Using Cider Mill Cider

I have been toying around with the idea of making a cider for a while now. However most of the recipes I see just use apple juice. Is there any good recipes or benefits of using local cider-mill cider?

With the season coming up in a few months I wanted to lock down a recipe beforehand.

I use apple juice in the off season or to test recipes but cider mill cider is what I use when I can get it. My plan this fall is to make as much as I can from Labor Day to Christmas. It racks clear after primary fermentation.

MarkKF said:

I use apple juice in the off season or to test recipes but cider mill cider is what I use when I can get it. My plan this fall is to make as much as I can from Labor Day to Christmas. It racks clear after primary fermentation.

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Any recommended recipes you have? If it takes a long time until completion even better!

I just posted this elsewhere. If you can get the cider mill to do a blend for you it will save much tedium!

Blending is really important for good cider. If you are going to start with apples shoot for a blend of apples like this:

50% base (red delicious, golden delicious, gala etc.)
25% tart (Jonathan, Jonagold, Pippen, Granny Smith, etc.)
20% aromatic (Gravenstein, McIntosh)
5% tannic (crab apples)

You have to grind the apples pretty thoroughly to maximize juice output. I sprinkle sulfite solution mixed with the pectic enzyme on the apple pulp as I go. The pectic enzyme helps with extraction. Then I press. If you can't find crabs you can use some grape tannin. About a teaspoon of the dried for 5 gal.

You are going to get a lot of sediment so letting it sit for quite a while and careful racking will be needed. Plain apple juice would get you an OG in the neighborhood of 1.055.

For residual sweetness you could consider wine conditioner which is invert syrup with sorbate in it. That would not work if you are going for a bottle conditioned cider. I have not been able to do a sweetened cider that is sparkling with bottle conditioning. It always ferments out dry. A bit of residual sweetness adds nice balance though, so you could consider force carbonation with wine conditioner and bottle that.

You are probably going to need 125 pounds or so of apples for five gallons of juice. Last season I ground 125 pounds of apples in a Cuisinart food processor. Tedious! See if you can get an apple grinder!

I also used a small fruit press with nylon coarse mesh bags. Also tedious, but a wine press will not work well. All in all it was worth the effort.

Chinooski said:

I have been toying around with the idea of making a cider for a while now. However most of the recipes I see just use apple juice. Is there any good recipes or benefits of using local cider-mill cider?

With the season coming up in a few months I wanted to lock down a recipe beforehand.

Click to expand...

Are you sure there will be any local fresh cider? Apple trees are nearly bare up here in Central MI,

I made 35 gallons from fresh pressed last year. 2-15 gal batches and a 5.
The 5 was just juice and yeast no added sugar.
1-15 gal batch was juice and 1# honey / gallon
other 15 was juice and 1# sugar / gallon.

Started in Oct and in Late Feb and early March I racked to carboys and added various flavorings and in a few, additional fermentables.

roadymi said:

Are you sure there will be any local fresh cider? Apple trees are nearly bare up here in Central MI,

I made 35 gallons from fresh pressed last year. 2-15 gal batches and a 5.
The 5 was just juice and yeast no added sugar.
1-15 gal batch was juice and 1# honey / gallon
other 15 was juice and 1# sugar / gallon.

Started in Oct and in Late Feb and early March I racked to carboys and added various flavorings and in a few, additional fermentables.

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Have't heard many orchards going on record about the upcoming harvest here in Central NY. However, after walking around the local college semi-wild orchards, checking my neighbors trees, and a few others in area the local harvest will be pathetic. Literally, no evidence of fruit on the trees; i cannot remember ever seeing a year this bad for apples in NYS.

roadymi said:

Are you sure there will be any local fresh cider? Apple trees are nearly bare up here in Central MI,

I made 35 gallons from fresh pressed last year. 2-15 gal batches and a 5.
The 5 was just juice and yeast no added sugar.
1-15 gal batch was juice and 1# honey / gallon
other 15 was juice and 1# sugar / gallon.

Started in Oct and in Late Feb and early March I racked to carboys and added various flavorings and in a few, additional fermentables.

Click to expand...

I guess I'll see in September.

What kind of yeast do you recommend? Just a champagne yeast? How dry will it finish compared to juice?

Chinooski said:

How dry will it finish compared to juice?

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It somewhat depends on how much sugar you add. Pretty much any yeast will take plain cider dry.

I've been using Ale yeasts a lot. I've used 71B, D 47, Cotes des blancs (sp?)
With success. They each have their own idiosyncrocies to deal with.