Ben Evert.com » Fruit Beers

Hard Apple Cider

ben — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:45:00 +0000

It's not beer and it's not wine, but making hard apple cider is always fun. You can do it the old fashioned way by pressing the apples or you can purchase the apple cider. If you purchase the cider, just make sure that there are no preservatives in it. Personally, I buy the apple cider from a local fruit market. The recipe I found is from Sallys-Place.com and will make a 5 gallon batch. There is also an interesting history of hard cider on that site that is worth reading. Enjoy the recipe and the reading.

Cidermaking is easy and fun. Here is a basic recipe for a Farmhouse Style cider (ingredients for five gallons):

5 gallons of fresh pressed sweet apple juice (known today as apple cider)

5 cups of sugar

1 package of Wyeast liquid lager brewers yeast (available at homebrew supply stores)

Transfer the juice and sugar using a sanitized funnel or food grade plastic hose into a sanitized glass or stainless-steel container at room temperature. Allow the sugar to dissolve and then pitch the lager yeast and affix a fermentation lock atop the carboy It will soon begin to bubble away releasing carbon dioxide as the yeast converts the sugars into alcohol. Allow the cider to ferment and mellow for at least two months before transferring it with your sanitized food grade hose into bottles, a keg, or any vessel you prefer. Then enjoy. Any homebrew supply shop can get you started with the proper advice and equipment.

Originally Posted on my other site: Making Homemade Wine and Beer.

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Strawberry Ale

ben — Mon, 26 May 2008 11:14:00 +0000

Ingredients:

* 3.3 pounds, M&F amber hopped syrup
* 3--1/2 pounds, dry light malt
* 1 pound, crushed crystal malt
* 1 ounce, Northern Brewer leaf hops, (alpha=8.0%) 1 hour boil
* 8 pints, fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed, pureed
* 4 Tablespoons, pectin enzyme
* Ale yeast starter

FG: 1.008

Procedure:

Make a yeast starter by boiling 1 cup dry malt extract in a quart of water and cool to below 90 degrees F. Add four of Red Star Ale yeast and agitate. Let set for two hours.

Steep crystal malt in 1 gallon of water for a while, then "rinse" in another 1--1/2 gallons. (I preboil.) Add malt and boiling hops and boil liquid for 1 hour. Turn down heat to very low flame and add pureed strawberries, heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove hops then cool wort. Dump in primary fermenter and add cold bottled water. The temp should be around 65-70. Dump in the yeast starter. The next day or sooner, add about 4 tablespoons of pectic enzyme, right into the beer. Rack after 3- 4 days. Bottle with 3/4 cup corn sugar.

Raspberry Ale

ben — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:06:00 +0000

Ingredients:

* 6-7 pounds, light malt extract
* 1/4 pound, crystal malt
* 2-1/2 cups, raspberry puree
* 1 ounce, boiling hops (Hallertauer, Saaz, Tettnanger)
* yeast
* 10 cups, raspberry puree

Procedure:

Crack, steep, and strain crystal malt before boiling. Add extract and hops. Boil. Strain into primary. Add 2-1/2 cups raspberry puree. Add enough cold water to make 5 gallons. Pitch yeast. When racking to secondary, add another 10 cups raspberry puree.

Cherry Wheat Ale

ben — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:45:00 +0000

Ingredients:

* 6.6 lb Northwestern Wheat Extract
* 1 oz. Tettnang hops. (boiling hops- full 60 minutes)
* 1/2 oz. Tettnang (flavor hops- last 20 minutes of boil)
* 1/2 oz. Tettnang (aroma- steep for 2 minutes at end of boil)
* 4 oz. of cherry extract

Procedure:

Total boil is 60 minutes. Also added Irish moss last 15 min of boil. Add the cherry extract after the boil and ferment for about 1 week.

Blueberry Ale

ben — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:41:00 +0000

Ingredients:

* 7 pounds, British amber extract
* 1-1/2 pounds, crystal malt
* 2 ounces, Northern Brewer hops (boil)
* 1 ounce, Fuggles hops (finish)
* Whitbread ale yeast
* 2 pounds, fresh frozen blueberries

Primary Ferment: 1 week

Procedure:

Steep crystal malt while bringing to boil. Remove grains and add extract and boiling hops. Boil 60 minutes. Add finish hops and let steep 15 minutes. Sparge into ice, mix. Rack to 7-gallon carboy. At peak of fermentation add blueberries. Ferment 1 week and rack to secondary. Prime with corn sugar.