Graff Cider, made famous on homebrewtalk.com, is an easy to make cider-like beverage that produces a potent potable in four to six weeks. This is a good alternative to the traditional cider process that can take almost a year to mellow out.
Use the link above for directions on how to make a five gallon batch. James and I used 0.5 ounces of summit hops by mistake because we read the directions too quickly. We bought Target brand apple juice and 80SRM crystal malt. And now for the review...
Appearance - The Graff Cider pours a beautiful orange color with a nice full head that lingers as you drink it. It is a bit cloudy still, but given enough time in the fridge it will clear up.
Smell - There really isn't a whole lot going on aroma wise. You can smell a bit of apple and the tiniest bit of citrus hops.
Taste - This is not your sister's Woodchuck. Lots of carbonation ~ dry compared to commercial cider ~ hints of fresh apples ~ surprisingly similar taste profile to white wine. I must say that there is some lemon hop bitterness to the finish. This is because summit hops were used and we had more AAUs than we probably should have.
Mouthfeel - This has a very full-bodied mouthfeel. Lots of carbonation here, but somehow the texture is almost creamy.
Overall - Excellent batch. I will try a different apple juice next time and take it easy on the hops. It might be interesting to try to ferment this using only brett.
No comments:
Post a Comment