jdwest32

Recipes 

Freezeblade

Recipes 

Taste: Cider at two weeks old will probably taste kind of funky, especially because you upped the gravity so much with fermentables. The higher the OG, the longer your cider will take to taste good. 1.090 is moving out of the cider realm and heading to the apple wine realm.

Cloudy: The cider (or in this case arguably apple wine) is 2 weeks old. If you notice in the OP I say to primary for one month, then secondary until clear, usually about 2 to 3 Months not weeks, so I fully expect what you have to be very cloudy at 2 weeks.

Smell: Did you add yeast nutrient? seems like you are experiencing the fabled "rhino farts" which, if you do a search on it here at HBT probably comes up with a bunch of results, this could have been fixed with a yeast nutrient addition.

Overall: I can not vouch for the quality of anything besides the original recipe, besides switching the brand of juice and yeast. I have tried sugars in it, but found that not only does it take much more time to age out (at an OG of 1.090 Before adding pear juice, I probably wouldn't touch this until 10 months or so after pitching), but it also dries out the cider even more, which at 1.002, where this cider usually ends, is fine and dry enough for me, I don't like it any drier. I know it is tempting to treat cider like beer, but these things take time, be patient with it, "the yeasts know what they are doing," as I have said before. RDWHAHB.

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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

jdwest32

Recipes 

i did use yeast nutrient. i used a 1/4 teaspoon. was that enough? if not is it too late to add more? i racked it because i did not think it would hurt and i can see what is going on in the secondary. maybe i should have stuck to the recipe but the inner chemist in me made me do it.
thx
j

Freezeblade

Recipes 

I thought I'd post up a picture of a quite old specimen I poured up today. This one was pitched on 9/10/08, the yeast was s-04 and the juice is treetop. I wanted to show how clear this stuff can get with some time. and oh man, is it tasty.

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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

khiddy

Recipes 

I've got a carboy full of EW Apfelwein going right now, but I have six gallons of Tree Top that I just picked up at Costco, and I think your recipe is going to make it into the rotation tomorrow. Sounds delightful!

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Beeritas Vos Liberabit Brewing
Primaries: BEER Beer (4/8/12); Fisher-Price My First Mead (12/20/10)
Kegged: Hairy Patersbier (1/28/12); Dick Beer (2/15/12); Get Yer Goat Maibock (2/22/12)
Bottled: Ye Olde Tyme Holiday Ale (9/26/10); Dick Beer (2/15/12); Candy's Dad's Homebrew (2/27/12)
Apfelweins: Crapfelwein (4/4/12); Apfelweinlager 34/70 (2/26/12)
Kit Wines: Fisher-Price My First Amarone (4/1/12); Rosso Magnifico (4/17/12)
On Deck: Albertus Magnus DIPA

jdwest32

Recipes 

wow that looks good. you pitched on 9-8-2008 when did you rack and bottle?

Freezeblade

Recipes 

I racked on 10/02/08, then bottled on 01/10/09

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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

stevenryals

Recipes 

how was it when you bottled? did you taste? was it clear-ish? smell?

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Primary: Oktoberfest
Secondary: NBC JulyFly, Pliney the Elder
Keg: Bottled: Grahms English Cider, Kolsch, Newcastle, Stone IPA, Grand Cru Barolo Red, Grand Cru Chianti, Vida Vino Pinot Grigio, Oktoberfest Lager, Grand Cru Peisporter
YTD Gallons Brewed: 155

Freezeblade

Recipes 

When I bottled the cider was very clear (although not quite crystal clear, as the picture is), the smell was nice and apply, but the taste was green. I don't know how else to describe it, but there is this flavor that is associated with dry cider that is too young, it's not apply at all, or even fruity even, just kinda...I guess sort of bitter. Needless to say, that's why you let it sit for a while, this pint after aging was perfectly divine, apply, fruity, a little tart and with a nice mouthfeel. A perfect example of why dryer ciders need aging.

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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

stevenryals

Recipes 

cool, moving mine to a third-ary tonight.. and kegging in about a week or so.. just trying to help with clarity.. pitched back in early march.. can't wait to have a taste in a month or so..

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Primary: Oktoberfest
Secondary: NBC JulyFly, Pliney the Elder
Keg: Bottled: Grahms English Cider, Kolsch, Newcastle, Stone IPA, Grand Cru Barolo Red, Grand Cru Chianti, Vida Vino Pinot Grigio, Oktoberfest Lager, Grand Cru Peisporter
YTD Gallons Brewed: 155