Caramel Apple Hard Cider

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After aging 7 months...wow. It appears my pasturization didn't kill all the yeasties as I had a very minor gusher. Thankfully, gushed right into the glass and didnt lose any! Still slightly sweet though...tastes like an amazing apple pie! No heat at all obviously and the apple flavor is really strong but not like apple juice. In this batch the cinnamon was a bit strong for my taste but its mellowed out perfectly.

I'd recommend losing a bottle for a while if you can!



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I bottled this past weekend (21 days from the start). I hit a FG of 1.000 give or take.

Based on the feedback on this forum, I was a bit nervous about the cinamon and concentrate. I boiled the 2 tsp. of cinamon for a few minutes, then ran it through a fine strainer, then multiple coffee filters to pull out the solids. If anyone can confirm that the extract is the real deal, I would recomend it as I probably went through 5 filters and close to 45 minutes before it was all said and done.

With that being said, I have not seen any floaters in my bottles. I will look for extract before my next attempt, but if I cannot find extract I will probably bump the ammount of cinamon up and filter as I did not observe any real cinamon flavor in my samples. I used two cans of concentrate, and still found my sample to be slightly dry and not terribly sweet.

I am 48 hours in bottles and my sample plastic soda bottles are not showing any signs of massive carbonation. I will post again once I pasturize and taste the final product.
 
tampa911 said:
I bottled this past weekend (21 days from the start). I hit a FG of 1.000 give or take.

Based on the feedback on this forum, I was a bit nervous about the cinamon and concentrate. I boiled the 2 tsp. of cinamon for a few minutes, then ran it through a fine strainer, then multiple coffee filters to pull out the solids. If anyone can confirm that the extract is the real deal, I would recomend it as I probably went through 5 filters and close to 45 minutes before it was all said and done.

With that being said, I have not seen any floaters in my bottles. I will look for extract before my next attempt, but if I cannot find extract I will probably bump the ammount of cinamon up and filter as I did not observe any real cinamon flavor in my samples. I used two cans of concentrate, and still found my sample to be slightly dry and not terribly sweet.

I am 48 hours in bottles and my sample plastic soda bottles are not showing any signs of massive carbonation. I will post again once I pasturize and tast the finale product.

I did the same process with the filters and it left no noticeable cinnamon flavor. What I did was dry hop with several sticks and it turned out good. If you can't find a good extract try making your own.

And watch the carbing, it's gonna sneak up on you quick and you'll need to pasteurize immediately.
 
That being said has anyone tried the oven pasturing technique in lieu of stovetop?
 
I read through every post of about the first 60 pages, then skipped ahead, please forgive me if I'm reiterating what has already been asked.

I started with 3/5 the original recipe , Used unfiltered organic no preservative 100% apple juice in 1 gallon Carboys I found at the local grocery outlet for $5 each + 1tsp Yeast Nutrient per YN bottle on 4/29.

SG on juice alone: 1.056
SG on juice + approx 1.2 pounds dextrose: 1.074

Stored in spare room at room temp, and had bubbles in the lock at around 12 hours. Today (day 6) I noticed bubbles slowing back down took a reading and got SG of: 1.016. I calculate approximately 7.2% Tasted the sample, and it's pretty good as it sits but doesn't taste like it's 7.2%, can barely taste the alcohol. This isn't a bad thing, I'm just wondering if there are any complications with it fermenting out so fast that I need to know about or adjust for.

I'm raking to clear and making syrup today (plan to use about 1.5 12oz cans of concentrate for the 3 gallon batch). Plan to bottle tomorrow. Any suggestions?

Thanks guys!
 
Add only 1can of fajc and taste, it doesn't take alot to back sweeten especially with the syrup. Also use a cinnamon extract if you can the ground does not mix well. Just my 2cents other than that it is an awesome recipe.
 
Making the syrup now, I put the 2 tsp. Ground cinnamon into 2 coffee filters and brewed it into the 2 cups water using my coffee maker. Hopefully this will solve the floating problem. Tasted the cinnamon tea after it came out of the coffee maker, no coffee smell or flavor tracable.I'll keep you guys updated.
 
How strong is it, if it taste normal or weak you'll need to use more. It thins out considerably when mixed in the cider.
 
Just made my 4th batch of this; I let it go a few extra days and went down to 1.008. Still had the cinnamon issue with the "syrup separation" but I honestly believe it's all cinnamon - the rest of the cider tastes amazing. I'll have to pasteurize tomorrow most likely with the carb levels;

All that said, I only used 2 cans of FAJC + the syrup. In the future, I may use the idea of "brewing" the cinnamon for the syrup - at least once. Well done, Enemy; I'll have to adjust to my coffee maker cause it's a WELL seasoned carafe :)
 
I'll have to adjust to my coffee maker cause it's a WELL seasoned carafe :)

I went the lazy way, set the seasoned carafe aside and brewed straight into my sausepan. Add the sugar and you're on your way! Plus isn't a coffee pot like a cast iron skillet? You're not supposed to actually clean those things right?
:cross:
 
Well I'm bottling another attempt at this. On my first attempt I followed the instructions, bottled at 1.010-1.014 with 3 cans frozen apple juice and the syrup. After about 1 .5 days I had a gyser when checking the carb.too late to pasteurize, so the batch went into the cold garage over the winter to keep it in check. This batch I waited 21 days for the f.g. to each .998 -1.000. Racked it to another bucket for 24 hours and then racked it to my bottling bucket with 3 cans frozen apple juice and syrup. Bottled in 31 650ml glass bottles and 2 500ml pet bottles.(for checking carb.) Wondering if it will still carb up now that I let it ferment out more than recommended ? How long would it take ? Will be checking it everyday just curious if others have let it ferment out and then back sweetened and carbed it in bottles. :)
 
I have let it go dry on accident before on a 1gal batch an I back sweeten it, bottled it, an it carbed up in about 2 weeks at around 75f. So wont hurt to try.

Note: it's a real light carbonation, but still good. I never pasteurized that batch either, think I may have a bottle or two left of that.
 
My eyes are crossed after making it through all 98 pages. I will be off to the HBS for yeast tomorrow and will give this a go as my second cider. With all of the info I plowed through I see now why my first plain cider did not turn out too well. Thanks to all those who have posted details of their experience/experiments. It really helps!
 
Well this is my second time making this and finally trying it out, and just not crazy about it.

I have made several batches of beer, and some mead, and it has all turned out good, but I can't seem to get this down. Not sure if it is my process or ingredients or maybe Its just not my style.

I was wondering if anyone who thinks they make this well would be willing to send me a bottle so I can compare. I would love to send back one of my beers in return and get feedback on it as well.
 
Well this is my second time making this and finally trying it out, and just not crazy about it.

I have made several batches of beer, and some mead, and it has all turned out good, but I can't seem to get this down. Not sure if it is my process or ingredients or maybe Its just not my style.

I was wondering if anyone who thinks they make this well would be willing to send me a bottle so I can compare. I would love to send back one of my beers in return and get feedback on it as well.

So, what WAS your process? What juice brand and all that? I'm curious. As for exchanges, I'm always up for something like that! Not sure if you'd get shortchanged though cause some of my stuff is good...some not so much. Feel free to PM if you'd like!
 
I bottled this past weekend (21 days from the start). I hit a FG of 1.000 give or take.

I am 48 hours in bottles and my sample plastic soda bottles are not showing any signs of massive carbonation. I will post again once I pasturize and taste the final product.

Any news on this ? curious minds want to know ! :D
thanks
 
I have this fermenting now. I wanted to stop the fermentation when it hit 1.010 so when it hit that gravity I put it in a keg and tossed it in the fridge. I havent been able to make the caramel concoction yet and the cider has been in the fridge for ~4 days now. Is there any harm or side effects that will come with leaving the cider in the fridge for a few more days and then back sweetening it when I have the time? Do you think it will continue to ferment a little in the fridge over a period of about 6-8 days? (Fridge temp is ~34) Hopefully when I rack it from the very cold crashed keg I will still have enough yeast to carb it up in bottles? Thanks!
 
Cold crashing won't kill the yeast. It just puts them to sleep kinda, so as soon as you let them warm back up they will reactivate. I see no problem letting it sit for a few extra days. Just make sure it warms up before trying to add the Carmel or else it won't mix very well. Oh and be sure to use extract for your cinnamon instead it will work out much better for you.
 
Thanks judge. I've had some real trouble finding cinnamon extract. The last place I haven't checked is Wal Mart which I plan to go to today. I heard most other people said its there so I have faith I'll find it. If not, I think I am going to soak some cinnamon sticks in rum for a few days (which will add a few more days to the fridged cider) and then use that. I def. wont be going the dried cinnamon route as I have never heard good things about that.

The only good thing about going the route of soaking cinnamon sticks in rum is that I would then have the option of soaking other things in there as well, including mulled spices. I feel like mulled spices would add a lot of complexity without extracting tannins like if I were to just boil the mulled spices in with the caramel mixture. We'll see :)
 
Thanks judge. I've had some real trouble finding cinnamon extract. The last place I haven't checked is Wal Mart which I plan to go to today. I heard most other people said its there so I have faith I'll find it. If not, I think I am going to soak some cinnamon sticks in rum for a few days (which will add a few more days to the fridged cider) and then use that. I def. wont be going the dried cinnamon route as I have never heard good things about that.

The only good thing about going the route of soaking cinnamon sticks in rum is that I would then have the option of soaking other things in there as well, including mulled spices. I feel like mulled spices would add a lot of complexity without extracting tannins like if I were to just boil the mulled spices in with the caramel mixture. We'll see :)

The coffee pot method I used worked flawlessly, it's bottled and no signs of any separation or floaters. Don't worry about extract, put the dry ground cinnamon in 2 coffee filters with the water and brew the cinnamon into the water through the pot
 
I ended up finding cinnamon extract at Wal Mart like everyone else said, so I used that. I took the keg out of the fridge today to warm up and I'll bottle tonight. I added a bit more than .5 tsp of extract because when I was tasting the caramel concoction I could barely taste it. All in all I probably added close to 1 tsp. I'll post back once its bottle and carbed
 
Kegged mine a few hours ago. I'm force-carbing under 30psi after the keg-shake method. It should be good to go by tonight. I cold-crashed the fermenting bucket for 72 hours before kegging, so the cold will help carb it up quicker.

The glass I poured still has a bit of carbing to go, but it tastes great! I used three cans of FCAJ, along with the caramel cider. I too upped the cinnamon extract a bit. With all that sugar it is a little too sweet for my tastes. I have a gallon of plain cider left (it wouldn't all fit in my corny). I'm gonna drink up tonight and add the leftover to cut the sweetness some. Then it should be perfect! :)

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I found an easy way to add cinnamon flavor to my cider; I put powdered cinnamon in a coffee filter, and ran two or three ounces of my home made apple jack into the filter. There was WAY more cinnamon than I had planned when I poured it into my secondary. Cinnamon and water aren't very good friends, but alcohol and cinnamon get along just fine. And the cinnamon extract was crystal clear too. Cheap vodka would work fine too I would guess...
 
I started a batch of this today. I didn't have as much corn sugar as I thought so my OG ended up being 1.060. I'm looking forward to when this is done and ready to drink although I'm a little nervous about pasteurizing something carbonated. So far I've only pasteurized still rice wine so this will be my first time doing it with something carbonated.
 
I had 1 bottle bomb while pasteurizing using the stove top method (~190f water for 10 minutes, flame off), but I think it was due to having too much head space inside the bottle. Make sure you top those bottles off pretty well and you are fine.

I cold crashed at 1.010 to stop it from getting too dry, back sweetened with 3 cans and caramel mixture, and I also think it is too sweet for my taste. It will be good gifts but if I make this recipe again I'll probably let it ferment down to 1.000 then cold crash and back sweeten, but that's just personal preference. It has also only been bottled for a few days so we'll see how it melds in a month or two. I heard it can be a little extra sweet after pasturizing so it may just need time.

At 9.6% ABV I don't taste the alcohol a bit so this is def. a deadly drink...
 
jglazer said:
I had 1 bottle bomb while pasteurizing using the stove top method (~190f water for 10 minutes, flame off), but I think it was due to having too much head space inside the bottle. Make sure you top those bottles off pretty well and you are fine.

I cold crashed at 1.010 to stop it from getting too dry, back sweetened with 3 cans and caramel mixture, and I also think it is too sweet for my taste. It will be good gifts but if I make this recipe again I'll probably let it ferment down to 1.000 then cold crash and back sweeten, but that's just personal preference. It has also only been bottled for a few days so we'll see how it melds in a month or two. I heard it can be a little extra sweet after pasturizing so it may just need time.

At 9.6% ABV I don't taste the alcohol a bit so this is def. a deadly drink...

I'm planning on letting it ferment dry before back sweetening and bottling. I want it sweet, but not too sweet. Thanks for the headspace advice. I bottle everything using a spring tip bottle filler and this is what I end up with.


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Will I need to top off more than that with this cider?
 
WesleyS said:
I'm planning on letting it ferment dry before back sweetening and bottling. I want it sweet, but not too sweet. Thanks for the headspace advice. I bottle everything using a spring tip bottle filler and this is what I end up with.

Will I need to top off more than that with this cider?

I use the same and have the same head space so no problems.
 
No, the one that blew was at least an inch, maybe two lower than where you have it.
 
Well I'm bottling another attempt at this. On my first attempt I followed the instructions, bottled at 1.010-1.014 with 3 cans frozen apple juice and the syrup. After about 1 .5 days I had a gyser when checking the carb.too late to pasteurize, so the batch went into the cold garage over the winter to keep it in check. This batch I waited 21 days for the f.g. to each .998 -1.000. Racked it to another bucket for 24 hours and then racked it to my bottling bucket with 3 cans frozen apple juice and syrup. Bottled in 31 650ml glass bottles and 2 500ml pet bottles.(for checking carb.)

Well these were my results: it took 5 days to carb up. Pasteurized @ 190 for 10 minutes. Lost 2 bottles total out of 31, one had the bottom of the bottle fall off in the pot, the second one exploded in he pot. So not that bad. I taste tested the 2 500ml pet bottles and found the cider not as sweet as last time and not as bubbly. Maybe should have waited 6 or 7 days but was paranoid from my first batch of gushers. Will let the pasteurized batch sit a little and see how they behave and taste.
 
I just wanted to let Mike know (as most others have) that I have received RAVING reviews on this cider! "It tastes like I am drinking apple pie" was probably the most original...

I let this thing ferment all the way down to 1.000 then back sweetend with 2 cans of AJC and the caramel. I was terrified of bottle bombs based on some of the feedback so I pasturized as soon as my PET bottle was solid. I lost 3 bottles when pasturizing, but I honestly don't think I let it carb up enough... There is a fair ammount of bubbling in the glass when you pour it, but the carbonation is like a soda that is a day or so from being flat.

This will deffinitly be a staple going forward as it has been well received by everyone that has tried it.
 
I have done this recipie a total of once. Pastuerized in the dishwasher with no loss. I believe its less heat stress on the bottles because the temps ramp up and down slowly. If you are loosing product, perhaps you might want to try that instead?
 
I have done this recipie a total of once. Pastuerized in the dishwasher with no loss. I believe its less heat stress on the bottles because the temps ramp up and down slowly. If you are loosing product, perhaps you might want to try that instead?

+ infinity. This method has become my choice! Have done twice now and lost nothing. When I move in the next couple weeks I'm going to buy a new dishwasher with a sanitize cycle JUST for this ability :)
 
IF a bottle were to explode in the dishwasher though, I imagine it would be a pain to get all of the smaller glass shards out.
 
Just for some quick clarification.

I want to keg this cider. If I make they caramel syrup and I add it to the keg....I need to follow the optional campden tablets step before racking it to the keg, and this will stop further fermentation from occuring?

* I thought campden didn't kill yeast?
 
Just for some quick clarification.

I want to keg this cider. If I make they caramel syrup and I add it to the keg....I need to follow the optional campden tablets step before racking it to the keg, and this will stop further fermentation from occuring?

* I thought campden didn't kill yeast?

The use of Campden and keeping the keg cold SHOULD inhibit the yeast. I don't keg, so I can't say for sure, but I understand that is the working theory.


Oh, by the way, this is POST # 1000 IN THIS THREAD! :fro: :mug: :rockin: :tank:
 
Mine's kegged after adding K-meta and K Sorbate. Plus, it's *cold*!! Had to warm it up a tad after the lines froze. Hehe. It's been kegged for about a week, week and a half, and maybe it's just me but it tastes drier than it did a week ago. It's still kickass, just a bit drier to me.

I have a hard time believing at that temp the yeasties are doing anything except shivering their asses off, but it really does taste drier.
 
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