Blueberry Cider and Cranberry Cider

I'm aiming to make some simple, tart, bubbly blueberry cider and cranberry cider, now that summer is definitely here.

Check these beauties out:






Both have OG of 1.040, with colors that demand clear bottles, once they're done fermenting.

Damn! You must really like Tabasco sauce

Your ciders sounds like the perfect cold summer drink. Not to alcoholic, lightly fruity, & tart. Simple recipes are the best.

Do you mean to flavor apple juice with them or make 100% from the fruit juice? I flavored 5 gallons of cider with a big bag of Craisin's I chopped up and it's my best product yet.

I have found that using Old orchard juice blends with apple juice highly ups the FG of my ciders. Half straight apple juice and half apple-____________ (cranberry, blueberry-pomegranate) blend has given me 1.008 finishing gravities when adding 2 lbs sugar and some concentrate. Maybe the craisins also add some tanins, like adding raisins supposedly do.

I just want a Tabasco jug like that. Good luck with the cider!

Let us know how it goes. I made a batch using one quarter northland pomegranate-cranberry. it turned out excellent

I threw a small handful of dried cranberries in a one gallon test batch, fermented to dry them primed with 1/4 cup sugar.

In lieu of the right balance of dessert, bittersweet, bittersharp and sharp apples, I think cranberries are the answer since they contain quinic acid, which is tannic, malic acid and citric acid,

However, it would be too easy to over-do cranberries in cider to change the character of it that it would make it something other than a "traditional English cider" which I was trying to imitate.

MarkKF said:

Do you mean to flavor apple juice with them or make 100% from the fruit juice?

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I used 32 ounces of berry juice (blueberry in one, cranberry in the other), and the remainder (about 93 ounces, with some room at the top--these are both gallon jugs) was apple juice.

I'll definitely have to try the chopped up Craisin's approach--sounds interesting! A comparison between that and this batch would definitely be worthwhile. I might do the same with dried blueberries vs. blueberry juice.

I like the way this post thinks!!!

ciderlover said:

I'm aiming to make some simple, tart, bubbly blueberry cider and cranberry cider, now that summer is definitely here.

Check these beauties out:

Both have OG of 1.040, with colors that demand clear bottles, once they're done fermenting.

Click to expand...

What size rubber stopper fits those jugs?

Have you made those before? How'd they turn out, if so? I just made one with cherry, blueberry and cider and added brown sugar, honey and apple juice concentrate. Result = no good, too medicinal. So I'm anxious to make another for the wife. Thanks!

cacaca86 said:

What size rubber stopper fits those jugs?

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A drilled universal rubber stopper works for these--I think I got this one: http://www.learntobrew.com/store/it...irlocks/Universal_Rubber_Stopper_Drilled.html

michschr said:

Have you made those before? How'd they turn out, if so? I just made one with cherry, blueberry and cider and added brown sugar, honey and apple juice concentrate. Result = no good, too medicinal. So I'm anxious to make another for the wife. Thanks!

Click to expand...

I made a similar blueberry one last summer, although with a blueberry juice blend which I think also included white grape juice. It got some pretty rave reviews when it was finished. http://www.ciderhomebrewing.com/2011/06/blueberry-cider.html

I've also experimented with various cranberry blends, but I don't think I've ever used 100% cranberry juice before. I hope using 1/4th cranberry juice won't be too overpowering, but it should be interesting regardless!

Your blend sounds like a lot of different flavors--with the honey, that's a melomel, right? I made a cyser (apple juice and honey) that also have a strong medicinal taste. Might just be the honey? I don't see any other likely culprits--I always use brown sugar when I make pies with any of those fruits, so I imagine it might be fine, but not sure.