Angry Orchard

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UpstateMike said:
KISS v2.0 is, yes. Still working on it. Hold off on making KISS v1.0, it's ok, but there is a lot of room for improvement in that recipe.

Aww ok. I guess I will make Graham's cider this weekend unless you think you'll have 2.0 ready soon :)
 
So I had their Crisp for the first time yesterday and loved it. This will be my first attempt at a cider and I did some poking around looking for specifics and found that they use a blend of sweet apples and bittersweet apples that provide a bit of bitterness and tannins. With no real access to bittersweet apples I am wondering if I could use crabapples instead. I don't have a fruit press but was wondering if I could use my juicer or blender? It was also stated they age on wood, any recommended wood types?

I would juice 3-4 lbs of crabapples remixing the juice and pulp. Add 1 c of Rasins mashed in blender, Add my pectic enzyme to the pulp and let sit for 24 hours.
After the 24 hours have elapsed add 1 lb of pilloncillo ( prefer this flavor over brown sugar) & 1 campden tablet and let sit for an additional 24 hours.

Add the pulp/juice from crabapples to fermenter.
Add 3-4 gallons Apple Juice
Pitch Nottingham or WLP039 (has anyone tried the WLP720 for a less dry cider and perhaps little to no backsweetening needed?)
Move to Secondary and add Wood Dowel or chips

After fermentation is complete add 1-2 cans of concentrate (to taste) Carb approx 24 hours (to taste) and then pasteurize. I understood I could pasteurize in the dishwasher running the rinse and heat dry cycle; is this the recommended and easiest way?

As I stated, this is my first attempt at cider and I really don't know but would like to get as close as possible to the Angry Orchard Crisp and I am speculating from what I've read ( http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/05/cider-interview-angry-orchards-david-sipes.html ). This is a shot in the dark for me. I appreciate any feedback on any of this.
 
I tried a clone of the AO Ginger, ended up with way too much ginger in it. I used 1 root, which equaled about 1 1/4 cups. Just chopped and boiled with my starter and 3 lbs of honey. I also used another 2 lbs dextrose. ABV was around 12%. I should have back sweetened and bottled / pasturizeed
 
ANyone ever get anywhere with this? My wife is pressing me for it.

I tried upstatemike's KISS 1.0 recipe which was his first attempt at cloning Angry Orchard. Just bottled it a couple weeks ago. I don't care for the tart flavor the malic acid gives it like the sugar on sour patch kids. Hoping it will mellow out in the bottle. Upstatemike has KISS 2.0 bottled and will update the thread when he's tried it.
 
I tried upstatemike's KISS 1.0 recipe which was his first attempt at cloning Angry Orchard. Just bottled it a couple weeks ago. I don't care for the tart flavor the malic acid gives it like the sugar on sour patch kids. Hoping it will mellow out in the bottle. Upstatemike has KISS 2.0 bottled and will update the thread when he's tried it.
I found that it took about 6 weeks - 2 months in the bottle for KISS v1.0 to be drinkable. At that point it was pretty good.

The recipe for KISS v2.0 will not be published. I feel that the changes I made to it from v1.0 were steps in the wrong direction. Drinkable, but not great.

Working on KISS v3.0 when I can.
 
Appreciate the update. Seeing the version that didn't work could prove helpful if you know why it didn't work.
 
I found that it took about 6 weeks - 2 months in the bottle for KISS v1.0 to be drinkable. At that point it was pretty good.

The recipe for KISS v2.0 will not be published. I feel that the changes I made to it from v1.0 were steps in the wrong direction. Drinkable, but not great.

Working on KISS v3.0 when I can.

Keep me apprised on KISS 3.0 please. I'm a fan or Angry Orchard and your recipes.
 
well i have my version going its in the not the end of the world cider post.

5 gallons of musselmans cider, notty 1.050 to 1.010 cold crashing malic acid to taste and some aj concentrate to bump it back up to 1.020 or a bit more.

it really needs the cold crashing to drop the yeast out. i'll prolly add in some sorbate since it will be kegged and carbed.
 
well i have my version going its in the not the end of the world cider post.

5 gallons of musselmans cider, notty 1.050 to 1.010 cold crashing malic acid to taste and some aj concentrate to bump it back up to 1.020 or a bit more.

it really needs the cold crashing to drop the yeast out. i'll prolly add in some sorbate since it will be kegged and carbed.

So you're cold crashing it to stop it before it completely ferments out to retain natural, residual sweetness? I bottle so I guess I would need to skip the cold crashing and bottle it with malic acid slightly above your suggested fg and bottle pasteurize. I've always let my ciders ferment completely and then backsweetened.
 
yup i'm attempting to halt if before its ferments all the way out, i should have done it last night, or a bit earlier even, it seems after it dropped below 1.01 it gets the bitterness i'm trying to avoid. I will also be using AJ concentrate to back sweeten it some more.
 
If the finished product is too tart and lacks in sweetness perhaps try adding a MLF culture and let it do its work for a month or so. Then give it try. The MLF will sweeten it but also makes a more rounded mouth feel. Good luck all you drunk scientists!
 
I'm interested in V1.0's recipe. Close to Crisp is what I'm after. If I want exact, I'll buy a 6er. I'd rather make something close myself though.

---Chris
 
smittygouv30 said:
Thanks for the reply. Of course I have more questions.

What are my options to end all fermentation so I can just add sugar to sweeten?

If I decide to add unfermentables instead f the previous option, what can/should I use? Splenda?

Thanks,
Corey

You can also back sweeten with apple/cider juice. Some people save a little cider in a bottle in the fridge when they make a batch. Than add it in before bottling and after fermentation. If you do this I strongly recommend that you look at the sugar content on the bottle and not adding any sugar for carbonation and just let the natural sugar in the juice carbonate. Make sure to kill the yeast before you add the juice or otherwise your just adding more sugar for fermentation
 
klowneyy said:
You can also back sweeten with apple/cider juice. Some people save a little cider in a bottle in the fridge when they make a batch. Than add it in before bottling and after fermentation. If you do this I strongly recommend that you look at the sugar content on the bottle and not adding any sugar for carbonation and just let the natural sugar in the juice carbonate. Make sure to kill the yeast before you add the juice or otherwise your just adding more sugar for fermentation

If you kill the yeast before adding juice or sugar, though, you won't get any added carbonation - it's the yeast eating this extra sugar that produces the carbonation. You'd have to force carbonate after killing the yeast and adding the extra juice. As far as I understand (never done this myself; currently reading these forums to figure out how to sweeten and carb up, for my first cider batch), you have to back sweeten with an unfermentable sweetener like xylitol or lactose to be able to bottle carb with priming sugar or more juice, otherwise the yeast eat up the extra fermentable sugars you add as well. Or, after back sweetening and after some carbonating, but before the yeast eat ALL the added sugar, you have to pasteurize or cold-crash to keep them from eating the rest of it (the amount you still want as the sweetener). Again, this is just what I've been reading, someone please correct me if I'm wrong...
 
saramc said:
Though, sorbate should only be used if you want a still product or you choose to force carb. Bottle carbing will not typically take place with sorbate on board.

Like I said before let the natural sugar and yeast in the cider do the work should be fine
 
I gave up on my clone, I like the way my recipe turned out better than AO. Now i just need to work on kegging damn keg started to leak after a month...
 
from my liquid out post, i have o rings i'm just annoyed that i prolly need to tear things apart and swap ect. so my goal is to drink it all before my mostly empty tank is empty.
 
I get a stuck poppet sometimes and when I remove the tap line it will spritz me a little on occasion. It's because my poppet isn't the correct one for my particular keg. I need to switch it to a universal one at some point. I've never had one leak while plugged in though. You might just try a little keg lube on the o-ring before breaking it down.
 
I gave up on my clone, I like the way my recipe turned out better than AO. Now i just need to work on kegging damn keg started to leak after a month...

Was your recipe closer to the Ginger or the Crisp? I'd like to try and make a clone, but I don't want to end up with apple flavored Vernors:D
 
Ingredients:
1 Sodastream Home Soda Maker
2: 1.5 Liter Glass Bottle Martinelli's Cider
2 Cups Wholesome Sweeteners Sugar
1 Size 7 Stopper
1 Airlock
1 Packet Rapunzel Rize Organic Yeast
Couple Oz Clear Drinking Liquor (Vodka).
Large Two Gallon Bowl
Food Safe Siphon Tubing

Directions: Open one glass jug and off 1.5 cups cider, add sugar to bottle; add yeast, reattach lid and shake until all sugar dissolved. Place sanitized rubber stopper and sanitized airlock then add vodka to airlock up to fill line. Let ferment for two to three weeks around 70-80*F or until all the yeast has settled to the bottom. Siphon off the hard apple wine from the yeast on the bottom and refrigerate the apple wine and let yeast settle out for another couple days to a week then open up the second bottle of Martinelli's and combine it with equal parts of fresh cider. Carbonate the chilled mixture in a small soda-stream bottle and then carbonate it by letting the pressure valve go off when carbonating and then waiting a minute until carbonated five bursts. Let the pressure go very slowly as to not let it fizz into the system, stopping if it starts to fizz up too much until the pressure is equalized. Tastes almost like the real deal! More like a Martinelli's sparkling hard crisp cider.
 
I like Magners and Strongbow also.

Don't say that to loudly, depending on your location. This was taken in a cider bar in London last month.

IMG_1404.jpg
 
My brew that's in secondary now was done with this,

4 gallons with apple cider
1.5 water
1lb brown sugar
8oz maple syrup
Yeast (can't remember which one)...

But now that it's in secondary I'm debating on throwing some ginger bc I really like the angry orchard ginger cider
 
Swmbo used to like angry orchard till i learned how to homebrew ciders and cysers between mead and beer batches..now she wont let me buy store baught adult beverages..if I want it I have to make it..
 
I havent been brewing long enough to have a favorite..I have a six one gallon ciders and cysers brewing together with different yeasts and spice combinations..I also have five gallons of irish red ale in the secondary..I also have a hard strawberry limeade I based off the skeeter pee recipe bottle conditioning..
Now im taking a quick break to upgrade my brew kit..I just built a diy wort chiller and I need to invest another $200 or so it making a fermentation chamber.
Hopefully I can get it made soon..im looking forward to brewing my friends pumpkin ale recipe..he gave me a few bottles to sample and I fell in love with it....best advice I received was to go meet people in the hobby..I've already had a few invites to go to my lhbs when their homebrew clubs meet and bring some of my brews to trade tastes with..
 
My brew that's in secondary now was done with this,

4 gallons with apple cider
1.5 water
1lb brown sugar
8oz maple syrup
Yeast (can't remember which one)...

But now that it's in secondary I'm debating on throwing some ginger bc I really like the angry orchard ginger cider

I kegged this way too soon (near 6 weeks) it was really good but not sweet. So I added 7 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate and it is pretty much amazing (to me) now.
 
I enjoyed Angry Orchard until I drank Stella Artois. But it's so damned expensive. then I discovered http://www.smithandforgehardcider.com/ and I'm a convert. If I can produce a product similar to this, I'll never by retail again. Just started a couple carboys of cider in the last few weeks. These are my first ever.
 
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