My first cider tastes like poo poo

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sonofgrok

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Seriously... its bad.

It isn't infected and it doesn't really have any "off" flavors. It just tastes like super alcoholic watered down apple juice.

After the first pint I didn't mind the taste so much because I was already buzzing. After the second pint I was done for...

Hopefully the flavor will improve in the bottles if I leave it another couple weeks?
Out of beer, wine, mead, and sake this is the first brew I have made that hasn't been outstanding...

I know there will be some recipe questions so:
5 gallons pressed cider
1 packet EC1118
some steeped green tea leaves
A couple pounds of honey.

3 week primary. 1 week so far in the bottles.

My theory is that the EC1118 just annihilated everything and it has a very high ABV so needs to age a bit longer. That is what I am hoping anyway.
 
The honey used with champagne yeast definitely contributed to this, especially if it was cheap/grocery store honey. The champagne yeast would have converted it entirely into alcohol, giving a harsher alcohol taste while simultaneously watering down the cider.
 
Any idea what the press mix was? That is critical IMHO.

I don't. In fact... I am so awesome I don't even know what that means ;) It was Sprouts fresh pressed unflitered cider. No preservatives or anything.
This is my first cider. I got burned out on brewing beers while waiting for meads and wines to age.

The honey used with champagne yeast definitely contributed to this, especially if it was cheap/grocery store honey. The champagne yeast would have converted it entirely into alcohol, giving a harsher alcohol taste while simultaneously watering down the cider.

My thoughts exactly. I think I may try another batch with straight juice (no added sugar) and Montrachet yeast. I am willing to bet its more drinkable earlier. I will probably just sit on these bottles for a while.
 
Cider is best with later season apples in my experience, they have better depth of flavor. There are exceptions, Paula Red, Arrend and Dandee are excellent early apples. Macintosh is way over rated and often make a lot of the cider out there because they store very poorly thus are pressed. They make for a watery cider right out the door. A good cider base is Cortland and Macoun with Jonagold, Empire, Spencer, etc. added for character. Red delicious has a lot of pectin which will settle out. These are what I prefer in my locale of NH about 5 miles from ME. Your availability most likely will differ.

Here apple storage is getting to the end late winter and you can get very good pressings with a bit of everything tossed in. See if you can locate a press mill in your area and try to opt for ultraviolet (uv)treated cider over cooked or poisoned.
 
I'm with Krackin, chances are the juice was a blend of dessert apples which are often lower quality apples for fermentation purposes. They tend to be lacking in both structure and body, as well as acidity, which can make the cider taste watery, dull and swampy.
 
I'll add that if you want a fairly quick turn around, Brandon O's graff is a good one to try. I bottle and I was drinking my first batch in about a month, pretty tasty I must say! Just my 2c.


-Kingboomer
 
I like drier drinks which is why I didn't back sweeten it. It really doesn't have the rocket fuel taste of fusel alcohols you get with really high abv drinks but it does taste like the alcohol portion needs to mello wand like the apple got a little too destroyed in the ferment because it tastes watered down (on the apple side, not the alcohol side). I'll try a pint again next week to see if it has matured and then another in another week etc until its tasty or gone.
 
sonofgrok said:
I like drier drinks which is why I didn't back sweeten it. It really doesn't have the rocket fuel taste of fusel alcohols you get with really high abv drinks but it does taste like the alcohol portion needs to mello wand like the apple got a little too destroyed in the ferment because it tastes watered down (on the apple side, not the alcohol side). I'll try a pint again next week to see if it has matured and then another in another week etc until its tasty or gone.

You could try adding some acid blend... low-acid juices definitely make a lifeless cider.
 
It has gotten better over the last week or so. Its drinkable now. Don't think it will get much better though. Tastes like the acid profile may be off.
 
The honey used with champagne yeast definitely contributed to this, especially if it was cheap/grocery store honey. The champagne yeast would have converted it entirely into alcohol, giving a harsher alcohol taste while simultaneously watering down the cider.

+1 for this. I try to be careful not to use more than a pound of honey or so in my cysers, if that much. More than that I find, even if it's something really nice, just dries it out and reduces the apple-ness of the cider. Others put all kinds of stuff in their cider, but I'm kind of a purist.

As to the champagne yeast, I find that when you use that stuff (and I do often) it's best to let it sit for at least a month, but that it will improve and will reduce in harshness over time...to me my ciders are best at about six months after fermentation starts, if I can make any of them last that long!
 
Culprit identified. It was the honey. I made a 1 gallon batch with a few blueberries at the same time with no honey and it is much much better.

I think the juice sucked too though. I made a 6 gallon today with no honey and some cheaper juice that actually looked, tasted, and smelled better than the more expensive I used before.
 
Culprit identified. It was the honey. I made a 1 gallon batch with a few blueberries at the same time with no honey and it is much much better.

I think the juice sucked too though. I made a 6 gallon today with no honey and some cheaper juice that actually looked, tasted, and smelled better than the more expensive I used before.

I also think that the juice quality has a HUGE impact on what your cider tastes like. I've attempted several batches of cider or apfelwein with store-bought cider or juice, and I'm always very disappointed with the results. There is no substitute for really good, fresh apple cider when you're making hard cider, IMO. Now I only use the good stuff from the orchard, and I've never been disappointed.
 
I don't. In fact... I am so awesome I don't even know what that means ;) It was Sprouts fresh pressed unflitered cider. No preservatives or anything.
This is my first cider. I got burned out on brewing beers while waiting for meads and wines to age.

My thoughts exactly. I think I may try another batch with straight juice (no added sugar) and Montrachet yeast. I am willing to bet its more drinkable earlier. I will probably just sit on these bottles for a while.

I recommend an ale yeast like Nottingham or S-04 as they yield a sweeter, though lower abv, which is better when drinking it soon after bottling. Montrachet and champagne yeast are more like jet fuel until about 4 to 6 months. I also use treetop for everything, except one three gallon batch of blackberry cider I experimented with, and have made some good stuff. I can't warrant spending 7.00 a gallon at Sprouts for organic fresh cider, when treetop is 5.00 a gallon especially when making so many batches lol. I need to research, but I assume I could only get fresh local cider during Apple season which I think is in May.
 
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