Tell me if this would work...

OK, so I've been reading on here. I enjoy a Woodchuck type cider once in a while, they get a little too sweet for me to have more than one on occasion. The wife likes them though, she's not a beer drinker. I just started brewing (my first brew, an amber, is at the end of secondary). I want to brew up something for her to drink too, so she feels included.

So, I'd like to brew up 1-2 gallons. I've been reading on here, so I'll get apple juice with no additives or preservatives, and I'll find an appropriate yeast. Please keep in mind, I'd like one to be a woodchuck taste to start, so I know she'll drink it, and then I'll tailor it to her tastes. My questions are:

1) Should I boil the juice at all? Reading, it seemed unnecessary
2) I read about using a non-fermentable sugar to sweeten. Someone mentioned Splenda in another thread on here. Would that work fine? If so, any recommendation to how much I put in to achieve the woodchuck taste I know she likes? When should I add this - at the time of priming, or warm the juice prior to fermenting and add it then to ensure it dissolves?
3) Any suggestions for additives (ingredients) to enhance flavor?

Please give recommendations/recipies for this. Ideally, I'd love to do 1 gallon of woodchuckish cider for her, and I'd like to do a flat spiced cider as well.

Atrus said:

I enjoy a Woodchuck type cider once in a while, they get a little too sweet for me to have more than one on occasion. The wife likes them though, she's not a beer drinker.

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I've never drunk Woodchuck (It doesn't reach the UK) but it sounds like it may be a 'Medium Sweet' cider.

Atrus said:

My questions are:
1) Should I boil the juice at all? Reading, it seemed unnecessary
2) I read about using a non-fermentable sugar to sweeten. Someone mentioned Splenda in another thread on here. Would that work fine? If so, any recommendation to how much I put in to achieve the woodchuck taste I know she likes? When should I add this - at the time of priming, or warm the juice prior to fermenting and add it then to ensure it dissolves?
3) Any suggestions for additives (ingredients) to enhance flavor?

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1. Don't boil the juice. If it's pasterized use it straight away, if it's not then add campden tablets (1 per gallon) and leave overnight to suppress any wild yeasts before continuing.

2. Let your cider ferment first on it's own, rack to clear and when you tranfer to the bottle bucket stage add unfermentables like splenda to taste first and then add any priming sugar for carbonation (if used).

3. Patience should always be an essential additive !!! . It works wonders with cider. Age it well. Think Months not Weeks for the best results.

Question - would I really ruin anything by boiling? I found a recipe for traditional spiced apple juice (non-alcoholic). It calls for boiling with spices for an hour.

I have two 4 litre glass bottles. I planned on doing a "cold brew" with one, no additives yet except yeast, and then do the other spiced.

Atrus said:

Question - would I really ruin anything by boiling? I found a recipe for traditional spiced apple juice (non-alcoholic). It calls for boiling with spices for an hour.

I have two 4 litre glass bottles. I planned on doing a "cold brew" with one, no additives yet except yeast, and then do the other spiced.

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Boiling will leave you with a cider that'll need longer maturation to accommodate the heavier spice flavours. If you like them then by all means try it. Not my personal preference. I'd make a batch of 'plain' cider, age and then bottle it 'as is' - then use a few bottles of the plain 'alcoholic' stuff (instead of the apple juice) boiled with spices for a kind of 'Mulled cider', drunk warm on cold nights in small doses.....

Thanks for the response. I'll be wild and crazy - 1 gallon of mulled (thinking no carbonation in that) and 1 gallon of carbonated "regular"

Thanks! We'll see how it turns out in a couple of months!