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I'm past due to make up some graff, but don't really have access to the 100% juice I got before. Right now, I really only can get the bottles of juice that are water and apple concentrate. Has anyone ever used this for cider/graff? What were your experiences?
Posted 34 days ago.
My understanding is that certain preservatives are the big worry, as they can prevent the yeast from working. I don't see why concentrate would, in and of itself, be an issue.
Posted 34 days ago.
I only made one graff (got infected, i was sad...) but used juice.
What i have been meaning to do is make some kind of a graff like beer and then backsweeten with concentrate in the keg. Man, i still have 5 gallons of ESB to drink, have to make 15 gallons for the competition yet, and ive been drinking less lately. I dunno if im going to get my fall beers made at this rate :(
What i have been meaning to do is make some kind of a graff like beer and then backsweeten with concentrate in the keg. Man, i still have 5 gallons of ESB to drink, have to make 15 gallons for the competition yet, and ive been drinking less lately. I dunno if im going to get my fall beers made at this rate :(
Posted 34 days ago.
Yeah, the juices I have readily available to me don't have any preservatives other than vitamin C, or have been pasteurized. Either one of those won't have any affect on the yeast. I'm mostly just wondering if the concentrate vs juice will have any affects. I'm sure it'll be fine, just wondering if anyone else had ever done a side by side or just regularly uses the concentrate juice.
Posted 34 days ago.
I have no direct experience, but I suspect it will has a very minor effect on fermentability due to some very light caramelization of an extremely small portion of the sugars during the concentrating. Possibly some maillard happens if there is nitrogenous compounds still present. Again, I think this would be extremely slight, possibly not even noticeable.
I think overall, concentrate is kind of viewed as being lower quality and usually quality in = quality out, so that's why it's advised against.Posted 34 days ago.
If the concentrate doesn't have preservatives, then the only effect I could possibly see is shifting your pH down if you're dumping straight concentrate into your wort. That might actually be an interesting way to adjust your mash pH or it might make the final beer really tart depending on how low the pH is on the concentrate and when you add it.
Posted 34 days ago.
I have done side by side tests with apple juice, 'cider' and freshly pressed juice in hard ciders and cysers. Obviously, the fresher the better the taste. I have not tried this in a graff.
If you are doing a really dark roasty graff, not sure it makes much difference. Do check your wort pH after adding the apple juice. You may need to add some potassium carbonate or baking soda to prevent the must pH from dropping and killing the yeast. Also - use pectic enzyme (pectinase) in the juice unless some haze is acceptable.
Posted 34 days ago.
Edited 34 days ago by mchrispen
I should add, I use some apple concentrate in my cysers to add into the secondary. It brings some more fresh apple notes to the aroma.
Posted 34 days ago.
Thanks for all the input. I realize I didn't specify though: I don't mean using straight concentrate, I'm talking about bottled juice that contains water and concentrate, like a bottle of the Mott's Apple Juice.
Posted 34 days ago.
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