Raspberry Cider experiment today

Here's the plan....happening today. Any comments?

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Red Star Pasteur Champagne (I would not use this yeast again, it screwed up the flavor profile)
Yeast Starter: No
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: No
Batch Size (Gallons): 1
Original Gravity: 1.083
Final Gravity: 1.0
Color: Dark Rose
Boiling Time (Minutes): 1
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days @ 68F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30 days @ 68F

1 gallon of local pasteurized Apple Cider
1lb of sugar
20 or 30oz of Frozen Raspberries (10oz in primary, 10oz in secondary)
1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/2 tsp Acid Blend (tartaric, malic and citric)
1 tsp Sparkolloid

1. Thaw and crush 10oz of raspberries and dump into primary fermenter.
2. Warm apple cider and add 1lb of sugar
3. Add apple cider/sugar mix to primary
4. Add pectin acid blend to primary
5. Stir until combined
6. Go start your yeast
7. Wait an hour or two
8. Pitch yeast
9. Ferment in primary until no activity
10. Rack into secondary on top of 10 oz more of crushed, thawed raspberries.
11. Add sparkolloid
12. Let it sit on the raspberries for 15-30 days

At this point you can rack off into storage container/bottling

Day 1 picture (raspberry on the right obviously)

Here it is for drinking after 45 days. There is an after taste that I don't like so much that is also there in an Apple Cider. The only common components I can think of are the yeast and the 'additives' (nutrient, acid blend, etc) It's not in an Apple Cider I made with - Lalvin 71B-1122 Yeast using the same 'additives'.

I can't describe it as I've never tasted anything like it, but it over powered both the Apple and Raspberry versions. Does the 'Red Star Pasteur' have such a flavor profile?

It will be better in about 6 months. Give it some time. In the future, add the acid when taste tested after fermentation is finished.

I am curious, Was it better after the six months?

No. But you reminded me to try this again with a different yeast.

Anybody try without adding the:
1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/2 tsp Acid Blend (tartaric, malic and citric)
1 tsp Sparkolloid

Just wondering if simpler is better?

Just wondering if simpler is better?

Click to expand...

Yes. All you need is juice, yeast and raspberries
US05 is a better yeast to use for raspberry cider
Dont add the raspberries until the end of the primary fermentation

MarkKF said:

Anybody try without adding the:
1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/2 tsp Acid Blend (tartaric, malic and citric)
1 tsp Sparkolloid

Just wondering if simpler is better?

Click to expand...

I have Cider With Blackberries in the primary for about 10 days now. Seems to be going well. I didn't use any of those additives, and I used S-04 yeast.