JonClayton

Recipes 

I made my first batch exactly to ed worts recipe including the montrachet yeast. I back sweetened 5 gallons with aprox 5 oz of lactose, and carbed as normal with 5 oz of dextrose.

I like how it turned out, it has a very interesting flavor. It sort of reminds me of an apple flavored champagne. Does this sound about right?

SWMBO however, is not a fan although she loves commerical ciders. She claims that there is not enough apple flavoring and that it really doesn't taste like much at all. If I pour it in a glass and add an ounce or 2 of apple juice she seems to like it better.

My question, is there anything I can change up to make the apple flavoring more pronounced?

My second batch is using a champagne yeast, I have no idea what to expect from that.

Juice used was Kirklands (costco) 100% pasturized apple juice, no additives, not from concentrate.

meddin

Recipes 

Do you think the lactose masked some of the apple flavor? I don't recall of that eas part of Ed's recipe.

Does she like drier ciders?

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meddin

Primary 1 - Engish Mild Ale
Primary 2 - Three Dog Pilsner
Secondary - Empty
Keg 1 - English ESB
Keg 2 - Scottish 70-/
Keg 3 - Commercial EPA

JonClayton

Recipes 

That is a good question. I don't think it is masking as we sampled it before adding lactose (lactose was added at bottling, not during fermentation) and she absolutely hated it. So we started adding lactose little by little and sampling until I got it to the "im not crazy about it, but its better than it was" level. I stopped as I did not want to get it too sweet.

Her idea of a perfect cider is woodchuck amber. I can't remember if that one is dry as its been a while since we have had any cider in the house.

thanks!

midfielder5

Recipes 

There are more "complicated" recipes around here, with spec grains and DME, that she might like better. I am blanking on the name right now.
Try a search in the recipe section.
AW can taste like hooch bc of the corn sugar and yeast. I made two batches and decided to let those age a year. The anniversary is in a few months yet.


Look at Brandon o's Graff

CandleWineProject

Recipes 

First off, ask SWMBO if wine tastes like grapes? People have this idea that cider should taste like apples, yet wine don't taste like grapes. Double standard.

Okay, now that I have established that, there is a fix. You will get an apple flavor if you back sweeten with apple juice. It is that simple.

wreckinball9

Recipes 

If you want more of a cider and not so much of an apple wine/champagne, next time use an ale yeast. Safale s-04 is what I use, and seems to be the favorite of most HBTers. . Then rack and cold crash somewhere in the 1.010-1.020 range. that will leave much more apple flavor.

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You must love this country more than I love a cold beer on a hot Christmas morning. - Homer S.


And how is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when I took that home winemaking course, and I forgot how to drive?- Homer S.

Freezeblade

Recipes 

+1 on ale yeast. and if you want apple flavor, the simplest way is to add a very important ingredient in cider making.





time. yup. age that sucker. with an ale yeast I won't drink my cider for at least 6-7 months from pitching. The wait is worth it.

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Primary:Russian River Redemption clone, Kelly's Melomel, Graham's English Cider 22-23
Clearing:Apple Wine
Aging:Public House Dry Stout, Procrastination Porter, Mr. Brown Ale, Westvleteren 12 Clone, Mead, Duvel Clone, Graham's English Cider 6-21, Belgian Draak Strong Ale, Fig Melomel, Acerglyn, Restorative Tonic Metheglyn