The Official Brewing Thread (part deux)

[OpusX]

Time to resurrect the officially unofficial revamp of the brewing thread. Here is a happy air lock on my recent Grapefruit IPA.

[BLachance75]

I started 2 gallons of mead tonight. I have a SG if 1.080 so I should end up somewhere around 10% ABV. I personally prefer my meads in the 8-10% range so this will work out perfect.

I used about 5 pounds of my own clover honey and Lalvin D47 yeast. I’m not sure on how I want to flavor it yet.

[OpusX]

Cider season is upon us. Costco has supplied another great batch of juice this season. French, New England and Cyser all bubbling away nicely.

[RAZRBAKK]

Cider season is upon us. Costco has supplied another great batch of juice this season. French, New England and Cyser all bubbling away nicely.

What yeast do you go with for these?

[OpusX]

What yeast do you go with for these?

Both the French and New England are S04, only difference is the New England has 5lbs of added honey. The Cyser has Lalvin 71B and 10lbs of added honey.

[RAZRBAKK]

Both the French and New England are S04, only difference is the New England has 5lbs of added honey. The Cyser has Lalvin 71B and 10lbs of added honey.

Interesting. I've worked in beer for a good 5 years and have always wanted to experiment with cider and never got around to it. Hopefully going to give it a go this fall. Updates, of course.

[Roach]

Kinda Neat I stumbled across this thread, I was thinking of starting to brew next month, you guys have any ideas or tips? I am gonna be learning a few tricks of the trade through a friend who owns a brewery near me. Obviously the biggest thing is sanitation from what I can tell

[OpusX]

Interesting. I've worked in beer for a good 5 years and have always wanted to experiment with cider and never got around to it. Hopefully going to give it a go this fall. Updates, of course.

Next pitch will include a batch or two with Nottingham. Makes a great English cider. Make sure to use ample pectic enzyme as well as yeast energizer and nutrient, to get things clear and tasty.

[lew]

Interesting. I've worked in beer for a good 5 years and have always wanted to experiment with cider and never got around to it. Hopefully going to give it a go this fall. Updates, of course.

Cider's even easier than beer. I prefer a nice farmhouse style cider, so nice and dry with a respectable alcohol content. A champagne yeast is a must for that.

[BLachance75]

I started a cider tonight. I went with a gallon of apple juice and a quart of black cherry juice. The SG is 1.054 so I should be looking at 7% ABV when it’s finished.

When this one is done I’m going to do another one with only apple and dry hop it in secondary.

[BLachance75]

I bottled 2 meads tonight.

The purple caps are blueberry lemonade and the yellow caps are passion fruit, orange, guava.



I’ll probably bottle my cider next weekend. It has finished fermenting and I’m giving it a little time to clear before I bottle carbonate it.

[OpusX]

The most recent batch of French Cider is ready. Quite effervescent and crisp.

[BLachance75]

I bottled my 2 ciders tonight.

I ended up with 9 bottles of hopped apple cider plus my carbonation test bottle and 16 bottles of apple dark cherry cider and my tester.



Next time I’d either add more hops when I dry hop the cider or leave it in for longer. I used 1 oz of cascade hop pellets and left them in for 1 week. It does have a nice hop flavor but I’d like it to have more.

The apple cherry is really good. I’m really looking forward to trying it when it is carbonated.

[OpusX]

I bottled my spruce tip mead today. It has a lite spruce/woody note and complex honey waxen character. It's a keeper.

[BLachance75]

I bottled version 2 of my hopped hard cider. This one is a keeper and I will be making more. It has a good hop flavor and the right amount of sweetness.