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decoleur said:
So I changed it up using yours as a starting place and the additives that LabelPeelers.com uses with their seasonal cider kit... This is what I ended up with.

Recipe Type: Cider
Yeast: 2 packs EC-1118
Yeast Starter: None
Batch Size (Gallons): 5 gallons
Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.000
Boiling Time (Minutes): N/A
Color: Blush
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 65F for 2 weeks room temp
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 65F for 2 Months
Tasting Notes: Tart & Dry

4 1/2 gallons Local Raw Cider
1/2 gallon R.W. Knudsen Tart Cherry Juice

Started on 10/5
Mixed 2 packs EC-1118 yeast in a cup of cider and put aside while assembling everything else.

Mixed 2cups of cider with the following:
1 TB acid blend
2 TB tannin
2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
5 tsp yeast energizer

Mixed remaining cider with cherry juice and 1 cup light brown sugar.
Mixed everything together but the yeast with a mix-stir for 30 seconds to aerate a bit.
Added the yeast with cider and shook a bit to mix.

10/18 Racked to secondary
11/10 Added anti-oxident per package instructions
12/18 Bottled with 111.3g Corn Sugar.

finishing last bottle soon and planning on making more...
Click to expand...
Not bad at all. I'm going to assume that TB = tablespoon. :mug:
 
zachary80 said:
Making this tonight, went a little overboard with a full pound of sugar. Was originally going to make apfelwein so I assumed this would have at least a pound (I was reading the first page on my phone and thought you said 1lb instead of 1cup).

What alternative yeast would you recommend to the American Ale Blend WLP060? On hand I have Red Star Montrachet (x3), Red Star Premier Cuvee (x3), Lalvin K1-V1116 (x1 - expires next week), US05 (x1), S04 (x2). Thanks
Click to expand...

Whatup old guy

Future me just made batch two tonight. Last one turned out great with the 1lb so I repeated it again and amped up the blood.

3.5 gallons apple juice
1.5 gallons black cherry juice
1lb sugar
1pk Red Star Montrachet
Yeast nutrients - at 0, 24, and 48hr
 
So just wondering how you carbed? How much dextrose per gallon in particular? Looking to try this soon, looks great!!! :tank:
 
Just did my second batch of this tonight. Just another gallon... Hope it turns out as good! It has been a pleaser.

3L of treetop apple juice
1L of RW Knudsen Black Cherry juice
8oz of light brown sugar
1tsp of yeast nutrient
Ec-1118 yeast

Og of 1.072
 
BrewHogDeluxe said:
So just wondering how you carbed? How much dextrose per gallon in particular? Looking to try this soon, looks great!!! :tank:
Click to expand...

I do it the same way I do my apfelwein, which is the same process as with beer but at a higher level of carbonation than most styles. Don't remember the exact sugar amount, maybe 2/3 cup with table sugar for a 5 gallon batch
 
zachary80 said:
3.5 gallons apple juice
1.5 gallons black cherry juice
1lb sugar
1pk Red Star Montrachet
Yeast nutrients - at 0, 24, and 48hr
Click to expand...

FYI - This batch needed a blowoff which I was unprepared for. Much more activity than which apfelwein and ended up being pretty messy. I was only ever able to get that first set of nutrients in there but I think the result will be fine, and it has been calm for several days now.
 
Question, is it a 3.5g cider back sweetened with .5g or 4g with some cherry juice fwrmented alongside the apple?

I assume 3.5 but first post didn't specify explicitly.

Have you gotten a gravity reading after back sweetening? My estimates put it at around 1.007 assuming 272g of sugar in the cherry juice and fermented dry to 1.000
 
Question about back sweeting with frozen apple juice. Do you add this into the secondary and let it sit for a couple of days then cold crash? Also do I have to pasteurize?
Or are you guys just adding the can of apple juice at bottling? And then also carbing at how many grams of sugar per gallon? I have this in the secondary now getting ready to bottle/keg.
Here it is when transferring from primary to secondary.

Thanks everyone ImageUploadedByHome Brew1401251036.688902.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
pricelessbrewing said:
Question, is it a 3.5g cider back sweetened with .5g or 4g with some cherry juice fwrmented alongside the apple?

I assume 3.5 but first post didn't specify explicitly.

Have you gotten a gravity reading after back sweetening? My estimates put it at around 1.007 assuming 272g of sugar in the cherry juice and fermented dry to 1.000
Click to expand...

I make it fermented all together, no back sweetening. I actually liked my first batch of 4+1 rather than my second of 3.5+1.5
 
Has anyone tried this with pitted cherries? I have a bunch of pitted frozen ones. Alternatively I could juice them. Any ideas or recommendations?
Thanks!
 
Starting a 1 gal batch of this tonight. Been watching this thread for too long not too. Actually just joined HBT specifically because of this stuff!

Once my batch is underway I might end up being another voice in the backsweetening / carbing choir... Still a newbie on this stuff!
 
Just starting a batch of this up today, gonna end up being about 2 gals or so. Using 1.5 gals apple juice and a quart of 100% cherry juice(not black cherry, but i already had it anyway), 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, notty ale yeast(starter made), and some acid blend and nutrient. Haven't decided if i should use a wee bit of tannin yet, as that's pretty much the same as my ez apple cider(minus the cherry juice and brown sugar) and I'm really happy with that for a basic ez cider recipe. If anybody has any input i certainly wouldn't mind hearing it...
 
Thanks , i also skipped the additional acid blend which i usually add to my ez cider as well since i figured i didn't need that in this one either. It smells great so far, if only i had a time machine for skipping ahead to when batches were done...
 
decoleur said:
How long do you usually let your ciders ferment before packaging?
Click to expand...

Minimum: once og is rrached. Preferred a few days later if it clears by itself, otherwise cold crash a few days.
I usually am in no rush for cider though, and let it go for awhile after that. Sometimes weeks or months.
 
Has anyone ever tried dry hopping this recipe before? I'm gonna rack mine into secondary for a week or so just to make sure its good and clear before i bottle, but i was thinking it would be quite good hopped.
 
Bottled a batch of this today. I deviated from the original recipe a little. 4gal of apple juice, always save brand, 2x 32oz bottles of Black Cherry, 4x cans of frozen concentrate, and juice to top off the carboy. OG was 1.054, FG 1.002. Primed with 4oz Dextrose, and ended up with 52 12oz bottles.

Pitched on 3Sept14, bottled today.

ImageUploadedByHome Brew1411506523.562935.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
I used Red Star Montrachet, so I doubt it would get much drier than it was. It had a very slight sweetness, but not sugary, slightly tart, and the apple flavor was there. Although, it was a little wine like. Will probably be crisper when carbonated. I'll post results after a week or two when I start sampling.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
As a side note, I almost decided to add a little wine conditioner... I believe that's what a lot of the Commercial brewers do.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Well this recipe turned out so good I just stuck another batch on. This time I used 4gal of Juice, 3/4gal of Black cherry juice, 6 cans of concentrate, and 8oz of malto for mouth feel (in the primary).

I have no idea what the OG was, but don't really care as the previous batch wasn't too winey, and I won't mind any extra kick this gives me.

I will say this though, 3/4 gal of Black Cherry juices turns that carboy black. I imagine this will come out looking like grape juice in the glass.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
mwbrewer said:
Has anyone ever tried dry hopping this recipe before? I'm gonna rack mine into secondary for a week or so just to make sure its good and clear before i bottle, but i was thinking it would be quite good hopped.
Click to expand...

Did you end up dry hopping it?? I am quite interested in that. Would be a little different. What would you hop it with????
 
So I just made this a few minutes ago. I mean, how could you not with the name. Though I'm thinking of calling it Blood of the Dragon to make it Game of Thrones themed lol. I used the following ingredients:

-3.5 gallons of regular Tree Top (not 3 apple blend) as the regular is much cheaper to buy in bulk at Sam's Club.

-0.5 gallon R.W. Knudsen Just Black Cherry Juice.

- 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar.

- WLP 060 American Ale Yeast

The SG is 1.055. Excited to see how it tastes. How many times and when are people racking this? Just one to a secondary one the FG hasn't moved in the days? And how long did it take for fermentation to start as I've never used this yeast. Thanks for the recipe and the tip to add brown sugar. See my pics of the ingredients attached. Now on to post on the ceyser I also made tonight called Dude Where's My Pants!

View attachment 1430022723197.jpg
 
Vox said:
So I just made this a few minutes ago. I mean, how could you not with the name. Though I'm thinking of calling it Blood of the Dragon to make it Game of Thrones themed lol. I used the following ingredients:

-3.5 gallons of regular Tree Top (not 3 apple blend) as the regular is much cheaper to buy in bulk at Sam's Club.

-0.5 gallon R.W. Knudsen Just Black Cherry Juice.

- 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar.

- WLP 060 American Ale Yeast

The SG is 1.055. Excited to see how it tastes. How many times and when are people racking this? Just one to a secondary one the FG hasn't moved in the days? And how long did it take for fermentation to start as I've never used this yeast. Thanks for the recipe and the tip to add brown sugar. See my pics of the ingredients attached. Now on to post on the ceyser I also made tonight called Dude Where's My Pants!
Click to expand...

I usually just do primary with a long cold crash 2-4 weeks after depending on the yeast ( I use many). You certainly can rack to a secondary. Not wrong either way.
 
BlainD said:
I usually just do primary with a long cold crash 2-4 weeks after depending on the yeast ( I use many). You certainly can rack to a secondary. Not wrong either way.
Click to expand...

Never done cold crashing before. Can I do that with an ice bath or does that require an extra fridge? I assume you meant you ferment for the month til dry then cold crash for 2-4 weeks. I assume the cold crash is just to drop the yeast and cherry bits out?
 
Never done cold crashing before. Can I do that with an ice bath or does that require an extra fridge? I assume you meant you ferment for the month til dry then cold crash for 2-4 weeks. I assume the cold crash is just to drop the yeast and cherry bits out?
 
So I made this Saturday night so it's been 34 hours and no activity in the airlock. I know the airlock is not the most accurate way of measuring fermentation so I will take a reading tomorrow, but was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with WLP 060 which I've never used before. Thanks.
 
Vox said:
Never done cold crashing before. Can I do that with an ice bath or does that require an extra fridge? I assume you meant you ferment for the month til dry then cold crash for 2-4 weeks. I assume the cold crash is just to drop the yeast and cherry bits out?
Click to expand...

Yes; 2-4 weeks primary then cold crash 2-4. I'm sure you could cold crash in a nice bath but keeping a container iced for a month seems... Inconvenient. Primary only with no crash is fine.(not sure how much of this you know but saying it anyway) Just make sure the yeast has eaten all of the sugar (gravity hasn't changed in about 3-4 days). Someone will probably start listing reasons for secondary fermentation and they will be right. There are benefits: mostly faster aging (IMO). Sooner you bottle more time it will need to condition for the same effect. Some like theirs young even. There is no right or wrong answer to preference. I suggest experimenting.

As far as opening it: I would not.if you pitched good yeast have faith. Just bottled 6 gallons and it never bubbled. Sometimes they just don't. Opening it will risk contamination. I've never had a problem with yeast colonizing. Even when I pitched a small washes cake 3 month into a five gallon batch of wort after I forgot to make a starter. I'd bet it's fine. It is hard not to look though.
 
BlainD said:
Yes; 2-4 weeks primary then cold crash 2-4. I'm sure you could cold crash in a nice bath but keeping a container iced for a month seems... Inconvenient. Primary only with no crash is fine.(not sure how much of this you know but saying it anyway) Just make sure the yeast has eaten all of the sugar (gravity hasn't changed in about 3-4 days). Someone will probably start listing reasons for secondary fermentation and they will be right. There are benefits: mostly faster aging (IMO). Sooner you bottle more time it will need to condition for the same effect. Some like theirs young even. There is no right or wrong answer to preference. I suggest experimenting.

As far as opening it: I would not.if you pitched good yeast have faith. Just bottled 6 gallons and it never bubbled. Sometimes they just don't. Opening it will risk contamination. I've never had a problem with yeast colonizing. Even when I pitched a small washes cake 3 month into a five gallon batch of wort after I forgot to make a starter. I'd bet it's fine. It is hard not to look though.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Never really worried about the batch getting contaminated just by opening the lid to pull a sample with a sanitized wine thief.
 
Well there hasn't been any airlock activity since I pitched four days ago, but I took a reading (and little taste) tonight and it's down from 1.055 to 1.03 so it's doing its thing. Taste wasn't bad but obviously no indication of the final product as of yet. Have a few buddies that are interested in trying it.

View attachment 1430365948058.jpg

View attachment 1430365961132.jpg
 
This recipe sounds really good; I think I'm going to make 2 batches and modify one a bit when I make it (add some honey and water to 5 gallon volume, and use wine or champagne yeast) and see how it turns out :)
 
NightWatcher13 said:
This recipe sounds really good; I think I'm going to make 2 batches and modify one a bit when I make it (add some honey and water to 5 gallon volume, and use wine or champagne yeast) and see how it turns out :)
Click to expand...

Cool. Honey might be nice, but I made a batch of ceyser the same day so I didn't feel like more honey.
 
Racked to the secondary today after three weeks in the primary. Not sure why I have so much headroom. Maybe this is my 6 gallon carboy lol. Hopefully I won't need to worry about oxidation with the headspace if it will only be in there for a week or two. Debated cold crashing, but I don't have an extra fridge and not sure it's worth keeping it on ice in the tub for a week just for clarity. I'm interested in suggestions for backsweetening as I have only done so once or twice with other ciders. Thanks.

View attachment 1431880536063.jpg

View attachment 1431880550676.jpg

View attachment 1431880567889.jpg
 

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