345: Co-Fermenting Cider & Beer | Four Phantoms Brewery, MA

Four Phantoms Looks to Historical Co-Ferments

Head Brewer and owner Drew Phillips of Four Phantoms Brewery in Greenfield Massachusetts spoke on Folks Traditions and the Co-Fermentation of Wort and Apple Juice and the brewery's co-ferment called Old Gods (8.0%). There were two talks on the subject, with the first being November 3rd and the second on November 6th as part of CiderDays 2.0 compilation of events. This episode is from the November 6th presentation.

Drew is no stranger to fermenting having spent time brewing first in Oregon and then as Head Cidermaker at Artifact Cider Project in Florence, Massachusetts before opening Four Phantoms over two years ago.

His interest in old brewing traditions and recipes has him pushing the envelope with special ferments and Old Gods is a great representation of what can be done, when done well. (Read: Old Gods is delicious!!)

Folk Traditions Around Co-fermenting Cider and Beer

Drew notes that historically there wasn’t such a delineation between beer, cider and mead as there is now. He notes how that in Wassail songs , the call for mixing cider, beer and elderberry boughs all into the same beverage. The use of Hydrometers or the science of acid titration are recent adaptations to a farmhouse fermenter’s tool box.

Up until the 19th century fermenters would brew by taste and if the wort didn’t taste good you would grind up more grain and mash it in, which is a classic way of brewing a farmhouse ale. - Brew by Taste.

Drew notes the difference between wort (the base of beer) and apple juice the base for cider. For yeast health fermenters are looking for YAN (Yeast Assimiable Nutrients). In apple juice there isn't alot of YAN whereas with Wort there is alot.  Thus Farmers would ferment Farmhouse ales and often blended in fresh pressed apple juice. 

No Heat Ferment

Other than the sparing that taste place with the grain used for beer, there is no boiling of the wort as is typical with brewing. Thus, a farmhouse ale can be easily blended in with apple juice to create this co-ferment concoction. 

The Making of Old Gods at Four Phantoms

• 100 gallons of unpasteurized Mcintoush apple juice.
• No yeast inoculation
• Blend in with Raw ale - typical farmhouse style
• The wort was not boiled -
• No hops
• Mashed into a whole mash tun of birch branches

The result is a tasting drink that blends the two products together. Make sure to try Old Gods at Four Phantoms each fall. 

Contact info for Four Phantoms Brewery

• Website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/
• Address: 301 Wells Street, Greenfield, MA 01301

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