How does this Cran/Rasp Cider look?

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Poobah58

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Starting this up tonight. Will post pics as I go along. Any comments/help?

Primary
(11/3/08)
2 Gal Apple Cider (1 gal pasteurized, 1 not)
1 Gal Cranberry/Raspberry juice
1 12 oz. can Apple Juice concentrate
2# Dememera sugar
3 campden tablets
After 12 hrs: Add 2 tsp pectin enzyme. Add 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient and 1.5 tsp yeast energizer.
After 24 hrs: Rehydrate Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast and pitch.

Secondary (11/22/08)
3# Frozen Raspberries
1# Craisins
2 cans Apple Juice concentrate
1 can Raspberry Juice concentrate
Top off with Apple Cider (or juice)

Secondary Rack (1/18/09)
Top off with 1/2 gallon Apple Juice
 
My 1st pic! Came in at 1.077. Hmmmm, somehow have 1 qt. of Cran/Rasp juice leftover. Added campden and waiting for tomorrow.

cran_rasp1.jpg
 
Let us know how it turns out! I've had bad luck with using raspberry and cranberry juices in country wines. I'd be concerned with the tartness being too prominent (my problem). Keep us posted.
 
+1 on tartness, whenever I use a very acidic or tart wine, I use lalvin 71B-1122, as it metabolizes some of malic acid present. helps out a great deal.
 
Poobah58 - Well, the picture looks really tasty already!
I'm not a fan of Raspberry for some reason, but Cranberry in small amounts packs quite a punch. Three pounds of Raspberry is so far out of my taste zone it would most likely make me sick.
Well my point is both Cran and Rasp are pretty potent, are you sure want to use so much? I tend to like hints of flavor and aroma, this would be a round house to the mouth.
Best of luck and I hope it turns out perfect for you.
 
Well she's bubbling away. The first 5-6 days I never saw any airlock activity. Had a foam ring along the top and the middle was some ugly krausen (at least I think it was). It was red/brown and slimey looking. Airlock had hints of bubbling, but I never saw a bubble. A few days ago, the slime dropped. I added some yeast energizer and yeast nutrient. She sprung back to life and is bubbling away as I type. Now there is a nice looking krausen. Mostly foam which is what I am used to. Interesting!
 
This might be a good exercise in blending. I suggest starting another traditional mead asap to blend this with, that way you can dial in the raspberry from the first mead.
 
Poobah58 - Once again, your way outside of my "no fruit in drink" zone, but once again this looks really great for guest and get to-gathers, please keep us updated on how it comes out.
Question with you having to add nutrients / energizers after pitching. How well did you airate, and do you know what your PH was when it slowed down?
I have read that if you airate well, and have a good PH balance you should never have to mess with it, but getting to that point, especially with a high gravity must is still an answer I don't know.
 
I aerated for 10 minutes with an air pump. Didn't even think about pH. It's really bubbling away now. I wonder if the initial fermentation was from some surviving wild yeast. :eek:
BTW what is a "good" pH balance?
 
Patience grasshopper. Don't go fiddlin with it, just let her do her thing. This might be a function of the cranberry oxidizing when you poured it in there. The sulfiting should have stopped that, but this seems like the most likely thing. Be very careful not to splash when transferring this to secondary or bottling.
 
9 days in and it's down to 1.022. The taste is rather unique! Quite tart and quite a bite. Can't really explain it. Like high alcohol already at this SG. Rather unpleasant. Will try again in a week or two.
 
I made some Welches Raspberry Grape wine from the juice concentrates over a year ago (when I first started down this insane road) and hid a few bottles in my parents cellar. I found them a few weeks ago, and you know what? They were just as tart and undrinkable as when I put them down there.

Rasp/cran is tough, blending might be a good option.
 
My Cran/Rasp cider was tart at the beginning also. I added 1 quart of pure cranberry to a little under 3 gallons and it was undrinkable at first. I ended up adding a cup of sugar per gal. and everyone seems to like it. I'm letting some of it age to see what it is really like. I used raspberry flavoring which turned out ok, but would like to try it with fruit, but I have no idea how much to put it . Any suggestions?
 
This is more than just tart. It's medicinal, fusel, alcoholic! It screwed up my taste buds for the rest of the day. This is also the 1st time I've ever used campden, pectic and yeast energizer in my ciders. It is also the 1st time I did not soak a carboy in StarSan. I just put 1 or 2 quarts in and gave it a good swirl. Anywho, I will try again in a few weeks.
 
Thats the way I always clean my carboys. In fact I went a whole year cleaning with just B Brite. I thought it was a sanitizer. I guess I was lucky.
 
Racked to secondary today. It's down to 0.998. Added 1 can Raspberry juice concentrate, 2 cans Apple juice concentrate, 2.75# frozen raspberries and 3/4# Craisins. This has calmed down immensely. That harsh taste is gone. Tastes like cider now. A little tart but not too bad. This has potential...
 
Racked again today. Had to top off with almost a 1/2 gallon apple juice. It's on the tart side. A little hot on the alcohol. Raspberries are really coming through. Will have to bulk age this for 3-6 months.
 
When you make drinks with this high of alcohol it will always be a little "hot" to start with. The best thing you can do is let it age for 6 - 12 months.

As far as the cranberry and raspberry being a little tart. If it still tastes that way after it is done aging it you should consider stabilizing with K-sorbate and adding some sugar to sweeten.

Steve
 
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