Category: Other brews

Finally, about 3 weeks ago, I pulled a batch of beer from a fermenting tub that was… strange. No, really strange. The sample I decanted from near the bottom (but above the trub) seemed OK, but for the first time there was some very ugly black scum floating on top and crawling up the sides, trying to escape into the wild. Did not like the looks of it, so…

Decanted all I could w/o involving the scum directly, filtered it well and then boiled what I got (only about 2 gallons that I was willing to play with)… for a while. I then used THAT liquid as a base for a whole new batch that I just now bottled for conditioning. It took a longer time to come together than previous primary fermenting stages on other brews, but I tasted some (mostly flat, of course, before the bottle conditioning), and… it’s surprisingly good, even uncarbonated! I bottled one bottle as is with no sugar charge for use cooking and the rest in 16-oz Grolsch swingtops. I’m really looking forward to this one.

Now, on to an(other *heh*) experimental batch. Since I’m low on hops, I think I’ll make the next batch some molasses “beer” using the trub off this for whatever “hopsiness” is available. The yeast in the trub will boil to nothing but some dead, mostly protein, additional flavoring, and I’ll likely be at least better-pleased than if I had to use only the hops on hand.

Should be fun.

Well, I’m just about to break out my fermentation containers again. I have enough materials on hand to make almost 30 gallons of beer, and need only to get some additional stuff to make some sparkling apple cider for the Thanksgiving/Christmas seasons.

Speaking of which… a simple not-quite-recipe (you’ll have to read between the lines, that is, have some brewing knowledge to get this one) for a simple, inexpensive sparkling apple cider:

Enough frozen apple juice (can have vitamin C but no other preservatives!) to make about 4 gallons of juice.
About 4 cups of sugar
Some wine yeast–preferably “champagne” yeast, but almost any WINE yeast will do

You get the picture. After fermentation for at least a week, you can rack the resultant cider and continue to ferment for another month or so. If you have a hydrometer to measure alcoholic content, you can use that to determine your preferred level. Bottle in bottles designed to hold high-pressure carbonation, like those used for any sparkling wine or juice (will need bottle caps and a bottle capper or sparkling wine corks and wires OR just use some handy-dandy Grolsch swingtop bottles like I do) with anywhere from 1/2 teaspoon to a teaspoon of sugar per bottle to “charge” the bottles, depending on the size of the bottle. 1/2 teaspoon for a typical 12oz beer bottle, 3/4 for a 16oz and a teaspoon for a typical sparkling wine bottle.

Each 4 gallons will allow you to bottle almost 40 12oz bottles of the sparkling goodness. Anchor Steam bottles are particularly attractive for this use, if sparkling wine bottles or Grolsch swingtops aren’t available. I’ve also used some nice green Stella Artois bottles for sparkling hard cider, as well.

Let ’em carbonate in the bottle for a week or two, then store ’em in a cool place (I’m thinking our garage will be cool enough by then)

Most excellent imbibery!

Update: 21:22 hrs. Both brews are bubblin’ away nicely, although the cider looks like it’s a fully carbonated, shook up pop, it’s fizzing so much. Ya think too much sugar? I actually used half as much as the new recipe I found called for, but it’s looking like something else… Oh, well. 🙂

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It’s that time of year. Unfortunately, since I just started the cider today, it won’t likely be ready for Thanksgiving, but it’ll most certainly be ready for Xmas.

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This is a really simple, easy-peasy cider recipe. Uses all stuff you can get off the shelf in most grocery stores, except for the wine yeast, which may not be available in your local store.

• 2.5 gallons of apple juice
• 1 quart “hyper-concentrated” apple juice (from frozen concentrate, made with 1/3 the water called for on the cans)
• 4C sugar
• 1 package Red Star Premier Couvée wine yeast

Heated the juice in a stock pot to 100-105 degrees Fahrenheit (about 40 degrees Celsius). Simmered slowly at about that temp.

Took about 1C of the sugared juice in a clean crockery bowl and added the yeast. Covered and let sit for about 15 minutes.

Checked the apple juice. Turned off heat and let cool a bit.

When the juice had reached a clear 100 degrees F, added it a bit at a time to my primary fermenter. When I had about a gallon in the fermenter, added the proofed yeast (it was really bubbling away!) and sirred with a clean stainless steel spoon. Added the rest of the juice pretty quickly after that, then added the airlock and placed the fermenter in a warm place, covered from light.

I’ll check back in a day to see how it’s cooking. In about a week, it could be ready to rack. I may just skip secondary fermenting, save for some bottle fermenting, of this first batch. We’ll see.

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Next up? Some “Nut Brown Ale”. That’s cooking away in the stock pot now, with yeast proofing on the side. In 30 minutes or so, it’ll be time to start cooling the wort down… which I’ll do “impatient man’s style” by adding a gallon or so of cooler water. I’ve found by experience that that works as well for me as just letting it sit–at least with these “kit beers” like this “Nut Brown Ale” is.

When Thanksgiving weekend comes around, I want to cook up some beer that’s more from scratch, but getting back into the swing of another season of beer brewing, this is an easy way to get some better than average brew going.