Mash Notes: Used BIAB method. 60 min rest at sach temp, then 5 to 10 minutes at 170 deg F (constantly stirring), then lifted out grains in bag and squeezed all juices out of bag followed by sparging grain bag with a gallon of hot water (170-176 deg F) and squeezing bag again before removing.
Boil Notes: 120 minute boil to get from 5.5 gal to 4 gal.
- Brew started on 28 March 2020: Volume was just under 4 gallons.
- SG measurement after pitching yeast = 1.054
- First honey addition on 30 March 2020: 2 lbs Honey mixed with water and 1/2 tsp Fermax - addition of 6 and 2/3 cups of volume.
- SG measurement before adding honey = 1.026
- Second honey addition on 2 April 2020: 2 lbs Honey mixed with water and 1/2 tsp Fermax - addition of b/w 6 and 6 and 1/3 cups of volume.
- SG measurement before adding honey = 1.020
- Started fermenting extremely fast after this addition
- Third honey addition on 3 April 2020: 5 lbs Honey mixed with water and 1 tsp Fermax - addition of about 8 cups of volume.
- SG measurement before adding honey = 1.019
- Measurement on 6 April 2020: SG = 1.014
- Measurement on 11 April 2020: SG = 1.011 (possibly a misread)
- racked brew to a smaller carboy (6.5 gal to 5 gal)
- Additions on 30 April 2020: Dry hopped with about 1/2 cup El Doraldo pellets and pitched the K1-V1116 yeast
- SG measurement before additions = 1.012
- Taste test: a bit too malt heavy - added the El Doraldo hops to balance out the sweetness
- Pitched the K1-V1116 yeast in an attempt to process the leftover maltose and maltotriose (source of reasoning: https://byo.com/article/brewing-with-wine-yeast/)
- Not sure if the K1-V1116 actually processed any of the remaining maltose/maltotriose since the SG did not go down any more after pitching it.
- Notes on 12 May 2020:
- SG measurement = 1.012
- Taste test = slightly malty, slightly sour but not overly so.
- Bottled on 25 May 2020: Added a mixture of corn sugar and cane sugar boiled in water to fermentation bucket, then siphoned wort/beer from carboy to the bucket and lightly swirled to mix before bottling.
- 42 bottles stored in dark closet with temperatures ranging from 64 deg F to 79 deg F.
- Plus 3 bottles reserved for early tasting stored in dark cabinet above fridge (last 3 bottled, so likely to have higher yeast content).
- First tasting at 2 weeks on 8 June 2020:
- Look: Hazy, little head retention, lots of bubbles
- Smell: Grapefruit and hops, tangy, citrus
- Taste: a little sour/bitter, but not too much, a little apple-like
- Mouthfeel: Crisp, but with full body
- Overall impression: Tastes like a bitter cider
- Chalky flavor still present, but should go away as it ages.
- Sharp honey flavors still need to mellow out more.
- Second tasting at 3 weeks on 15 June 2020:
- Look: Hazy with a small amount of head
- Smell: Apple and citrus with hop notes
- Taste: Sharp, apple, slight bitterness (another person said it tasted medicinal - it did not taste that way to me, though)
- Feel: crisp and thick
- Overall impression: still a bitter cider
- less chalky flavor, but still present
- still sharp - raw honey needs to mellow out more
- Definitely not ready yet. This will probably take at least another month of conditioning.
- Next tasting will be between 4 and 6 weeks