Gunslinger Cranberry Graf

Well here goes nothing…
Last year I did a graf-like cider with 1lb crystal 10,some whole leaf Williamette, and 2 lb honey. Let it ferment to completion with the Wyeast cider yeast blend, then bottled with 2 cans apple juice concentrate. She’s a pretty, well carbonated beast, but even now a year later I have to add 1/2 tsp sugar per glass to make it not so dry.
So this year, one way or the other, I’m going to make a sweeter version. My recipe is:
1 lb Dark Munich
1lb Honey malt
1lb crystal 60
1/2 lb crystal 120
1/2 lb wheat malt
1/2 lb flaked oats
– these will all be mashed at 155* for an hour. –
1oz Saaz at 1st WH
1.5 lb honey late boil
4 gallons fresh unpasteurized cider that I have already treated with Kmeta and pectic enzyme.
Using a slurry/starter of Wyeast Scottish ale yeast(1728?) this year.
Then when fermentation is mostly finished, I’ll add 1lb honey plus 1lb cranberry.
She may be undrinkable, but I won’t know until I try.
Plan on doing it tomorrow. Wish me luck. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

It’s in the bucket. OG =1.060, 6.5 gallons.

Let use know how she turns out. I currently have my second batch of graf fermenting, first batch turned out much drier than I liked. Back sweetening seems to be an issue when bottling “sparkling” cider, but I’m sure ill figure something out.

Yeah, that was my reason for trying it this way. I’ll let everyone know how it progresses.
So far, she’s-a-bubbling-wicked. Glad I put on a blowoff tube, and am keeping the temp in the low 60’s.

Still bubbling and is degassing some SO2, although the kraesen has fallen. I added the 1lb honey and 1lb crushed, frozen cranberries yesterday.

SG=1.008. Racked to carboy for cold conditioning. Partially to get it off the cranberries, but mostly because I need that bucket for my Doublealt batch I’m brewing tomorrow.

Bottled yesterday with 1 can frozen apple juice concentrate. FG=1.012

Pasteurized, using the cooler method on 11/6. Then out to my ‘cold garage’ t5o chill. Cracked one today. Not quite as carbonated as I hoped, but the taste is perfect- slightly sweet, apple flavor comes through, and a little tartness from the cranberries. This is going to be real, real nice.

Resurrecting this old zombie thread just to let everyone know that I’ve done yearly batches of this for the past 3 years and I think it’s really great. Have tweaked it and refined it, of course, and this year, just for fun, tried it as an extract version.