Honey Apple Lager

[kman]

ok, so i have a wacky idea. I have alot of non beer drinking friends, so i want to make up something alittle different. I already brew up K&k beers and oztop ciders and such, but i wanted something alittle different.


so heres what im thinking, making a honey apple lager, using

Coopers lager kit
500g of granny smith apples (pealed cored and diced)
1 kg of Honey
and Saflager S23 yeast.


ive never made anything like this before, so any advice would be great. Is it worth doing? cost is not a problem as i can get the honey and apples for nothing, but are the quantites about right?

anyone done a brew like this?

 

[bonk]

haven't tried thing at all, however, going along those lines what about using a wheat beer yeast.

people have been putting all kinds of things into wheat beer, strawberries, lemons, limes etc so maybe apples could go well. might give it a nice tart finish, and on a hot day be very tasty

 

[bonk]

opps, clicked to fast there

http://www.stoutbillys.com/stout/RECIPENS/...b0/d3a96ecd.htm

3 apple ale brews, maybe they might help give you some ideas on what to brew with.

good luck

 

[kman]

cheers, what temp is best for wheat yeast?

 

[bonk]

i'm sure i'll be corrected, but it should be around the same temps as ales, say in the 18-20ish range

 

[kman]

anyone know if 16 is too low?

 

[GMK]

Get rid of the Coopers Lager can

Use the canadian blonde - it is much lighter and will allow more flavour from the fruit and honey to come thru. Used this as the base for my Merry Beery logan berry lager.
Or use a Morgans Golden wheat.
Also, replace 6 ltrs of water with 6 ltrs of apple juice instead.

Alternatively, up the honey and make an apple metheglin mead instead.
Can make it sparkling....

 

[kman]

ok, i think ill go with a canadian blonde kit instead, and your saying keep the 1kg of honey and the 1/2kg of apples and add 6L of apple juice aswell?

i that right? how alcoholic should i expect this stuff to be? and how long should i ferment it in primary and is there any need for secondary? Also what yeast and what temps?

sorry about all the questions

 

[GMK]

Yes to keeping the honey and apples.
S23 - ferment around 18 degrees for S23.

Primary for at least 14 days - diacetyl rest for 3 days ( back to room temp)

Rack to secondary for 4 weeks.
This is where you get to play...

Now i know that Jayse will not like this but....

When i made my Merry Beery - there was not enough fruit flavour.
So i blanched some more berries and through the pulp into the secondary.
Fermentation started agian for 10 days.- racked to tertiary.
Waited a week...still not enough fruit flavour - run out of fruit.
Down to the locol Supermarket - 2 jars of 95% 4 berry fruit spread.
In it went - fermentation again for another 10 days.
Racked again and just a little cascade.
Cold conditioned for 4 weeks. Then Bottle.

Good reports from the guys at the Anzac Brew Day...

So, once racked - you can add more fruit or honey etc..
It is your call - your beer.
I mean you can buy 100% apple pulp/spread/sauce etc...and add this if you need to.

Alcohol % no idea - 1 bottle of the merry beery left - now 18months old.
will drink in summer.

 

[Wax]

I might be way off and sound pretty stupid saying this but what your brewing sounds to me like a beer flavoured cider rather than an apple flavoured beer. Don't get me wrong I like the idea (reminds me of snake bites in London). But what about using something like WLP775 English Cider Yeast? I love this yeast in my dry ciders. What do you reckon GMK, good or bad idea?

 

[GMK]

Depends if he wants to walk on the cider side or the beer side.

With the cider yeast - i would forget the can alltogether and just make the cider.
With the other yeast and can i think it will be an AHBEER.... :lol:

But...part of home brewing is experimentation so...

 

[Hopeye]

Kman,

You've also got to think about what type of apple flavour you want, Granny Smiths impart a very tart sour apple flavour, whereas Red Delicious impart a sweet apple flavour. Just something to think about. You could also throw in some Birds Eye chillies just to give it a bit of heat and a subdued capiscum flavour......

 

[Kai]

How about you throw in a beer yeast and a cider yeast and let 'em duke it out?