This is an extract-partial grain brew, although there is absolutely nothing to prevent it from being brewed using all grain. There are some peculiarities that have to do with the use of apple juice and honey in the recipie. I specify the use of Basswood honey becasue it is the most pungent honey available locally. Regional honeys like mesquite or orange blossom should likewise add distinctive characters. The apple juice should come from sweet-tart varities like cortland or macintosh. Sweet-only varieties may be insipid while sour apples may result in pucker beer. The hops choices were made with the consultation of a local fellow brewer. There is a lot of room for experimentation here. Let me know what you come up with.
MALTS-EXTRACTS-GRAINS-ADJUNCTS
3 lbs gold malt extract
3 lbs amber malt extract
2 lbs dark brown sugar
1 lb. 40 L caramel malt
2 gallons fresh squeezed apple cider (juice)
4 1/2 pounds basswood honey
6 sticks fresh cinnamon
handful cloves
ADDITIVES
2 1/2 tsp irish moss
5 tsp yeast nutrient
HOPS
1/2 oz N. Brewer (bittering at beginning of boil)
1 oz Saaz (bittering at beginning of boil)
1 oz Cascades (Aroma at end of boil)
YEAST
EDME dry, pitched on top of cooled wort (NOTE: If I had it to do over again, I'd use the Westphalian strain of liquid yeast. The clove-like byproducts would have fit in well here, perhaps eliminating the need for clove addition at bottling.)
NOTES: Steep malt at 156 degrees f. for 1 hour. Sparge with water at 170 degrees f. until clear. Add to and boil with extract and brown sugar for one hour, adding Northern Brewer and Saaz hops at beginning of boil. Add cascades, yeast nutrient and Irish moss 10 minutes before end of boil. Pasturize apple juice and honey at 140 degrees f. for 30 minutes in seperate kettle. Keep pot covered to save volitile flavor elements). Add hot wort to sanitized primary fermenter. Add juice/honey into primary at the same time. Cool to 75 degrees, areate and pitch yeast. Fermentation should take off like a raped ape in 8-10 hours My fermentation kept at it for a week and a half. There will likely be a lot of krausen, so keep the blow-off clear and allow plenty of space for mountains of foam! I'd keep the fermentation in a cooler range (60 degrees f.) if you don't want it to become the krausen that ate Chicago. There will be LOTS of trub. Most of it is apple pomice (pulp) that will settle out fairly well. You may have to rack more than once unless you are willing to lose a considerable amount of liquid because of the thick trub layer. Upon racking to secondary, add 6 sticks cinnamon that has been pasturized by heating in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes. At bottling boil 2 cups water with the handful of cloves (smells great) for 30 minutes, adding water as needed. Strain out the cloves, and add 1 cup priming sugar. Cool and add to bottling bucket. Syphon green beer into bucket mix well and bottle as ususal. Age for at least a month, then enjoy in Moderation. It's not called "toes up" for nothing...
OG: 1.085
Finishing Gravity: 1.012