Homebrew Ramblings

This reads in a rambling manor because I have been sampling my gruit :)

Well, I just pitched my first apple cider.  I did a 2 gallon batch just to try it.  I used 2 gallons of apple juice and a vial of White Labs English Cider Yeast.  I sanitized everything, including the outside of jugs if cider, then poured the juice into the fermenter, then pitched the yeast and shook it for 5 minutes.

I'll keep it at about 70 and see what happens.   My plan is to bottle in 2 weeks with a very small amount of corn sugar, just to give it a zing of carbonation, and condition it for a 1 1/2 month or so then drink.

I used some unfiltered (but pasteurized) honey crisp apple juice from QFC.  No idea what that means, but my calculations are a 5.3% or so cider.  If it works I'll try it in the 5 gallon carboy, and maybe try pear or something.  I plan reusing the yeast and doing a pear cider or different ciders.  I'd like to experiment with sweet cider by using potassium sorbate and making more of a sweet wine.

BTW, my last gruit recipe turned out awesome.  It is by far, hands down, the most unique beer I've ever had.  It has a citrusy, floral, piney, sour, kind of cidery taste.  It's beer-like, but is not beer like most people know it.  I can re-post the recipe if anyone is interested.  

Don't try any of my Root beer attempts.  They've been bad.

That said, I want to do it again.  I'm close to doing a root beer modeled after a Strong Scotch Ale.  I'm thinking of making a fairly standard dark ale for the malt bill, but doing the long boil and the cold fermentation and lagering, like a scotch ale, event using the WYeast Scotch Ale Yeast.

I have Vanilla, Wintergreen, Sarsaparilla, Anise, Licorice, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Allspice, Roasted Dandelion Root, Peppermint.  Both my Root beers have been ruined by Ginger.  I need to hold WWWWAAAAYYYY back on the Ginger.  I only used a little bit last time and it tasted so much like Ginger, it ruined everything.  I think the Root Beer Extract also had Ginger in it, so it was too much.  My first Root Beer I used a large chunk of Ginger Root!  This time I plan on using a very thinly sliced medallion for a 2 gallon test batch.  

I want to take some Malt Extract and boil it in a low amount of water for a long time to caramelize the shit out of it and make it as unfermentable as possible, then adding it into the rest of the boil.  I also plan on doing a higher (155+) mash to get the Maltodextrin content higher.  I may use Cara-pils as well.

Also on my Todo list is a Chocolate Raspberry Stout.  I also want to do a normal Strong Scotch Ale, even perhaps with a small amount of Rauch Malt, except unhopped.  I'd use Licorice, Ginger, Yarrow, and Ginger instead.  I'd do a 3 hour boil and shoot for a 80-90 OG beer, and I'd shoot for a higher Final Gravity by caramelizing more of the sugars during the boil.  It would be made in a similar style as the Root Beer, except have more traditional Scotch Ale flavors with a more Modern Scotch Ale malt bill.  Maybe only do Pale Malt and Roasted Barley, using the long boil to get more flavor.

So here’s some opinion questions, give honest opinions.  Just give a Yes or No on whether it sounds good as a Root Beer ingredient.   

Bittering Hops

Aroma Hops

Juniper

Spruce

Cinnamon

Black Cherry

Birch Bark

Sassafras (has anyone had Sassafras Root Beer?) 

Molasses

Honey

Smoked Malt

I may or may not use the results.  I do plan on doing a hopped Root Beer, but would probably only do Aroma Hops.  I <3 Aroma Hops.

If I have success I'll post the recipe. Any recommendations on good commercial Apple cider?