In the Spring of '01, my friend and host Michael McDane Harris (AKA "The RenGeek" of RenRadio Fame) introduced me to the joys of homebrewing. Since I was already an aficiando of hard cider -- having my first Woodpecker at the Hawkwood Medieval Fantasy Faire, graduating later to Woodchuck and Hornsby "on the economy" -- we decided to brew up (insert dramatic pause with drumroll, here) some hard cider. This was an excellent choice for a beginner as brewing "Applejack" is simple, easy and very straight-forward! By way of an experiment, our first batch was double-fermented (i.e. a Primary Fermentation of three weeks followed by a Secondary Fermentation of an additional three weeks, or a month-and-a-half in the carboy) (Photo, Left: ten gallons of future Applejack sit quietly fermenting in their respective carboys in a dark corner of the Harris parlor). WHOOEEE! Our first sip of the finished product told us: we had one wicked brew on our hands! Mike had the fortitude to drink it neat, but I had to cut mine 50/50 with straight apple juice before I could even wrap my hands around my mug. I mean, this cider wasn't just strong -- it was "hit you alongside the head with a blacksmith's mallet, measure your length on the ground" STRONG!!! From that effect alone, the name suggested itself instantly -- and thus "Thor's Hammer" was born!
We have since refined the process, adding more sugar but reducing the fermentation stage to a single three-week Primary. The result has been a kinder, gentler "Hammer," a tad more diplomatic than the "Rape! Pillage! Burn!" of our first efforts, but still more than potent and cunning enough to lay low the unwary Rennie who fails to pay the proper respects! In all our experiments, our main ingredient has been 100% apple juice NOT FROM CONCENTRATE, without any additives (i.e. additional Vitamin C, preservatives, colorings et al). Personally, I prefer the Wal-Mart brand not only because it is cheap (like me!), but it also comes in handy 64-ounce jugs which can be cleaned and reused for bottling the final product. The only other basic ingredients are five pounds of dark brown sugar plus yeast. We use either an ale or champagne yeast -- available from all fine brewing supply shops everywhere -- but NOT the bread yeast you can buy in the grocery store. A friend of ours tried to brew Applejack with bread yeast, winding up with five muddy gallons of apple vinegar after his three-week vigil. Enough said! Herewith is our recipe:
Equipment Needed:
1 five-gallon carboy
1 rubber stopper with hole
1 airlock
quart (or larger) saucepan
funnel
siphon hose
Ingredients:
5 gallons, 100% apple juice
5 pounds, brown sugar
1 pack, champagne or ale yeast
1 large can, frozen apple juice (without additives)
1 and 1/2 tsps, Potassium Sorbate
Procedure (Fermentation):
Pour 4 gallons of apple juice into a 5-gallon carboy, using your funnel to avoid spills. Pour 1/4 gallon into quart saucepan and heat enough to allow brown sugar to thoroughly dissolve (2 pounds of sugar will just about fill a quart saucepan, so you will have to do this step three times in order to liquify all the sugar). Pour into carboy. Warm 1/4 gallon, add yeast, stir and wait 15 minutes until thoroughly dissolved. Pour into carboy and seal with rubber stopper and airlock. Wrap carboy in large towel and place in warm dark closet for three weeks (the yeast works best if it is kept warm and DARK during fermentation).
Procedure (Bottling):
After three weeks, warm frozen apple juice in quart saucepan. Add Potassium Sorbate and dissolve. Pour into carboy, using your funnel to avoid spills. Adding frozen apple juice not only enhances the flavor of the final brew but gives it a certain amount of natural carbonation; the Potassium Sorbate effectively prevents any further fermentation in the bottle. Wait at least 30 minutes for apple juice/Potassium Sorbate to thoroughly mix with the contents of the carboy before siphoning. Do not stir! Stirring will raise the precipitate at the bottom of the carboy, causing your cider to appear cloudy until it settles. If you were wise when you began the fermentation process, you saved the original empty apple juice jugs, washing them out thoroughly and letting them air dry before recaping them for storage. Now get them out, rerinse with clean, fresh water (including the inside of the cap!), dry them on the outside and siphon your new hard cider into them. Place jugs in cool, dark place for long-term storage. Refrigerate 'til chill before drinking.
Additional Notes:
Thor's Hammer(tm) AKA "Applejack" is most definitely a "sipping" cider. Since I don't really WANT to run naked through the TRF/Excalibur campground at night, howling at the moon, I take it slow'n easy. First, I buffer my stomach with a hearty meal, then just sit and sip; go to the drumjam, sip some more; watch the fire dancers, sip a little more; sit around the campfire talking with my friends and sip some more into the wee hours of morning: a really mellow evening with nary a hangover on the morrow. For a pleasant buzz, I cut the Hammer with a splash of straight apple juice. That way, I still feel relaxed and "social" without losing coherence. IMPORTANT: if you start the night with Thor, END the night with Thor. Do NOT switch drinks as the evening wears on. Stay away from hard liquors -- whisky, rum, vodka and the like -- as well as Ale/Beer, Mead and Loki. ESPECIALLY stay away from the Loki! No, playing "mix'n match" with Thor's Hammer won't upset your stomach, but it will leave you with the "Mother of All Hangovers(tm)" in the morning!!! With that said, enjoy brewing up your own version of "Thor's Hammer" at home -- or stop on by McDane's Tavern at the TRF Patron Campground for a wee sample anytime during the Season. We'll be more'n happy to raise a mug with you! Until we meet at Faire, a parting toast:
Standard Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are strictly this author's own. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are copyright ©2000-2002 by George Laking.