Keith66

Recipes 

This is an awesome thread; thanks for starting it USMike, and to all the other contributors! Before I found this thread today, I started a cider 12 days ago with 5.25 gallons of Safeway juice and Wyeast Cider 4766 at about 64 degrees. OG was 1.045; 7 days later it was 1.020. My plan is to let it go to about 1.000, back sweeten with the recommended 3 cans of concentrate, bottle/carb, pasteurize, and end up with a nice, crisp, sweet-but-not-too-sweet cider. At this point I think I'm going to forgo the syrup and shoot for a slightly sweeter version of Strongbow. What are anyone's thoughts on opting out of the syrup, or any other details of my attempt?

Update: My cider was 1.003 last night after work. Nice and dry, but still very appley and yummy and yellow with a decent cloudiness. I think I'll put 1 can of AJ concentrate in my bottling bucket and rack onto it, then give it a sip. If necessary I may use 2 or 3 or whatever it takes to get it where I want it (and make swmbo happy), then bottle. I'll fill one 12oz soda bottle and give it a daily squeeze, then pop a glass bottle when the plastic one firms up. When I get a nice pffft I'll pasteurize. Any thoughts? By the way, the full caramel recipe is definitely getting done this Fall!

DougK

Recipes 

I've got 5 gallons fermenting away. Should be ready to keg in a week.

Now I just have to clear a keg for it.

Bad news is after next week my Keezer won't have anything "ready to go" on tap. Everything will be conditioning.

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I'm not insane, my mother had me tested.

desrtdwller

Recipes 

So I popped this recipe in the other night and now about 4 days later I am at 1.010

My fermentation room is usually pretty warm, around 74-76. Is this gonna cause me problems? The liquid in my carboy is very light colored but completely cloudy and opaque. I haven't tasted it yet but the speed at which it fermented concerns me though I am sure it is due to the temp of the room I am fermenting in.

I am going to build a son of fermentation chiller soon to slow down my fermentation times....

Thoughts?

~DD

Fossey

Recipes 

Mine fermented down to1014 in 4 days at about 24-25 C (75-77 F). I racked onto the concentrate and syrup and bottled. It carbed in about 2 days and I pasteurised. It has conditioned perfectly in the bottle since and is a quite clear, has a rich colour and tastes great (if you like it sweet).

Keith66

Recipes 

Swmbo said I should go with the syrup, so I did (of course), and 3 cans of concentrate, which brought me back up from 1.003 to 1.018. Bottled yesterday. Had almost a full bottle left over. OMGAWD is that stuff good!!! It had a little fizz to it already, so the plastic soda test bottle firmed up pretty quickly, not quite as firm as the unopened Coke next to it though (for comparison). Probably pasteurize tomorrow, after only 2 days. Before and during bottling I stirred the hell out of it to keep the syrup suspended; it wanted to settle. I think I got a pretty even mix, tiny bit of sediment and cinnamon in each bottle. Nice golden color! Can't wait!

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Primary:
Primary:
Gallon Jug:
Secondary: Dusseldorf Altbier
Bottled: Belgian Blonde, Bavarian Hefe, Belgian Saison, Caramel Apple Cider, Apple Cider, Peachy Bastard Cider

Note:

MisterWoody

Recipes 

I am in the process of brewing my first cider. I wish I had seen this recipe before I started! I have a question about pasturizing. Can a cider be bottle carbed and pasteurized in plastic PET beer bottles or is there something inherently dangerous about heating plastic? I have not purchased bottles yet but I want to keep it cheap and easy and the liter PET bottles you can find on amazon are tempting. Any feedback or suggestions?

HopHeaven

Recipes 

I'm pretty sure heating the PET bottles to the necessary point for pasteurization would cause some pretty crazy deformations in the plastic and possibly even melt it.

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Primary: JAOM, RiceWine. Wine soaked raisin Apfelwein

Secondary: Skeeter Pee, Cyser, Tree Sap Cider,

Drinking: Milk Mead, Apfelwein, Grape Mead, Cranberry Pomegranate Cider, Cherry Berry Cider

Future: Strawberry/ Raspberry Cider , Apple Ginger Cider

Channel66

Recipes 

Excited to give this a try.

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Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire.— David Rains Wallace

UpstateMike

Recipes 

I would not recommend using plastic PET bottles if you plan on heat pasteurizing.

Find a local bottle redemption center, you may be able to score used glass bottles cheap.

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"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities." ~ 1 Timothy 5:23

Currently Fermenting:
Skeeter Pee
Blueberry Cider

Bottle Conditioning:
Blackberry Cider

In Bottles / Drinking:
Cranberry Cider
Citron Cider
The Five Eight Five

MidTNJasonF

Recipes 

Kegged my batch of this a little over a week ago. Finally took it around to some friends for an impromptu tasting tonight. Both of these guys have palates that are pretty well developed and one has extensive judging experience. Both thought it was outstanding, possibly the best cider they had ever had. It is also a huge hit with SWMBO and another lovely lady that sampled some. I think this one is an all around winner.

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Will ride for beer!