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BIG APPLE DAY
Nov. 4th, 2014 06:34 pmYesterday was the applejuice buy from Vanbrewers. I came home with 22 gallons of mixed granny smith/jonagold/honeycrisp juice. It's got a little bit of acid tang but is still pretty sweet. We didn't get the juice till 8 or 9 at night, so it was a long night. Here's what i did.
Spiced Apple Wine.
5 kg sugar.
yeast nutrient, yeast energiser, pectic enzymes as per package directions
3/4 tsp wine tannin (according to minimum package directions)
2tsp acid blend (according to minimum package directions)
375g sultanas
Top up to 6 gallons with apple juice
Stir till mixed, didn't heat it or sanitize it on anything since my stove was full of other things and I was gonna be pitching right away.
I was sleepy when I was pitching, so I pitched the wrong yeast. I had meant to pitch Cote des blancs, but accidentally pitched Wyeast Cider smack-pack 4766. On later research I learned that maybe that was fortuitous. Some folks have said that yeast doesn't hold aroma and I really, really don't wanna lose the aroma on the quince. Hopefully it holds arome, but I am gonna add a bunch of spice in the secondary, so there'll be supporting flavours. I'll be adding
Sassafrass
Rose petals
Cinnamon
Star anise
in the secondary, maybe with a little oak and williamette hops. I pitched the yeast into (pretty cold) must last night, and maybe 20 hours later I've just had to put it in a primary bucket because it was blowing the top off the carboy.
16.5% potential alcohol.
Strong sweet cyser.
Redo of the one I did last year that is now starting to taste pretty amazing but would probably be even better in another year or two:
~8 kg honey (I may have poured a little heavily)
tannin, acid, pectic enzyme, yeast energiser, yeast nutrient as per lowest package directions
apple juice to fill (about 4.5 gallons)
I heated the honey briefly on the stove till it was liquid enough to pour through a funnel into the carboy, topped it up with the (very cold) apple juice, stirred a lot, then pitched the same yeast I used last year, the Wyeast smack-pack sweet mead yeast 4184.
Last year I hadn't added the tannin or acid, but I really liked its effect on the juice.
18-19% (!) potential alcohol.
Apple quince wine.
Half a shopping bag of frozen quinces.
5kg sugar
tannin, acid, energiser, enzymes, nutrient
fill to 6gallons apple juice (about 5 gallons)
Stir till mixed. Pitched Red Star Cotes des blancs because I had accidentally pitched the cider yeast into the spiced apple. The quinces were still frozen solid so I didn't break them up much or anything, so I 'll be poking them when I stir it from time to time.
Potential alcohol 17% (measured quite cold).
Candy apple graff.
Steep in 1.5 gallons water at 150-160:
0.75 lb Crystal 60L
0.65 lb Special B
1 lb Carapils
1.5 lb Acidulated malt
Pull the grains out, rinse them in a little hot water. Put that hot water in there too. Toss the grains. Add
3 lb pale dry malt extract
Start boiling. Add
0.5 oz Williamette hops.
Boil for half an hour. The Williamette hops smelled so good I added
0.5 oz Williamette hops
right at the end, then chilled the whole thing down a little and poured it into 18L apple juice to make up the six gallons. Pitched Safale - 04 yeast to keep some sweet in. I really liked the taste the acidulated malt lent the wort. I'm considering adding some tannins and acids in here too.
I just pitched some nottingham yeast directly into the last cider, I am making another graff out of it but ran out of time and figured that was the best way of preserving the juice, so that's what I'll go do now.
Apple juice info: Tank A: Brix = 10.8 PH = 4.6 EC = 1.7
Tank B: Brix = 11.0 PH = 4.3 EC = 1.6
Mix of Apples : 4 parts Honeycrisp; 5 parts Jonagold; 1 part Granny smith
Spiced Apple Wine.
5 kg sugar.
yeast nutrient, yeast energiser, pectic enzymes as per package directions
3/4 tsp wine tannin (according to minimum package directions)
2tsp acid blend (according to minimum package directions)
375g sultanas
Top up to 6 gallons with apple juice
Stir till mixed, didn't heat it or sanitize it on anything since my stove was full of other things and I was gonna be pitching right away.
I was sleepy when I was pitching, so I pitched the wrong yeast. I had meant to pitch Cote des blancs, but accidentally pitched Wyeast Cider smack-pack 4766. On later research I learned that maybe that was fortuitous. Some folks have said that yeast doesn't hold aroma and I really, really don't wanna lose the aroma on the quince. Hopefully it holds arome, but I am gonna add a bunch of spice in the secondary, so there'll be supporting flavours. I'll be adding
Sassafrass
Rose petals
Cinnamon
Star anise
in the secondary, maybe with a little oak and williamette hops. I pitched the yeast into (pretty cold) must last night, and maybe 20 hours later I've just had to put it in a primary bucket because it was blowing the top off the carboy.
16.5% potential alcohol.
Strong sweet cyser.
Redo of the one I did last year that is now starting to taste pretty amazing but would probably be even better in another year or two:
~8 kg honey (I may have poured a little heavily)
tannin, acid, pectic enzyme, yeast energiser, yeast nutrient as per lowest package directions
apple juice to fill (about 4.5 gallons)
I heated the honey briefly on the stove till it was liquid enough to pour through a funnel into the carboy, topped it up with the (very cold) apple juice, stirred a lot, then pitched the same yeast I used last year, the Wyeast smack-pack sweet mead yeast 4184.
Last year I hadn't added the tannin or acid, but I really liked its effect on the juice.
18-19% (!) potential alcohol.
Apple quince wine.
Half a shopping bag of frozen quinces.
5kg sugar
tannin, acid, energiser, enzymes, nutrient
fill to 6gallons apple juice (about 5 gallons)
Stir till mixed. Pitched Red Star Cotes des blancs because I had accidentally pitched the cider yeast into the spiced apple. The quinces were still frozen solid so I didn't break them up much or anything, so I 'll be poking them when I stir it from time to time.
Potential alcohol 17% (measured quite cold).
Candy apple graff.
Steep in 1.5 gallons water at 150-160:
0.75 lb Crystal 60L
0.65 lb Special B
1 lb Carapils
1.5 lb Acidulated malt
Pull the grains out, rinse them in a little hot water. Put that hot water in there too. Toss the grains. Add
3 lb pale dry malt extract
Start boiling. Add
0.5 oz Williamette hops.
Boil for half an hour. The Williamette hops smelled so good I added
0.5 oz Williamette hops
right at the end, then chilled the whole thing down a little and poured it into 18L apple juice to make up the six gallons. Pitched Safale - 04 yeast to keep some sweet in. I really liked the taste the acidulated malt lent the wort. I'm considering adding some tannins and acids in here too.
I just pitched some nottingham yeast directly into the last cider, I am making another graff out of it but ran out of time and figured that was the best way of preserving the juice, so that's what I'll go do now.
Apple juice info: Tank A: Brix = 10.8 PH = 4.6 EC = 1.7
Tank B: Brix = 11.0 PH = 4.3 EC = 1.6
Mix of Apples : 4 parts Honeycrisp; 5 parts Jonagold; 1 part Granny smith
Oatmeal Stout and a paper
Oct. 18th, 2014 06:59 amBrewing while doing schoolwork works pretty well for me. Last night I did my first oatmeal stout (recipe on brewtoad as underground stout) and the wort tastes really good. Sadly it boiled over, so I think I lost a bunch of the amazing creamy oust stuff that was hanging out at the top, but I still have high hopes for it. Used the white labs yeast vials for the first time. Curious as to how well it works.
Just about time to put the second cherry into a secondary. I'll see how it tastes, I'm pretty curious to try it side by side with the other. I used a can of cherry pulp rather than whole cherries like I did with the other one, and added a litre of sour cherry juice I had around the house. Also it hasn't aged for five months.
Just about time to put the second cherry into a secondary. I'll see how it tastes, I'm pretty curious to try it side by side with the other. I used a can of cherry pulp rather than whole cherries like I did with the other one, and added a litre of sour cherry juice I had around the house. Also it hasn't aged for five months.
Here we go again
Aug. 31st, 2014 08:19 pmDid a bunch of racking and clearing/stabilising yesterday, and also tossed out the barleywine. It was super sad to toss the barleywine cuz it was awesome except for the very pronounced oxidation, and it was my first toss.
I'm making up for it by starting a gooseberry wine tonight (thawed 20lbs gooseberries, mashed with potato masher, adding 5.5kg sugar in boiling water with enough water to approximate six gallons, then adding 5tsp yeast nutrient and 5 campden tablets. Let sit 12 hours. Then I'm adding a yeast, likely lalvin k1-1116 but maybe lalvin 71b-1122 instead.
The straining part will be the interesting part.
So.
My lovely ladybrewer friends introduced me to the wonder that is Spagnol's warehouse closing - out sale. I ended up with a LOT of wine kits (I've never made grape wine before!): 6gal reisling ice wine, one need and one high quality gewurtz, a 12gal (med quality) chilean malbec, a 4.2gal alsastian riesling, a vioginier, a california muscat, a grenache syrah and a cab sauv.
My lovely boyfriend took me on a date to the brew store and I got ingredients for a beliguan sour cherry deal and for a lightish spicy strong ginger ale. (Plus I need to make a few litres of proper ginger ale).
I'm doing the beer first, and the malbec and the alsace riesling. I want to do the lesser gewurtz and add elderflowers, but not sure if I want to go with dried or with abottle of St Germaine.
My lovely ladybrewer friends introduced me to the wonder that is Spagnol's warehouse closing - out sale. I ended up with a LOT of wine kits (I've never made grape wine before!): 6gal reisling ice wine, one need and one high quality gewurtz, a 12gal (med quality) chilean malbec, a 4.2gal alsastian riesling, a vioginier, a california muscat, a grenache syrah and a cab sauv.
My lovely boyfriend took me on a date to the brew store and I got ingredients for a beliguan sour cherry deal and for a lightish spicy strong ginger ale. (Plus I need to make a few litres of proper ginger ale).
I'm doing the beer first, and the malbec and the alsace riesling. I want to do the lesser gewurtz and add elderflowers, but not sure if I want to go with dried or with abottle of St Germaine.
I have three brewing plans on the horizon:
A barley wine along the lines of Driftwood's Old Cellar Dweller.
A cedar/juniper mead based on the recent 3700-year-old stash discovered in Israel: http://www.nbcnews.com/science/aged-perfection-3-700-year-old-cellar-housed-luxurious-wine-2D11638850
And a fruit mead that's one (or two?) of cherry, blackcurrant, and/or elderberry.
I also spotted this gingerbread liqueur recipe: http://boozedandinfused.com/2012/12/08/gingerbread-liqueur-for-your-holiday-spirit/
I still have some milk liqueur in my booze cabinet, but it might be nice with grapefruit, too.
On a non-booze note, I'm thinking about makign this lovely cabbage roll casserole when I'm done eating all the turkey soup in my fridge: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cabbage-roll-casserole
A barley wine along the lines of Driftwood's Old Cellar Dweller.
A cedar/juniper mead based on the recent 3700-year-old stash discovered in Israel: http://www.nbcnews.com/science/aged-perfection-3-700-year-old-cellar-housed-luxurious-wine-2D11638850
And a fruit mead that's one (or two?) of cherry, blackcurrant, and/or elderberry.
I also spotted this gingerbread liqueur recipe: http://boozedandinfused.com/2012/12/08/gingerbread-liqueur-for-your-holiday-spirit/
I still have some milk liqueur in my booze cabinet, but it might be nice with grapefruit, too.
On a non-booze note, I'm thinking about makign this lovely cabbage roll casserole when I'm done eating all the turkey soup in my fridge: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cabbage-roll-casserole
Tags:
These are some notes I added on the graff and kousa wine below:
Graff: I went to bottle this pretty late, end of last week, and I hadn't transferred it to an airlocked carboy. It tasted distinctly sour: I kind of liked the taste, did some research, consulted, and ended up priming and bottling half of it to see where it goes. I am worried that it will form a pellicle in the bottles, in which case I'll throw it out. If not, and it carbonates, and I like it, I will drink the half I kept. But: I think my primaries are scratched enough to harbour bacteria, and I trust cleanliness of glass, so I'm running everything in glass for awhile. Next update will be when it carbonates.
Kousa wine: The yeast is bubbling away slowly but steadily, there's a lot of pulp on the bottom (doesn't look like yeast sediment exactly) that's not consolidates down, I'd lose a good gallon or gallon and a half if I tried to get it off that. Today for the first time it looks like it might eventually clear sometime in my lifetime. The carboy has been not entirely full, which I know is a problem, so tonight I'm boiling up another 1.25kg kousa fruit and a cup of sugar in some water to strain and add, topping it up. It smells much more alcoholic now, but really really really good.
Graff: I went to bottle this pretty late, end of last week, and I hadn't transferred it to an airlocked carboy. It tasted distinctly sour: I kind of liked the taste, did some research, consulted, and ended up priming and bottling half of it to see where it goes. I am worried that it will form a pellicle in the bottles, in which case I'll throw it out. If not, and it carbonates, and I like it, I will drink the half I kept. But: I think my primaries are scratched enough to harbour bacteria, and I trust cleanliness of glass, so I'm running everything in glass for awhile. Next update will be when it carbonates.
Kousa wine: The yeast is bubbling away slowly but steadily, there's a lot of pulp on the bottom (doesn't look like yeast sediment exactly) that's not consolidates down, I'd lose a good gallon or gallon and a half if I tried to get it off that. Today for the first time it looks like it might eventually clear sometime in my lifetime. The carboy has been not entirely full, which I know is a problem, so tonight I'm boiling up another 1.25kg kousa fruit and a cup of sugar in some water to strain and add, topping it up. It smells much more alcoholic now, but really really really good.
Fall Is For Apples
Nov. 4th, 2013 07:27 amWell, we're overdue a booze update and I have a bunch more stuff on the go now.
Problem is, brew days are pretty tiring/demanding for me, they use up my store of enthusiasm for the topic (which feels really good, to drain that all the way dry for a bit) and then I don't want to write it up for awhile. I expect as I get more experience and have to concentrate less hard on all the steps it'll be less demanding of me.
I'll start with the fun stuff.
So I went out to Abbotsford to Taves Family Farm and filled up 2 6gallon sanitized carboys with fresh-pressed Jonagold apple juice. I did some sciency stuff with it and determined it had 6g/L acid and was at 1.04 specific gravity (though again I'm taking this measurement a little warm) or 5% potential alcohol. It also tasted lovely, much tarter than I was expecting.
I did a bunch of stuff all at once with it, so:
Juniper Apple Wine
4kg table sugar, heated in some of the apple juice with 1gm grains of paradise and 1oz juniper berries till it dissolved well then finished filling carboy with apple juice (it was pasteurized on the farm). I popped in 1/8 tsp potassium metasulphite and yeast nutrient and pectic enzymes as per package instructions. 12 hours later I pitched some Red Star Cotes Des Blancs yeast. It smells amazing, I love my idea. 12 hours later the yeast isn't doing much, but there's a tiny bit of activity. That's the same yeast I used for the kousa wine, and it worked great there, so we'll see.
Started at 1.1 specific gravity on the nose, or 14% potential alcohol.
Apple Sweet Mead
6L of honey was melted into some of the apple juice on the stovetop till it was pretty warm, then poured in and topped up till the 6 gallon point. I then added a double dose of yeast nutrient because this yeast is gonna be working really hard, some pectic enzyme, and a 1/8 dose of potassium meta as per above. Again I let it sit for 12 hours or so. I pitched a pack of Wyeast sweet mead yeast, one of those smack-pack things which poofed up well. 12 hours later it's showing tiny tiny bubbles but the airlock isn't doing much.
Started at something close to 1.35 specific gravity (it was hard to get a reading with honey-bubbles and sticky and being so low on the hydrometer. That's 18% potential alcohol, but this yeast will not take it that far. I am making a dessert candy here, folks.
Graff Take II
There was a remaining 2.5-3lbs apple juice, so this is where I went with it. First I gave it 1/16 tsp potassium meta, then left it the same 12 hours as everything else.
When that wait was done I steeped 1/2lb organic crystal 60L cracked malt with 3oz cracked carapils in 3L 155-165 degree water (I have so much trouble holding the temp even on my stove), atrained, then the grains sparged (rinsed) with 170 degree water (The rats loved the used-up grains). Added 1.5lbs light liquid malt extract and 1.25lbs amber liquid malt extract, brought it to a low boil, added 0.5 oz wakatu hop pellets. Boiled for 1/2 hour, poured it into the carboy on top of the remaining maybe 2.5-3 gallons of apple juice, then pitched Nottingham dry yeast after a good swirl. The carboy (I'm not using a primary bucket, that story later) was somewhat over half full and I was out of juice, so I figured I'd pitch the yeast and get it started fighting it out, then come home with store apple juice to top it up today. The yeast is just bubbling along with now, I haven't added more apple juice yet.
I didn't get a specific gravity because I wasn't done adding apple juice when I pitched the yeast. We'll see how it goes.
I pitched the yeast and did the boil for the graff this morning before work.
Morning seems to be when I have energy for doing things, so the daylight savings thing is great, it gives me extra time at the good part of the day. I just need to get to bed on time still.
Now I'll go back and update my kousa wine and graff: batch 1 stories.
Problem is, brew days are pretty tiring/demanding for me, they use up my store of enthusiasm for the topic (which feels really good, to drain that all the way dry for a bit) and then I don't want to write it up for awhile. I expect as I get more experience and have to concentrate less hard on all the steps it'll be less demanding of me.
I'll start with the fun stuff.
So I went out to Abbotsford to Taves Family Farm and filled up 2 6gallon sanitized carboys with fresh-pressed Jonagold apple juice. I did some sciency stuff with it and determined it had 6g/L acid and was at 1.04 specific gravity (though again I'm taking this measurement a little warm) or 5% potential alcohol. It also tasted lovely, much tarter than I was expecting.
I did a bunch of stuff all at once with it, so:
Juniper Apple Wine
4kg table sugar, heated in some of the apple juice with 1gm grains of paradise and 1oz juniper berries till it dissolved well then finished filling carboy with apple juice (it was pasteurized on the farm). I popped in 1/8 tsp potassium metasulphite and yeast nutrient and pectic enzymes as per package instructions. 12 hours later I pitched some Red Star Cotes Des Blancs yeast. It smells amazing, I love my idea. 12 hours later the yeast isn't doing much, but there's a tiny bit of activity. That's the same yeast I used for the kousa wine, and it worked great there, so we'll see.
Started at 1.1 specific gravity on the nose, or 14% potential alcohol.
Apple Sweet Mead
6L of honey was melted into some of the apple juice on the stovetop till it was pretty warm, then poured in and topped up till the 6 gallon point. I then added a double dose of yeast nutrient because this yeast is gonna be working really hard, some pectic enzyme, and a 1/8 dose of potassium meta as per above. Again I let it sit for 12 hours or so. I pitched a pack of Wyeast sweet mead yeast, one of those smack-pack things which poofed up well. 12 hours later it's showing tiny tiny bubbles but the airlock isn't doing much.
Started at something close to 1.35 specific gravity (it was hard to get a reading with honey-bubbles and sticky and being so low on the hydrometer. That's 18% potential alcohol, but this yeast will not take it that far. I am making a dessert candy here, folks.
Graff Take II
There was a remaining 2.5-3lbs apple juice, so this is where I went with it. First I gave it 1/16 tsp potassium meta, then left it the same 12 hours as everything else.
When that wait was done I steeped 1/2lb organic crystal 60L cracked malt with 3oz cracked carapils in 3L 155-165 degree water (I have so much trouble holding the temp even on my stove), atrained, then the grains sparged (rinsed) with 170 degree water (The rats loved the used-up grains). Added 1.5lbs light liquid malt extract and 1.25lbs amber liquid malt extract, brought it to a low boil, added 0.5 oz wakatu hop pellets. Boiled for 1/2 hour, poured it into the carboy on top of the remaining maybe 2.5-3 gallons of apple juice, then pitched Nottingham dry yeast after a good swirl. The carboy (I'm not using a primary bucket, that story later) was somewhat over half full and I was out of juice, so I figured I'd pitch the yeast and get it started fighting it out, then come home with store apple juice to top it up today. The yeast is just bubbling along with now, I haven't added more apple juice yet.
I didn't get a specific gravity because I wasn't done adding apple juice when I pitched the yeast. We'll see how it goes.
I pitched the yeast and did the boil for the graff this morning before work.
Morning seems to be when I have energy for doing things, so the daylight savings thing is great, it gives me extra time at the good part of the day. I just need to get to bed on time still.
Now I'll go back and update my kousa wine and graff: batch 1 stories.
Graff a la Brandon O
Oct. 8th, 2013 05:07 pmAlright, so, brewing time. I am currently making Brandon O's Graff ( http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-malty-slightly-hopped-cider-117117/ ) with of course some alterations.
Also: my apartment smells like malt and hops.
Okay, so I basically followed the base recipe with a bunch of alterations and details: I used 1.1 kilos amber liquid malt extract instead of 2 lbs dried malt extract, and 1/2 lb crystal 120L, because I like those dark roasty tastes a lot. Instead of buying apple juice, I used a can of Vinter's Harvest apple wine base, so basically apple juice concentrate, diluted up to 4 gallons. The hops I picked were wakatu, because I loved their smell. Yeast is Safale-05.
For my first official wort-making, it's going well. Things taste good. I'm not sure I like the intensity of hop smell in here. Wish me luck! Will record specific gravity later on.
[Edit: 1.04 specific gravity or about 5% potential alcohol]
[Edit on Nov 04, 2013: I went to bottle this pretty late, end of last week, and I hadn't transferred it to an airlocked carboy. It tasted distinctly sour: I kind of liked the taste, did some research, consulted, and ended up priming and bottling half of it to see where it goes. I am worried that it will form a pellicle in the bottles, in which case I'll throw it out. If not, and it carbonates, and I like it, I will drink the half I kept. But: I think my primaries are scratched enough to harbour bacteria, and I trust cleanliness of glass, so I'm running everything in glass for awhile. Next update will be when it carbonates.]
Also: my apartment smells like malt and hops.
Okay, so I basically followed the base recipe with a bunch of alterations and details: I used 1.1 kilos amber liquid malt extract instead of 2 lbs dried malt extract, and 1/2 lb crystal 120L, because I like those dark roasty tastes a lot. Instead of buying apple juice, I used a can of Vinter's Harvest apple wine base, so basically apple juice concentrate, diluted up to 4 gallons. The hops I picked were wakatu, because I loved their smell. Yeast is Safale-05.
For my first official wort-making, it's going well. Things taste good. I'm not sure I like the intensity of hop smell in here. Wish me luck! Will record specific gravity later on.
[Edit: 1.04 specific gravity or about 5% potential alcohol]
[Edit on Nov 04, 2013: I went to bottle this pretty late, end of last week, and I hadn't transferred it to an airlocked carboy. It tasted distinctly sour: I kind of liked the taste, did some research, consulted, and ended up priming and bottling half of it to see where it goes. I am worried that it will form a pellicle in the bottles, in which case I'll throw it out. If not, and it carbonates, and I like it, I will drink the half I kept. But: I think my primaries are scratched enough to harbour bacteria, and I trust cleanliness of glass, so I'm running everything in glass for awhile. Next update will be when it carbonates.]
Brewing Geekery
Oct. 7th, 2013 05:44 pmOh. My.
Old booze recipes.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Old-Time_Recipes_for_Home_Made_Wines_Cordials_and_Liqueurs
Old booze recipes.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Old-Time_Recipes_for_Home_Made_Wines_Cordials_and_Liqueurs
Switching Gears
Sep. 30th, 2013 03:00 pmThat ended up less amicable than expected, but I guess that much food is still a relatively benign sacrifice. I'm living on my own now, which means-- more time to make things. And I (thank goodness) don't look like I need to move my canned goods yet.
Even so, I think aside from a bunch of apple/pear sauce and a few more rounds of pickled eggs, putting things in jars might be over for the year.
That might mean it's time to start brewing. I helped with a batch of pumpkin beer last weekend (pretty good date activity, to be honest). I'm feeling much more confident in the beermaking process having walked through the steps.
It's kousa dogwood time, and then soon rowan berry time. I think both of those might make interesting ferments. I have a stupendously huge bucket of honey waiting to make mead (rowan mead?!)
I also (think I still?) have access to large amounts of frozen unpasteurized apple cider/juice. I've learned about graff ( http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-malty-slightly-hopped-cider-117117/ ) which seems pretty delightful even if it was created based on a Stephen King book. There are a bunch of different ways to do it, and of course I'm interested in the sweeter end of those, or the sour ones.
I haven't been out scouting too many alleys lately, which is sad. Apples are falling all over the place; we had a huge storm on the weekend and I bet that brought a ton more down. It's just a matter of permission or stealth to get 'em home.
Apparently there's a cider press festival in Vancouver, which might be an interesting way to both network with cider-press folks and to get a little more apple juice. Looks fun, anyhow. http://www.villagevancouver.ca/events/frog-hollow-press-fest
Even so, I think aside from a bunch of apple/pear sauce and a few more rounds of pickled eggs, putting things in jars might be over for the year.
That might mean it's time to start brewing. I helped with a batch of pumpkin beer last weekend (pretty good date activity, to be honest). I'm feeling much more confident in the beermaking process having walked through the steps.
It's kousa dogwood time, and then soon rowan berry time. I think both of those might make interesting ferments. I have a stupendously huge bucket of honey waiting to make mead (rowan mead?!)
I also (think I still?) have access to large amounts of frozen unpasteurized apple cider/juice. I've learned about graff ( http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-malty-slightly-hopped-cider-117117/ ) which seems pretty delightful even if it was created based on a Stephen King book. There are a bunch of different ways to do it, and of course I'm interested in the sweeter end of those, or the sour ones.
I haven't been out scouting too many alleys lately, which is sad. Apples are falling all over the place; we had a huge storm on the weekend and I bet that brought a ton more down. It's just a matter of permission or stealth to get 'em home.
Apparently there's a cider press festival in Vancouver, which might be an interesting way to both network with cider-press folks and to get a little more apple juice. Looks fun, anyhow. http://www.villagevancouver.ca/events/frog-hollow-press-fest
