I'm beginning to like cider as much as I like beer

**Coastarine** · 03-29-2010, 02:19 AM

The last cider I made was so popular that the whole 5 gallons was kicked before other beers that had been on tap for weeks before. I've decided that since I like it so much, and everyone else seems to like it so much, I'm going to start alternating beer and cider, so that 3 of my 6 taps will be devoted to ciders. Since I'll have 3 ciders at a time, I decided I should branch out a bit and get some variety. Here are the recipes that I've tried and liked:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/grahams-english-cider-107152/ - Backsweetened with 12oz treetop concentrate in the keg. This is the basic recipe that I work with to make the other ciders.
Basic apfelwein - I prefer no added sugar, just juice, nutrient, and wine yeast. I haven't tried this backsweened, but probably will give it a shot.
Black Cider - 4 gallons english cider, 1 gallon strong american stout, blended post-fermentation. Deeeelish.

Here are recipes that I'm planning to try:

House Perry - 100% pear juice has proven elusive/expensive to me, so I'm fermenting 5 gallons of apple juice and backsweetening with 16oz of pear concentrate. The juice is fermented and the concentrate is ordered, we shall see. I can't imagine it will be bad.
Imperial cider - It starts with 3 gallons of fermenting juice, then concentrate is added one 12oz can at a time until it reaches 5 gallons. Effective OG should be about 1.100.

This is highly experimental and I won't be surprised if it flops, but I'm going to try it sometime.
Raspberry cider - Graham's with fruit flavoring. Naturally other fruits have potential as well.
Fall Spice cider - Graham's with cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg.

Does anyone have other suggestions for unique ciders from store bought juice? I tried graff a few times and didn't care for it. I may try pressing my own sometime or buying fresh pressed if the opportunity arises, but I've really enjoyed my results so far so I have no plans to do so soon.

Kauai_Kahuna · 03-29-2010, 03:05 AM

I too have remembered how nice good ciders can be and am also ramping up the production pipeline.
You have already listed the recipes I have tried, I think I need to experiment a little more myself.

jamesnsw · 03-29-2010, 03:43 AM

With 3 on tap, I'd suggest having at least 1 dry and 1 sweet. That way you're happy no matter what mood you're in :-)

KFBass · 03-29-2010, 07:13 PM

I'm working on tweaking a recipe based of edworts apfelwein that I'm going to be my summer drink. Specifically to be made into shandies with gingerale. Maybe that would be an idea for you to have on tap? A lower alcohol, refreshing cider shandy. I assume if you kill the yeast, you could blend them at kegging, and force carb as usual.

Freezeblade · 03-29-2010, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastarine

Imperial cider - It starts with 3 gallons of fermenting juice, then concentrate is added one 12oz can at a time until it reaches 5 gallons. Effective OG should be about 1.100.

This is highly experimental and I won't be surprised if it flops, but I'm going to try it sometime.

I've done this very thing before, I call it Top of the Tree apple wine, it's about a year old now, I haven't even tasted it yet, but we'll see how it turns out, It's planning on becoming apple jack.

**Coastarine** · 03-30-2010, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KFBass

I'm working on tweaking a recipe based of edworts apfelwein that I'm going to be my summer drink. Specifically to be made into shandies with gingerale. Maybe that would be an idea for you to have on tap? A lower alcohol, refreshing cider shandy. I assume if you kill the yeast, you could blend them at kegging, and force carb as usual.

Thanks, that sounds tasty. There is no need for me to kill the yeast when kegging, since it will quickly be cooled to below 50 and the ale yeast will be dormant.

ErieShores · 03-30-2010, 12:29 AM

I went through 10 gallons before Christmas, I can relate.

**Coastarine** · 03-30-2010, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freezeblade

I've done this very thing before, I call it Top of the Tree apple wine, it's about a year old now, I haven't even tasted it yet, but we'll see how it turns out, It's planning on becoming apple jack.

Cool, I figured someone else had thought of this before. I plan to be drinking it after about 2 months of aging. I firmly believe that almost any strong ale can be drinkable after 2 months with sound techniques. I am drinking a 9.9% wee heavy right now that was tapped after 2 months and had no trace of rocket fuel.

Freezeblade · 03-30-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastarine

Cool, I figured someone else had thought of this before. I plan to be drinking it after about 2 months of aging. I firmly believe that almost any strong ale can be drinkable after 2 months with sound techniques. I am drinking a 9.9% wee heavy right now that was tapped after 2 months and had no trace of rocket fuel.

Debatable point. as you've seen from my cider recipes I'm quite the believer in aging for ciders/wines. Beers can be drank earlier because they don't finish at 1.003 like that Apple Wine did.

**Coastarine** · 04-11-2010, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastarine

Imperial cider - It starts with 3 gallons of fermenting juice, then concentrate is added one 12oz can at a time until it reaches 5 gallons. Effective OG should be about 1.100.

This is highly experimental and I won't be surprised if it flops, but I'm going to try it sometime.

I was brewing yesterday and listening to my celtic rock/folk station on pandora, and I heard a song that gave me the perfect name for this when I do make it: Johnny Jump Up.