Blueberry Cider

Tusch · 09-29-2008, 10:13 PM

Primary Recipe is as follows:
5 gallons Apple Juice
4 lbs. Frozen Blueberries
1.5 cups Craisins
2 lbs Light Brown Sugar
2 Cans Apple Juice Concentrate
1 pkt 71b yeast, rehydrated

SG for Primary 1.075

When I tasted it between rackings, I decided it could use more blueberry both for flavor and color. It already tasted great, but I wanted more blueberry character.

I bottled 4 bottles as gifts and personal use and here is one of them, after a few months in the bottle, it was quite good. Really liked it dry.

Secondary:
added 5 pounds of blueberries
62oz of pure blueberry juice
1 gallon of apple juice

The pure blueberry juice was really expensive, but totally worth it. When I tried it again after transferring to tertiary (off the berries a second time) it tasted amazing. At this point I am just aging and clearing it, don't expect to bottle for another month or two.

It picked up a lot of color in secondary and looks great now:

**ChshreCat** · 09-29-2008, 10:17 PM

That looks really tasty

Stark · 10-30-2008, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChshreCat

That looks really tasty

It totally does! Has my interest. What was your FG or abv on this?

Tusch · 10-31-2008, 12:51 PM

Well it started out at 1.075 as mentioned, I let it go until it was at .998. This gave me 10.1% after primary. But in secondary I added 5 more pounds of blueberries, a gallon of apple juice, and half a gallon of pure blueberry juice. This addition definitely had a higher sg then the original brew, so I conservatively guess the final abv at 11.5% as it has finished at .994.

There are only two bottle left from the primary bottle batch. One is in SWMBO's possession and will be enjoyed on an occasion of her choosing and the other was a present for a friend of mine's 21st, so I'm not sure when she will be drinking it.

**auto** · 01-14-2009, 11:23 PM

What is the time periods for primary and secondary on this? Also any specific brand on the apple juice and cocentrate?

Tusch · 01-20-2009, 02:14 AM

Honestly I can't remember. I started it last January, and at the same time created this thread http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/blueberry-cider-51277/ The additions were made at the end of April. I can't remember if I had transferred it off the less prior to that or not, I will go check that thread

Turns out I start it in the first or second week of January and transferred it to secondary mid April. So that makes a 3 months primary. And after the secondary additions it sat until the second week of September, so that makes a secondary of 5 months. And then it sat in tertiary until the first week of December, so a tertiary of 3 more months, for a grand total 11 months. I gotta say the bottles from the December bottling are far better then those from May and they haven't even aged enough in my opinion. The newer additions of more blueberries, and more juice of both apple and blueberry really changed this brew. I love it sweet and dry, but I do prefer it chilled like a white.

scinerd3000 · 02-10-2009, 05:58 AM

what was your final gravity on this?

gamntbrewer · 02-28-2009, 03:45 AM

I tried this recipe and was very satisfied with the end result. i did make a few mods though to the end product by sweeting it a bit more. i have been enjoying it now for about a month and everyone else seems to luv it. thanks for the post.

billy_awesome · 02-28-2009, 04:58 AM

Did you crush the blueberries? or just throw them in?

Where they frozen? (to breakdown the skin cells)

Tusch · 03-31-2009, 04:53 AM

Oooops haven't been checking my own thread... to answer the questions if you guys even check back in this is so late

scinerd3000: I believe my FG was about .999 on this one, but I am not certain. It may be in my main blueberry cider thread, I will check tomorrow and edit this here.

gamntbrewer: Absolutely love to hear you enjoyed the recipe so much, if you see this post some pics of your brew.

billy awesome: cool name haha I used frozen blueberries for this one. 4 and 5 lb bags. For both primary and secondary additions I thawed the frozen berries, froze them again and thawed them, and then repeated that again. The back and forth temp changes helps to create large ice crystals in the berries, breaking down cell walls and releasing all that great color and flavor.

Oh and I am loving this brew more and more everytime I drink it. I still have quite a few 12 ozers left plus what few 750s I got to keep for myself after gifting so many away.