract, 2.5mL clove extract, 1/2 pt of maple syrup and 2 pts of 80%.  The final theoretical abv is 8.6% based on an assumed 5% start and additions.  Bottled in a variety of configurations, all have a cloudy appearance and a delicious sediment that carries alot of the extract flavors.  I stir it all up and serve it as a 'scrumpy', still and cold.  It is a bit tart, but still drinkable and enjoyable.  Probably would not be hugely popular with modern cider crowd.