Caramel Apple Hard Cider

mikeslag said:

is possible to bottle the carbonated version of this in wine bottles with a cork

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Absolutely NOT! Wine bottles are not designed to hold a carbonated beverage. They WILL blow up.

Champagne bottles, on the other hand would work. But I think you would also need the plastic mushroom champagne corks that are held down with the wire basket.

You will still need to pasteurize this when the amount of carb you want is achieved. Think about what you will be using to do your pasteurizing, and make sure the bottles will fit.

mikeslag said:

Hello again guys. So is possible to bottle the carbonated version of this in wine bottles with a cork or do I have to go beer bottles with caps? Just curious since I have no capping equipment or beer bottles and have plenty of corks and wine bottles and a floor corker. THANKS!!!

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Sure you can. Just be sure to have a webcam set up for our enjoyment.

dgrums said:

I did. Went smoothly. Force carbed and let age for as long as I could...about a week

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Thanks for the reply. For kegging, do you need to add sorbate and campden?

dward said:

Thanks for the reply. For kegging, do you need to add sorbate and campden?

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I added 5 campden tablets but it's not necessary. Campden won't kill off your yeast though. I just siphoned to leave as much yeast as possible out after cold crashing and kept the keg refrigerated in my keezer. If you let the keg get back up to room temperature, fermentation will restart.

Just started a 5G batch, I couldn't find the Wegman's juice, so I used a substitute.. 2# of Dextrose and added some pectic enzyme. O.G. was 1.060. If I have to use that juice again is it fine to add maybe a half a pound of dextrose to get the O.G. higher, say around 1.070? Super excited to see how it turns out!! Thanks UM!

Bottled last night and had a bit left over to drink right then. If it's this good now, I can't imagine how good it will be if it lasts a few weeks. Only problem is that if I have more than a couple, I'll be buzzing pretty good.

My plastic bottles are in easy sight range. This thread has me paranoid so I'm checking them hourly. hehe

hi, I was wondering why you rack into a 5 gallon carboy only to rack again into a bottling bucket? Is this to reduce sediment? Or could you just rack into a bottling bucket if you are going to carbonate the cider?
thanks.

Beernewb said:

hi, I was wondering why you rack into a 5 gallon carboy only to rack again into a bottling bucket? Is this to reduce sediment? Or could you just rack into a bottling bucket if you are going to carbonate the cider?
thanks.

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I think racking to secondary is more to allow the campden to work if you want it still. I just went from primary to bottling bucket and it is fine.

Just got done brewing a batch myself, came out great. Rave reviews from everyone who tried it.

Very tasty ! First ever cider and turned out great ! I ended up using cinnamon extract in the syrup and 4 frozen concentrate instead of five and came out fine. Thanks for a great recipe and keeping updated with details

I bottled this, still, a week ago. It appears the caramel syrup has fallen out of suspension. Is that normal? It looks strange in the bottle. I figure I could always shake it up before serving but u wasn't sure how normal this is.

I just opened a bottle of this to be sure I wasn't getting carbonation and to check it out prior to giving away some bottles as gifts. Good lord this is delicious. My wife just posted on facebook to tell people they REALLY want to be on our Christmas list. Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe. I'll be making this again soon.

I just did my caramel to bottle tomorrow.

I made a variation though.

Instead of adding 1tsp of ground cinnamon. I steaped some "bengal Spice" herbal tea in the water before adding the brown sugar.

This stuff:

(click image for description)

The caramel tastes amazing!

Can't wait to bottle.

I started a batch on 19 Aug and just got around to bottling it. I didn't take any gravity readings but, I used 1 lb of corn sugar and 3 gallons of apple juice. For the caramel syrup I just cut it in half and only used 2 cans of concentrate. At bottling time it still tasted great.

If anyone has some apfelwein they were making but is having a change of heart this may help them out.

I also put all of my bottles into a big toat incase of a bottle bomb.






View attachment 84475

Here is my 5 gallons waiting to add the caramel syrup.

deadpool76 said:

Instead of adding 1tsp of ground cinnamon. I steaped some "bengal Spice" herbal tea in the water before adding the brown sugar.

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That will add some tannin to the batch. Let us all know how it turns out.

Just made my second batch of this but changed up a few things this time around. Made 6 gallons and sweetened with dextrose and brown sugar to get to 1.070. Fermented with some washed notty for about a week to 1.010 for an ABV of 8.1%. I only added one apple juice concentrate but doubled the caramel syrup mix to 4 cups. Also, I steeped the caramel syrup with some mulling spices that I had and added 4 sticks of cinnamon to that steeping bag. Added that to my secondary and I kegged and force carbed 5 gallons and bottled the rest. It's fresh but it tastes so good. The cinnamon plus mulling spices add a lot more character than the first batch had (used ground cinnamon that fell out of suspension). I bottle pasteurized using the soda bottle method and stove top pasteurization. No bottle bombs and good carbonation. The kegged cider won't last long but I'm letting the bottles age. Thanks again, UpstateMike.

UpstateMike said:

That will add some tannin to the batch. Let us all know how it turns out.

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I just sampled the half bottle that was left after bottling. Yes, I cantaste the tannins. But Gooood does it taste good!

The other spices, like cardamome among other things, add even more flavour to the mix.

I can't wait for it to be carbonated and pasteurized.

deadpool76 said:

I just sampled the half bottle that was left after bottling. Yes, I cantaste the tannins. But Gooood does it taste good!

The other spices, like cardamome among other things, add even more flavour to the mix.

I can't wait for it to be carbonated and pasteurized.

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Did you hot or cold steep the tea? How many bags did you use? I was planning on adding nutmeg berries and whole cloves but I might go this route instead, very interested!

A question and a statement ladies and gents:

1. Can i bottle the STILL version in wine bottles?
2. In case anyone was unaware, whole foods currently is selling one-gallon bottles of organic cider for like 7 bucks or so, expensive yes, but it comes in a 1 gallon glass carboy!

DallasW said:

Did you hot or cold steep the tea? How many bags did you use? I was planning on adding nutmeg berries and whole cloves but I might go this route instead, very interested!

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I hot steeped 2 bags to get more flavour in there. Might have gotten less tannins by cold steeping though. I'll try cold steeping on the next batch.

mikeslag said:

Can i bottle the STILL version in wine bottles?

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Yes. Just make sure that it is actually still.

Started 11 days ago, just took a sample, I'm at FG-1.014 SG=1.064
i'm thinking 1 or 2 more days till bottling time. It already tastes good, can't wait till its all ready.

Question about the soda bottle tester- Ive never done this. Just fill it up 3/4? I read somewhere to squeeze all the air out then wait for "inflation" is that right or just leave it and wait for it to be hard as a rock?

I started a batch of this 2.5 weeks ago using red star cuvée yeast and Allen's aj (no preservatives). It's gone from OG 1060 to 1020 and has been stuck there for a few days now (65F). It's still quite sweet, but decent.

Is the gravity to high to bottle with the concentrate and caramel sauce? It's going to be very sweet no? Also, if the yeast is dead/inactive then will it carb up?
Should I just repitch and wait for it to get down to 1010 or lower?

amandley said:

Question about the soda bottle tester- Ive never done this. Just fill it up 3/4? I read somewhere to squeeze all the air out then wait for "inflation" is that right or just leave it and wait for it to be hard as a rock?

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When I have done the tester bottle, I fill it just like every other glass bottle-- same head space. That way it will have the same pressures exerted as the rest of your batch. HTH.

I'd love to try out this recipie. The only problem is that I'm from Montreal and have no idea what Wegman's Apple juice or Nottingham Yeast is. No stress though, I'll figure it out once I'm ready to start...

Thank you

mcevoy said:

I started a batch of this 2.5 weeks ago using red star cuvée yeast and Allen's aj (no preservatives). It's gone from OG 1060 to 1020 and has been stuck there for a few days now (65F). It's still quite sweet, but decent.

Is the gravity to high to bottle with the concentrate and caramel sauce? It's going to be very sweet no? Also, if the yeast is dead/inactive then will it carb up?
Should I just repitch and wait for it to get down to 1010 or lower?

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Did you use yeast nutrient? I didn't on my first batch and it stalled out around 1.020. I put it in my second batch and I cold crashed at 1.010

Richelle said:

I'd love to try out this recipie. The only problem is that I'm from Montreal and have no idea what Wegman's Apple juice or Nottingham Yeast is. No stress though, I'll figure it out once I'm ready to start...

Thank you

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Don't worry too much, just did this here in Ontario. I used Allan's apple juice (88cents/1.05L can, cheap! Just use a decent apple juice from the grocery store, should be pasteurized and have no other ingredients but apple juice, and maybe Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)) and you can get Nottingham yeast at probably any homebrew shop that does any beer stuff, it's a pretty common strain. Apparently Choppe a Barrock is the place to go downtown...

Richelle said:

I'd love to try out this recipie. The only problem is that I'm from Montreal and have no idea what Wegman's Apple juice or Nottingham Yeast is. No stress though, I'll figure it out once I'm ready to start...

Thank you

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Actually, the first batch I made was with "Sélection" apple juice. It's pasteurized with no preservatives. It's a little dry, but still makes a really good cider. (And is currently on sale at 99¢/L at Super C )

So i bottled Saturday night and this 20oz soda bottle is hard as a rock. Does that mean it's time to pasteurize?

So, time got away from me and my cider sat in the carboy for about 4 weeks, instead of +/-14 days. I made the cider according to the recipe, prior to the update, with 5.25 gallons of Trader Joe's 100% Fresh Apple Juice, 2lbs of dextrose, and 2 packets of Nottingham yeast. I bottled it last Sunday,November 18th, with 3 cans of apple juice concentrate and the caramel sauce per the updated recipe. I didn't have a soda pop bottle handy, so I started to test the bottles as of yesterday, so I wouldn't get any bottle bombs. I am noticing little carbonation as of today. My question is, could the long period, 4 weeks, sitting in the carboy affect the carbing? ie: little yeast viability. Or should I just wait, testing bottles each day, until I believe its carbed to the right level?

Secondly, I made the caramel sauce according to the updated recipe using cinnamon flavoring/extract I got from Whole Foods. I noticed, like the cinnamon spice people have talked about in the forum, that it didn't really incorporate into the caramel sauce. Is there a certain type of cinnamon extract to be used? Or is there a different method I should try? Here are some pictures. One of the cinnamon flavoring/extract I used and of the cider, as of today, with the flavoring oil separating.

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time and knowledge! Cheers!

Cinnamon Flavoring/Extract


Flavoring Separation

Chuckabrewski said:

So i bottled Saturday night and this 20oz soda bottle is hard as a rock. Does that mean it's time to pasteurize?

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Yes yes yes yes yes yes. Do it now before something explodes.

Clifton said:

Yes yes yes yes yes yes. Do it now before something explodes.

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Just got finished I had 3 gushers but I'm drinking them as soon as they cool.

I put a couple of cinnamon sticks in some spiced rum the day I made the cider and by the time it was ready for the caramel mixture I had some awesome cinnamon extract.

In my batch, I just used Sam's Member's Mark apple juice and it worked great. It's 4-something for two 96oz bottles. The cider was a huge hit yesterday at Thanksgiving. I kept telling everyone to take it easy and not pound them or it would sneak up on them. hehe

Hey guys just put mine in yesterday. Had a little foam but it seems to have dissipated and now I'm starting to have little blips in the airlock. Anyway how long should I wait for more activity in the airlock before I start worrying if I messed up?

P.s. I used one pack of Nottingham was that right?

mikeslag said:

Hey guys just put mine in yesterday. Had a little foam but it seems to have dissipated and now I'm starting to have little blips in the airlock. Anyway how long should I wait for more activity in the airlock before I start worrying if I messed up?

P.s. I used one pack of Nottingham was that right?

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1 pack is right.

And as long as you have activity in the airlock, I think it is well on its way. It may pick up in the next 48 - 72 hours, and then slow down again. Plan on taking a gravity reading in about a week.

hi mike, is the updated recipe 3 cans of apple juice concentrate instead of 5, but everything else is status quo?

UpstateMike said:

1 pack is right.

And as long as you have activity in the airlock, I think it is well on its way. It may pick up in the next 48 - 72 hours, and then slow down again. Plan on taking a gravity reading in about a week.

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Thanks Mike. Super excited!

Beernewb said:

hi mike, is the updated recipe 3 cans of apple juice concentrate instead of 5, but everything else is status quo?

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https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/caramel-apple-hard-cider-292770/index42.html

The adjusted recipe is here to see the adjustments.