Cheap, Fast, and Easy Raspberry Cider

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cyfan964

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This is an incredibly cheap, fast, and easy cider recipe. I have used it 4-5 times and everyone I know loves it. It's obviously not something you would make as your sole cider, but if you need something to put together in a pinch this works great. I've seen a few recipes similar to this, but I've kind of taken parts of several recipes and put them together.

3 gallons Wal-Mart Apple Juice
1 can of raspberry apple concentrate
2 cans of pomegranate blueberry concentrate
1 lb. of table sugar
3/4 gallon of spring water

Basically you just mix the above ingredients into a solution and then pitch a Lalvin ICV D47 wine yeast and let it ferment for 30 days.

At time of bottling or kegging I've found that the best additions for flavor are:

3/4 lb of lactose
2 oz of raspberry flavoring

I force carb at 32 psi for 24 hours and then drop to 12 psi. It's usually good to go after about 6 days.
 
Sound great! Is the wine yeast critical? Have you ever tried Nottingham?

I have tried a few different kinds of yeast. Nottingham, champagne, and a couple of ales actually.

Everyone agrees that the Lalvin wine yeast is the best tasting. Gives a nice crisp start and a clean finish.
 
So, I love your recipe and have used it for inspiration.

After a couple batches, I ventured out a little, borrowing parts of your recipe - and, like you, borrowing parts from the recipes of others on HBT - and came up with something that I can produce quickly and consistently. This is especially handy when my pipeline is a little lean. Well, frankly, variations of this seem to dominate my pipeline now...

Ferment:
6 gallons Costco Apple Juice
2 lb brown sugar (I use C&H from Costco, which comes in 4lb packages)
2 oz yeast energizer
1 pk Nottingham ale yeast

OG is typically between 1.060 and 1.065; I'm not perfectly precise with the brown sugar. I ferment down to about 1.010, which is consistently 4-5 days. Gotta love that!

Back-Sweeten:
1 can raspberry apple concentrate (or similar)
2 can(s) pomegranate blueberry concentrate (or similar)

Basically, I back sweeten to taste, depending on mood, GF's mood, and expected guests. I recently did a cran-apple version (3 cans). Not crazy about it, but the neighbor loves it. It's pretty hard to go wrong.

Typically, I will immediately pour the next batch right on the previous yeast cake. I'll do that three times. It's arbitrary, but works for me. Yes, we go through A LOT of this!

I keg and force carb, too, but I use the shake and roll method. I start drinking it in a day or two. I don't specifically cold crash, but it clears up in a week or so (if it lasts that long).

The extra gallon I have after kegging (and before back-sweetening) is kept in the refrigerator and I leave it still. Gotta do quality control, right? ;)

Because this is so consistent, quick and easy, it will be my base cider outside of apple season. Next on the agenda is to try a few different peppers!

Thanks for the inspiration! :tank:
 
Just finished using OP's recipe, but through in 4lbs of frozen fruit blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and a 64 oz raspberry pomegranate concentrate. Instead of the raz flavoring, bought blackberry before bottling. One question I have as I am new to Cider and brew making in general, do you have to warm the 1lb table sugar before throwing it into the mix? I just tossed it right in. Is this going to be ok??
 
Sudsyone said:
Just finished using OP's recipe, but through in 4lbs of frozen fruit blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and a 64 oz raspberry pomegranate concentrate. Instead of the raz flavoring, bought blackberry before bottling. One question I have as I am new to Cider and brew making in general, do you have to warm the 1lb table sugar before throwing it into the mix? I just tossed it right in. Is this going to be ok??

Did the sugar situation work out? How was it?
 
dog_gone said:
So, I love your recipe and have used it for inspiration.

After a couple batches, I ventured out a little, borrowing parts of your recipe - and, like you, borrowing parts from the recipes of others on HBT - and came up with something that I can produce quickly and consistently. This is especially handy when my pipeline is a little lean. Well, frankly, variations of this seem to dominate my pipeline now...

Ferment:
6 gallons Costco Apple Juice
2 lb brown sugar (I use C&H from Costco, which comes in 4lb packages)
2 oz yeast energizer
1 pk Nottingham ale yeast

OG is typically between 1.060 and 1.065; I'm not perfectly precise with the brown sugar. I ferment down to about 1.010, which is consistently 4-5 days. Gotta love that!

Back-Sweeten:
1 can raspberry apple concentrate (or similar)
2 can(s) pomegranate blueberry concentrate (or similar)

Basically, I back sweeten to taste, depending on mood, GF's mood, and expected guests. I recently did a cran-apple version (3 cans). Not crazy about it, but the neighbor loves it. It's pretty hard to go wrong.

Typically, I will immediately pour the next batch right on the previous yeast cake. I'll do that three times. It's arbitrary, but works for me. Yes, we go through A LOT of this!

I keg and force carb, too, but I use the shake and roll method. I start drinking it in a day or two. I don't specifically cold crash, but it clears up in a week or so (if it lasts that long).

The extra gallon I have after kegging (and before back-sweetening) is kept in the refrigerator and I leave it still. Gotta do quality control, right? ;)

Because this is so consistent, quick and easy, it will be my base cider outside of apple season. Next on the agenda is to try a few different peppers!

Thanks for the inspiration! :tank:

You said you used 2 oz of yeast energizer? I only used about 1/2 an oz 1/2 tsp per gallon =3 tsp do you think it will take longer to ferment now? Does the energizer speed up the fermentation?
 
Danno81 said:
Did the sugar situation work out? How was it?

Fermenting went great and ended up with 6.5% FG. Back sweetened with lactose in which I also just tossed in, instead of boiling and what a nightmare trying to mix. Most just stuck at the bottom. Added 2oz of blackberry flavoring and sugar for priming and will taste this weekend. Can't wait as its my first hard cider.
 
Nice man I'm also trying my first cider ( right now in primary bubbling away) ferm chamber smells like apples. :) i have 2 IPA's under my belt and a third ipa on week 2 so Definently a newb but I totally live this hobby.
 
Well, here it is. Got a perfect fizz to it but don't think it's perfect yet. Still young and not quite as sweet as I intended, but drinkable



image-2314543478.jpg
 
I've had this fermenting for about 9 days now and the airlock is still bubbling away about 1 bubble every 30 seconds also there is a layer of crasen I don't know how to spell it the foam on top is still about 2" thick how long does it usually take to dry out?

image-3249814993.jpg
 
Omg this is amazing!! I think I hear Angels singing.... the best thing I have tasted in ages. Mmmmm :) :) :) (yum)

image-2847936164.jpg
 
Starting a 5 gal batch of this today but am thinking about throwing a bag of frozen berries in with it to ferment. Then backsweeten/carb with honey possibly.
 
So I had my first overflow from the airlock with this cider. Added a bag of frozen mixed berries and this morning it was all over the table. I poured a gallon into a different carboy and snuck a taste. I think this one is going to be a winner!
 
kstone803 said:
So I had my first overflow from the airlock with this cider. Added a bag of frozen mixed berries and this morning it was all over the table. I poured a gallon into a different carboy and snuck a taste. I think this one is going to be a winner!

I've made this 3 times and every-time I used a blow off tube. And the tube was constantly full of yeast and other funk.
 
This is my third batch I hard cider. The first 2 were apple juice and back sweetened with apple juice concentrate. This time I used apple cider instead of juice and back sweetened with 2 cans apple concentrate and 1 can raspberry lemonade concentrate and 2 bags of frozen rasberrys ( directly into keg. I have a stainless mesh filter on my keg so I figured it would stop the rasberrys from clogging the line... Was I wrong next time I'll put the rasberrys in a dry hop bag
 
Danno81 said:
This is my third batch I hard cider. The first 2 were apple juice and back sweetened with apple juice concentrate. This time I used apple cider instead of juice and back sweetened with 2 cans apple concentrate and 1 can raspberry lemonade concentrate and 2 bags of frozen rasberrys ( directly into keg. I have a stainless mesh filter on my keg so I figured it would stop the rasberrys from clogging the line... Was I wrong next time I'll put the rasberrys in a dry hop bag

Tastes delicious though and strong as hell I had 3 glasses and I'm done. Wow
 
Is everyone force-carbonating this recipe? Has anyone tried to bottle carb or just keep as a smooth cider? I'd like to try this but don't have equip for force carb as I'm a newbie and not ready for that kind of commitment . . . or at least my wife isn't! Thanks in advance for any feedback.
 
Is everyone force-carbonating this recipe? Has anyone tried to bottle carb or just keep as a smooth cider? I'd like to try this but don't have equip for force carb as I'm a newbie and not ready for that kind of commitment . . . or at least my wife isn't! Thanks in advance for any feedback.

I would like to know this too. If I bottle, do I prime it like beer? I'm not too familiar with what lactose does.
 
I believe u need to back sweeten it with a can of apple juice concentrate and that will be your priming sugar just make sure that u mix it well so u don't have any bottles exploding on you. If anything will make a bottle blow up it's this stuff
 
tborow said:
I would like to know this too. If I bottle, do I prime it like beer? I'm not too familiar with what lactose does.
Going to run a batch this week with bottle conditioning. Going to pasteurize, so not too worried about the bottle bombs. . . . .
 
I believe u need to back sweeten it with a can of apple juice concentrate and that will be your priming sugar just make sure that u mix it well so u don't have any bottles exploding on you. If anything will make a bottle blow up it's this stuff

Don't do this unless you've done the appropriate math to know how much sugar is in the can of concentrate you are using and that it will not cause bottle bombs.
 
Does lactose kind of serve the same purpose as dextrose in this recipe? I won't be pasteurizing

If no, would i just use 4oz of priming sugar when bottling since it's 4 gal?
 
Lactose (milk sugar) is a non-fermentable sugar, so no, it does not serve the same purpose. It is strictly for sweetening (although the flavor isn't quite like what you associate with sweetness).

How much you prime with is up to you. :) I use Northern Brewer's priming calculator, but it doesn't list cider and I'm not sure what is correct for style on that. I always do mine still. At any rate, 4 oz of priming sugar would be safe as long as you are doing the recipe as posted and not adding any additional fermentables at bottling.
 
Lactose (milk sugar) is a non-fermentable sugar, so no, it does not serve the same purpose. It is strictly for sweetening (although the flavor isn't quite like what you associate with sweetness).

How much you prime with is up to you. :) I use Northern Brewer's priming calculator, but it doesn't list cider and I'm not sure what is correct for style on that. I always do mine still. At any rate, 4 oz of priming sugar would be safe as long as you are doing the recipe as posted and not adding any additional fermentables at bottling.

Thanks for the response. I'll probably go with the 4oz.
 
So mine has pretty much finished up fermentation and I snuck a taste tonight. It is a little tart but I am going to backsweeten and immediately pasteurize half (still) and let the other half carb up. Thinking of using a container of raspberry juice concentrate if I can find it but if not does anyone have any recommendations? Also I put a bag of frozen berries in my primary and it has tons of bits floating in it. Any idea how long they will take to fall out? I am thinking of racking to the secondary tomorrow and seeing if it clears in a week.
 
Racked to the secondary last night and managed to leave most of the fruit bits in the primary. Going to let it settle for a week and then backsweeten and bottle. I pulled a quart out to drink and I must say it is very good.
 
I bottled on SUnday and couldnt find frozen concentrated raspberry juice so I used white grape raspberry. I used 2 cans of the frozen concentrate and now I am unhappy with how it turned out. It has a very grape juice flavor now instead of berry. Next time I carb with honey or corn sugar. Oh well, live and learn.
 
I bottled on SUnday and couldnt find frozen concentrated raspberry juice so I used white grape raspberry. I used 2 cans of the frozen concentrate and now I am unhappy with how it turned out. It has a very grape juice flavor now instead of berry. Next time I carb with honey or corn sugar. Oh well, live and learn.

I ended up using another apple concentrate with a bit of my raspberry extract. I'm hoping it turns out good. I couldn't find the apple raspberry anywhere.
 
kstone803 said:
I bottled on SUnday and couldnt find frozen concentrated raspberry juice so I used white grape raspberry. I used 2 cans of the frozen concentrate and now I am unhappy with how it turned out. It has a very grape juice flavor now instead of berry. Next time I carb with honey or corn sugar. Oh well, live and learn.
a I used rasberry lemonade concentrate with 2 lbs of frozen rasberrys it came out excellent wie
 
Thanks for the great recipe. I just pitched a variation of this cider subbing the concentrates for 2 cans of cranberry and 1 can of apple concentrate. I also added 3 quarts of cranberry juice cocktail in addition to the 3 gallons of apple juice. I'll be sure to let you all know how it turns out.
 
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