Cider...Opinions Needed

homebrewer_99 · 10-03-2008, 04:28 PM

I brewed a cider on 3 July.

Contents:

5 gals White House (brand) Fresh Pressed Apple Cider All Natural (cloudy)
2 lbs honey
2 lbs corn sugar
2 lbs Dark Brown sugar
5 tsp yeast nutrient
WLP720 Sweet Mead Yeast

OG: 1.093
FG: .996

Potential alcohol: 10.1% ABW / 12.7% ABV - any additions would change these readings.

22 Sep 08 notes: Still tastes mapley from the brown sugar, semi-sweet, has a really nice dry finish, more at tart. Would taste better a tad more sweeter, IMO. Has a nice semi-thick body of a mead.

It's ready to bottle.

I've been thinking about splitting this up. Here are several courses I can take, but if anything differs in your mind your opinions also count:

0. Leave it alone and bottle it.

1. I have a beer that I used some oak essence in and I think (know) I used too much essence...I was thinking about taking a 1/2 gal of the beer (or to taste if more is needed) and adding it to 2.5 gal of the cider to add the oaken flavor.

2. For the second half I was thinking about using a bit of Splenda to sweeten it up a bit before bottling.

3. I have another batch going that is REALLY REALLY sweet...5 gals AJ and 7 lbs table sugar...I could take a gallon of this batch and add it to the second half.

4. ?

5. ?

Thanks.

**BigKahuna** · 10-03-2008, 04:34 PM

If you use the oaked beer, add Cyser...its' technically a braggot? is it not? Sounds like a very interesting experiment, and I'd like to see what comes of it.

homebrewer_99 · 10-03-2008, 04:45 PM

OK, so BK selects #4...

Pogo · 10-04-2008, 12:13 AM

Unless the yeast gets killed off by the alcohol, I vote that the 7 pounds of cane sugar doesn't make the cider really, really sweet.

I vote that it makes the cider really, really dry!

Pogo