My Cheap @$$ apple cider

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Grimsawyer

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Location
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I just went down to WINCO and picked up the cheapest 100% apple juice that wasn't from concentrate and dumped it onto the yeast cake from my white zin wine box kit (on 6/21/07). Last night(7/3/07) I racked to a corny keg FROM THE PRIMARY(NO 2nd fermentation!!!) ADDED 1/2 TSP of APPLE PIE SPICE, then I force carbonated(rolled around on floor for an hour WITH the air on at 25 PSI) then bottled straight from the keg into 47 bottles(you know how testing goes... LOL!!! tough job but...... :D ) Tonight 24 of the 47 I took to a party just vanished... dunno what happened to them. They are just gone. Total cost INCLUDING the caps for this batch was $14.00. That made each bottle worth... $0.297872.... Lets round up to thrity cents per bottle. That's a buck eighty a six pack of 6.5% abv cider. It was just WAY too easy to drink. A bit tart, a bit sweet, just perfectly spiced. Absolute heaven! I urge everyone to do this at least once!!!!
 
I'm new to this site/forum and fairly new to making ciders, I've only watched my bro turn empty carboys into magical cider.

I don't have anything for carbonating yet but I would like something to... uh... sample while my first serious batch is being made.

Question one is would this be a good cider un-carbonated, question two is what exactly is apple pie spice, and do you happen to know exactly what yeast you used (i have some steinberg-geisenheim left over from a blackberry wine I just made)?
 
Grimsawyer said:
I just went down to WINCO and picked up the cheapest 100% apple juice that wasn't from concentrate and dumped it onto the yeast cake from my white zin wine box kit....

Hey-

What kinda yeast did you use?
 
My first cider was just thrown on top of a yeast cake from a White Zin that I made for my hunny bunny. I made 2 off of this yeast cake. The 3rd cider I made I used 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen™ from WYeast. It turned out FAR SUPERIOR to the other 2 batches. The yeast stayed in suspension which dosn't bother me but it retained a TON of apple flavor compaired to the other 2. There wasn't much clove or bananna flavors like I had hoped though. =( The point of the first batch of cider I made is I had this yeast cake and thought it shouldn't go to waste. If someone is thinking about making a cheap ass cider why not just toss some apple cider right on any random yeast cake. in 2 weeks you'd have a 6.5%abv beverage for under $15.00!!!!!! IMHO it's just a realllly good hooch!!!;)
 
I wonder how this would go? I've got an American cream ale from kit just about ready to transfer fro primary. Transfer the cake to a smaller bucket and dump 3 gal of apple juice on it? I have a packet of wine yeast also but guess I wouldn't need it this case, huh?
txinga
 
Just dump the juice straight on the cake huh? Almost seems too easy. Do you think I could wash my yeast as normal and still do this, or would I have to use the whole cake in order to get enough cells?
 
Hey guys,

Simple recipe that turns out great everytime. It has the tartness but not the BITE that woodchuck typically has.

I'm going to leave what yeast you want to use up to you as it alters the recipe.

I used Dry yeast in all types I've made though.

Ale yeast - Leaves a more mild less tart tast less carbonation.
Champagne Yeast - Much higher carbonation highest tartness bite
Hefe yeast - brings out the Bite without it being overbearing as the Champagne yeast can do.

I'm partial to Ale yeast as I don't like the extreme bite it kills the flavor in my mind.

5 gallons of Apple juice with no preservatives 100% Juice
2 lbs. of Brown sugar - This also kills the bite add corn syrup or white sugar to enhance bite
2 cans of frozen apple juice conentrate

Throw this all in your primary. That's right don't heat it up don't get our your kettle this is a cold mix. I recommend you throw the sugar, then the concentrate, then one gallone of juice sanitize your spoon and mix well. Then add another gallon and mix, mix as you add the other gallons. ACTIVATE YOUR YEAST!!!!! Throw 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a cup throw in the yeast cover with saran wrap. Wait 15 minutes for yeast to rehydrate. Throw in 1 tsp of sugar. Wait 30 minutes make sure it's bubbling.

Aerate your apple mixture in other words shake it! Pitch your yeast, cover it airlock it.

This does create a high Alcohol content cider as the more sugar you start with the more alcohol you end with typically. It's typically somewhere in the 8.5% range with the recipe above.

Try it it's ridiculously cheap and tastes great.
 
Elweydoloco,
How long are you fermenting and are you racking into a secondary? What about bottling? Sorry if these are stupid questions, I've never made cider before.


Hey guys,

Simple recipe that turns out great everytime. It has the tartness but not the BITE that woodchuck typically has.

I'm going to leave what yeast you want to use up to you as it alters the recipe.

I used Dry yeast in all types I've made though.

Ale yeast - Leaves a more mild less tart tast less carbonation.
Champagne Yeast - Much higher carbonation highest tartness bite
Hefe yeast - brings out the Bite without it being overbearing as the Champagne yeast can do.

I'm partial to Ale yeast as I don't like the extreme bite it kills the flavor in my mind.

5 gallons of Apple juice with no preservatives 100% Juice
2 lbs. of Brown sugar - This also kills the bite add corn syrup or white sugar to enhance bite
2 cans of frozen apple juice conentrate

Throw this all in your primary. That's right don't heat it up don't get our your kettle this is a cold mix. I recommend you throw the sugar, then the concentrate, then one gallone of juice sanitize your spoon and mix well. Then add another gallon and mix, mix as you add the other gallons. ACTIVATE YOUR YEAST!!!!! Throw 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a cup throw in the yeast cover with saran wrap. Wait 15 minutes for yeast to rehydrate. Throw in 1 tsp of sugar. Wait 30 minutes make sure it's bubbling.

Aerate your apple mixture in other words shake it! Pitch your yeast, cover it airlock it.

This does create a high Alcohol content cider as the more sugar you start with the more alcohol you end with typically. It's typically somewhere in the 8.5% range with the recipe above.

Try it it's ridiculously cheap and tastes great.
 
Elweydoloco,
How long are you fermenting and are you racking into a secondary? What about bottling? Sorry if these are stupid questions, I've never made cider before.

Fermentation isn't something that you just rack off of in two weeks time, one weeks time, etc. etc., you simply watch and wait for the yeast to eat up all of the sugars in solution (unless you want 'original sugars sweetness', whole 'nother process), and then rack off of the lees, or trub, into secondary when they are finished up, or if you don't care about drinking an unclear cider or back-sweetening you can just bottle it straight out of primary.

What most would recommend is to rack into secondary when fermentation finishes, let it clear, and let it condition for around two months or until you are happy with the flavor and bottle 'er up. if you like it dry you can use some priming sugar, or substitute, and bottle carbonate. If you want a Sweet Carbonated cider you can always follow the 'pasteurization sticky' on the Cider Subforum. Bottle pasteurization will leave you unclear, sediment filled bottles (some don't mind this, and may even prefer it). You can also go the extensive / expensive route like I do and Cold Crash during the ferment at the the S.G. you want, wait for it to cold clear, rack to secondary, sulfite and sorbate and then use one of these Babies after keg carbonating. Perfectly Clear, sweet, sparkling, commercial (or better) quality Apple Cider in the bottles of your choice. I have a collection of very old 16 oz. claret shaped amber beer bottles that are very distinctive. Nice finishing touch to a good cider.

Hmmmm, I want a cider now! :mug:
 
Jguy,
Great explanations!

Like he said you can't measure fermentation in time as you just don't know how long it will take. Temperature will play a large roll in fermentation. Go back to science class where there is heat, there is a chemical reaction.

However to give you a typical, 7-10 days in a primary then rack to secondary. I like clarity is all. You can bottle in 3-4 weeks if you get impatient. 7-10 days in primary. 7-10 days in secondary. Bottle it let it age 3 weeks or so and throw it in the fridge. If you have more time though by all means take your time! It only gets better with age!
 
Was wondering how much sugar you would add to the 5 gallons prior to bottling to promote carbonation?

Thanks!
 
Well it looks like I'm the only one still trolling this thread. I decided to try my hand at this recipe with some slight changes. 2 gallons of Apple juice from concentrate. 32 oz of organic fresh pressed apple juice. 1 lb 5 oz of brown sugar. 3.25 g of Us-05 dry yeast with yeast nutrient. The original gravity was 1.067 so I'm looking for 7.6% abv. I'm using a Mr. Beer fermentor since I'm brewing an ipa this weekend and don't have an other bucket. I'll let it ferment for at least a week before i take a specific gravity reading.
 
Sweet man. Keep us up to date. I'm very interested in this one. I spent way to much on my current cider batch with 4 gallons of true cider, brown sugar, maple syrup and then still needed 7 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate at the end lol
 
So I took an other sg reading today. 1.01 at 73 degrees. Should I let it ferment completely dry? Also, racking will end primary fermentation right? I tasted it and it had a strong bite but was semi sweet, kind of like champagne. I plan to cold crash then let it sit for an other week or two. Thoughts?
 
Bottled this stuff up on last subday Sunday after cold crashing last Thursday. I used brown sugar primer and Splenda to sweeten. Tried a couple this week. Small carbonation but a very strong alcohol finish. I think I used too much sugar up front or needed to add a gallon of apple juice concentrate to finish. I will try this again soon.
 
Did you not like it? I added 7 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate until I liked my 5 gallon keg that cost me way too much to make with real cider and maple syrup and brown sugar
 
I've done this twice, to good results. After I rack or keg a batch of ale, I pour a 4-gallon case of the cheapest pasteurized apple juice that Cash & Carry sells onto the yeast cake, give it a big swirl, add an air lock, and set it back in fermentation. In ferment it at whatever the particular yeast likes best. One time it was US05 and I forget what it was the other time. In both cases it started at 1.054 and finished at 1.009. I didn't have a fermentation chamber at the time, so no good way to clarify. I just kegged, carb'd, and drank. Good stuff.

In the future I will probably add a little brown sugar for some residual sweetness. I also have a ferm chamber now, so I'll be able to cold-crash. Either way, I'll definitely be doing it again, probably in November. And, like before, I won't be picky about the yeast--whatever beer just finished will do the job just fine.


--
th Cap'n in Portland, Oregon
 
Just threw this all together Tonight hopefully it'll be busy bubbling tomorrow

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1409717848196.jpg
 
My pulls were 1.071, 17% sugar and about 9.25% Alcohol potential Whoa! tonight with almost 5 gallons of apple juice, 2 frozen cans of juice concentrate and 2 lbs of dark brown sugar :) no fermentation chamber it'll just sit in my hall at around 70 degrees. Should I wrap it up or will that be okay?
 
I put mine in a bathtub next to a shuttered window, but wrapped it in a towel to keep the UV out. The problem was that it fermented at around 76*. My next batch sat in a somewhat darkened room in my house farther from the sun and fermented at about 68*-70*. Hoping it turns out good; fermentation is finished...should know in a day or two.
 
I tried my first bottle of my "inmate brew" yesterday, it was my first, apple juice onto used US05 cake. It fermented out great, 1.045 to virtually 1.000 the only thing is, it has a very thin mouth feel and it's so dry it's leaves me with a face like a cats bum!
I think I am going to have let it down with some fresh apple juice to get any pleasure from it.
 
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