i just went to my keg to pour a glass of hard cider that i made a few month back when i was able to still buy fresh cider from a local apple farm, but now its not apple seaon and no fresh cider is avaible, So what do i do now? i know people make cider from apple juice.. but is it really as good as apple cider? i know ive read people made EdWort's Apfelwein and i know there is a nother one that people use dme in the cider that people really like cant rember the name of it .. but was wondering if that would be a good route to go in my time of desperation for cider?
Out of cider and its out of season WTF do I do???
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divi2323
Well-Known Member
Plan ahead next time 
I quickly realized my supply from my first batch was in trouble about half way through it in a few weeks. Immediately went and picked up 5 gallons from whole foods in November. Once created I decided to get a few batches going. About one per month I whipped them up.
Having 4 batches of varying sorts does a few things for me. First it ensures a steady supply. And second. I'm constantly busy checking gravity, adding things, racking, tasting, bottling. I'm less likely to rush a batch and do something out of knee jerk reaction.
I quickly realized my supply from my first batch was in trouble about half way through it in a few weeks. Immediately went and picked up 5 gallons from whole foods in November. Once created I decided to get a few batches going. About one per month I whipped them up.Having 4 batches of varying sorts does a few things for me. First it ensures a steady supply. And second. I'm constantly busy checking gravity, adding things, racking, tasting, bottling. I'm less likely to rush a batch and do something out of knee jerk reaction.
Well I'm quite the newb, so much that I can't wait to start brewing with some freshly pressed juice, but I started brewing off-season and have been getting some cloudy stuff from Whole Foods (as close to fresh cloudy as I can get) and mixing it with other cheaper store bought stuff) and I and my friends have been liking it. Me being the most picky btw I frickin love JK Scrumpy and that is what I'm trying to duplicate. I like throwing two gallons of cloudy stuff that I get from the store (not fresh, but pasteurized obviously) in with two gallons of other store bought juice (Musselmans maybe) and let it go with an ale yeast. One thing I've done with my last two 5 gallon batches is let them ferment in my basement where it's 60 degrees and noticed a big (good) difference as opposed to letting them ferment around 70 degrees upstairs. I hope this helps and again I'm a newbie but figured I'd give my input because I've learned alot in 4 months. Can't wait to get some stuff from a mill or orchard though! To sum it up though, I notice a difference between the clear juice from the store and the cloudy stuff. The cloudier the better But can't break the bank either to brew up 5 gallons! Cheers
I frickin love JK Scrumpy and that is what I'm trying to duplicate. I like throwing two gallons of cloudy stuff that I get from the store (not fresh, but pasteurized obviously) in with two gallons of other store bought juice (Musselmans maybe) and let it go with an ale yeast. One thing I've done with my last two 5 gallon batches is let them ferment in my basement where it's 60 degrees and noticed a big (good) difference as opposed to letting them ferment around 70 degrees upstairs. I hope this helps and again I'm a newbie but figured I'd give my input because I've learned alot in 4 months. Can't wait to get some stuff from a mill or orchard though! To sum it up though, I notice a difference between the clear juice from the store and the cloudy stuff. The cloudier the better But can't break the bank either to brew up 5 gallons! CheersPlan ahead next time
Having 4 batches of varying sorts does a few things for me. First it ensures a steady supply. And second. I'm constantly busy checking gravity, adding things, racking, tasting, bottling. I'm less likely to rush a batch and do something out of knee jerk reaction.
well i made 12 gallons and its all gone.. well i got 26 bottles that i got left i could not fit in to into my 2 5 gallon kegs.. so i do have a little bit left.. but what about thoes differnt recipies are any of them any good ?
divi2323
Well-Known Member
My latest batch was the holiday spiced Apple cider from whole foods. I fermented it with red star premier cuvee and added heavy toasted American oak cubes for two weeks. Have to say its the beat one I've made and I've only sampled out of the carboy. It was super simple and is clearing nicely. I plan to sweeten and keg this batch (ordered my first four kegs on eBay yesterday for $151 shipped to me.).
Will be my first batch I sorbate, backsweeten with fajc and force carb.
Sorry I know I didn't provide a solution other than hindsight. It's expensive but most health food stores will sell fresh Apple cider ready to ferment. Just have to look for it at trader Joes or whole foods. I suggest adding pectic enzyme to it because there is still a lot of fiberous material in it that needs to break down. It's well worth the few cents of chemical to ensure your pectin is kablooey.
I've heard great things about ed worts apfelwine recipe but I just can't bring myself to use the watered down Apple juice from the shelf.
As a last ditch effort (and the most expensive), you can always order apples in bulk and juice them yourself. This is a TON of work and you may or may not enjoy it. I don't like the work but it gets me outside to spend time with my daughter and she enjoys drinking fresh pressed juice from the press.
Will be my first batch I sorbate, backsweeten with fajc and force carb.
Sorry I know I didn't provide a solution other than hindsight. It's expensive but most health food stores will sell fresh Apple cider ready to ferment. Just have to look for it at trader Joes or whole foods. I suggest adding pectic enzyme to it because there is still a lot of fiberous material in it that needs to break down. It's well worth the few cents of chemical to ensure your pectin is kablooey.
I've heard great things about ed worts apfelwine recipe but I just can't bring myself to use the watered down Apple juice from the shelf.
As a last ditch effort (and the most expensive), you can always order apples in bulk and juice them yourself. This is a TON of work and you may or may not enjoy it. I don't like the work but it gets me outside to spend time with my daughter and she enjoys drinking fresh pressed juice from the press.
Well it sounds like you got some help from your lil gal and I would think that's cidermaking at it's best Even the sweet juice from that, is how I'd like to start my work day I don't know any better, so I'm just looking for the freshest stuff already in a container and I noticed that the Whole Foods brand seems to mix in pretty nicely with the other shelf brand stuff (that's cheaper, but still from the US of A and I feel it's a lil bit heartier than just brewing up all clear juice. I did throw in some of the Knudsen's Spiced juice also from Whole Foods once and didn't notice much of a difference. I just wanted to pipe in because I've been surviving on store bought juice to brew up my babies I wouldn't doubt that buying some apples and juicing them with "cheap labor" wouldn't make for a better outcome And plus, you made it truely from scratch with your daughter which really does make it even better I would think.
Even the sweet juice from that, is how I'd like to start my work day I don't know any better, so I'm just looking for the freshest stuff already in a container and I noticed that the Whole Foods brand seems to mix in pretty nicely with the other shelf brand stuff (that's cheaper, but still from the US of A and I feel it's a lil bit heartier than just brewing up all clear juice. I did throw in some of the Knudsen's Spiced juice also from Whole Foods once and didn't notice much of a difference. I just wanted to pipe in because I've been surviving on store bought juice to brew up my babies I wouldn't doubt that buying some apples and juicing them with "cheap labor" wouldn't make for a better outcome And plus, you made it truely from scratch with your daughter which really does make it even better I would think.Holy crow, broski loves some cider don't he
Lotta guys will tell you the same - make (hard) cider all through (soft) cider season or you may find yourself lacking.I do enjoy it myself, but am so much more in love with the grand diversity of fermentable stuff right now that I don't mind being down to my last sixer (of what started out as a sweet country cider and then sort of accidentally became apfelwein, but that's another story.)
There's a few ways to take this, I suppose.
Beer doesn't take long to make. Pick something spring-y, lord knows it ain't getting any colder out. Be advised that most plastics (with the exception of better bottles) are rumored to pick up hop flavors.
Mead is nice but it's another one of those that requires foresight for the time it takes to make - maybe next year, find yourself a nice cyser recipe.. oughta be just dandy to drink once your cider reserves are spent!
Skeeterpee is by all accounts a delicious summer fruit wine sort of I don't know but lots of people recommend it.. I'll get back to ya when my batch finishes clearing
I'd recommend that over other wines because it's designed to be consumed young. Also it's dead-ass easy and won't spoil your imaginary plastic primary with hops oils.While we're on the topic.. apple juice concentrates and beer yeast go together like peanut butter and jelly after you've had several glasses of applejuiceconcentrate wine. Should taste something like cider.. it does to me anyway. Or get weird (like some of us do over in the wine forum) and ferment fruit punch. Anything without a ton of alcohol and with sugar to match should ferment (and drink young) happily.
dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
i don't generally make cider from anything other than fresh fruit, but a month ago i ran out of draught cider, and i won't open my dry ciders for another few months yet. (i still had beer so i survived) i had in my possession 1/2 a can of kit cider all in one dubious concentrate thingy. i think it was magnum brand. i originally bought it to try it as a back sweetening agent and the result was a disaster; one of the few things i donated to the sewer. anyways i made it up using the cheapest supermarket apple juice in place of water and threw in a handful of raisins, why not. yeast nutrient and a pinch of malic acid. used cal ale yeast, fermented dry to 10% abv, let it clear. juiced about 2 liters of elstar (sweet) and granny smith apples, the grannys probably from new zealand and the elstars looking the worse for wear after x months in a fridge, racked the cider and fresh juice to a keg, chucked in a few french oak chips, force carbed and kept cold, you know it's not half bad. my preference is for dry cider, but man this stuff is drinkable. i have never made apple wine (sorry i am german-free) or supermarket juice ciders so can't compare, but gf is guzzling it i can tell you that for free.
also as it's rhubarb season i recommend yooper's rhubarb wine recipe, but it needs time
also as it's rhubarb season i recommend yooper's rhubarb wine recipe, but it needs time
My cider mill has been running a little hit and miss lately. I have 3, 5g pails sitting at the Cider mill waiting for another load of apples from cold storage to be pressed. Hopefully I will have my 3 Carboys filled before the week is out!
go to the store, buy some juice, and get back to it. You work with what you have and prepare better next time around.
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