Christmas cider?

So Im thinking of bottles of spiced cider to hand out to my family this year. Ive searched high and low for a decent recipe and I havent found anything really solid. Im curious if anyone has a recipe OR perhaps we can put together a recipe collectively and all make the same batch and compare notes a few months down the road.

I think there is enough time to get a pretty good cider although I want to start it by this weekend. So if anyone has some ideas, please post them.

Cheers,
Bill

EdWorts Apfelwein but served hot

Is there anything that EdWorts Apfelwein can't fix?

I am trying to find the christmas cider used in the customary Wasail toast.
Wassail is an ale-based drink seasoned with spices and honey. It was served from huge bowls, often made of silver or pewter. The Wassail bowl would be passed around with the greeting, 'Wassail'.

I am thinking Cider, Honey, Cinnamon, Clover and Ginger. Maybe even a few cranberries or some cranberry juice! I'll see what I can find.

mgayer said:

I am trying to find the christmas cider used in the customary Wasail toast.
Wassail is an ale-based drink seasoned with spices and honey.

I am thinking Cider, Honey, Cinnamon, Clover and Ginger. Maybe even a few cranberries or some cranberry juice! I'll see what I can find.

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http://www.florilegium.org/files/BEVERAGES/wassail-msg.html

Okay this is what I came up with! Thanks flowerysong!

Wasail Christmas Cider.

2 gallon apple juice
3 lbs Honey
2 sticks cinnamon
2 cloves
1 slice fresh ginger root (thin)
zest of 1 orange (either dried or fresh)
1/2 tsp Pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrients
Ale yeast
5 campden tablets

Take 1 gallon of Apple juice (Cider if it is clear) and 2 lbs of Honey mix by shaking until the honey dissolves. Put in primary with 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 cloves, ginger, orange zest, Yeast Nutrients and the 5 crushed campden tablets. Let this sit for 24 hours and add the Pectic enzyme. Check the gravity before adding the yeast! Make a yeast starter (1 cup of must to 1 cup of water) and give it about 20 to 30 minutes to get very foamy. Stir the starter at about 15 minutes to get it all suspended good.

Pitch the yeast and attach an airlock. Leave this alone for 6 weeks. Don't touch and don't rack. At 6 weeks rack it and taste. It should have a bit of residual sweetness and be clearing. Check the gravity and stabilize. Add 1 gallon of apple juice. Actually if this gallons has preservitives it won't hurt as you are trying to keep it stable and not referment. Add Honey to taste and let this age, I would let it sit for at least 1 more month and rack before bottling. The last addition of honey may not be necessary as the gallon of juice will sweeten a lot.

So this should be ready easily by Christmas and even a bit might be had at the Thanksgiving dinner. The traditional way of heating was to stick a red hot poker in the cup. A good way to get the taste this gives is to heat the pan hot enough that the cider with boil and sizzle as soon as it touches the pot then pour it off into the cups or Stien.

I think that recipe is a good start! Im curious if anyone has gone the route of adding the spices at the bottling stage through a spiced tea. That way you can retain all of the characteristics that might otherwise deteriorate during fermentation. I would also like to formulate a 5g batch and use true cider (ie unfiltered)

u could try adding peppermints at the fermentation stage. I've never done that but it might be good.

I am too making a holiday cider thing. I think I have pretty much decided to make Ed's Apfelwein and add some spices to start, some at bottling, and more when serving if needed. Also, about the honey, I truely dislike the flavor of fermented honey, so I think I am going to add that when serving too...basically heat up some apfelwein and honey and serve warm.

You could do this with a true cider but the clearing factor might be a bit longer. On the other hand you could do what your talking about with a regular 5 gallon batch of cider. When it comes of rack it onto a cooled spiced tea from the Cinnamon, Cloves, Zest and Ginger.

All the spices in about 6 cups of water then reduce to about 5 cups should give a good enough infusion. Taste and add more if needed. I have a spiced cyser about ready to come off so I'll pull off a bit and make a tea to see what she adds to the character.

In looking at that receipe I don't think it would be too hot! I was interrupted while typing! This should be a bit better!

2 gallon apple juice
1 lbs Honey (use 1/2 lb in 2 additions)
2 sticks cinnamon
2 cloves
1 slice fresh ginger root (thin)
zest of 1 orange (either dried or fresh)
1/2 tsp Pectic enzyme
1/2 tsp yeast nutrients
Ale yeast

I ended up ordering a cider yeast from MidWest. Im thinking of doing a 5 gallon batch with true cider. After it is done fermenting, I will rack it over to secondary and let it clear out for awhile. Then, when its time to bottle, I will create a spiced tea with cinammon cloves orange zest ginger root...anything else that might give it some depth? Should I basically doubled your amounts that you have in your recipe? Also, Im curious when to add pectic enzyme. Would that be in secondary?

Cheers,
Bill

ArroganceFan said:

Is there anything that EdWorts Apfelwein can't fix?

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NO.

add a little mulling spice and you've got xmas cider!

Primary on the Pectic enzyme.

I would be a bit careful on the spices. Add what I listed and then get it to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer to reduce. When it reduces it will get way strong. The clove and Cinnamon I would wait. A good test would be to add a Tablespoon to a cup of cider or apple juice and see how it is taste you can use this as your reference as there are 16 Tbsp in a cup and 16 cups in a gallon. Then if you want to add more of something go for it then.

Once it is where you want it cover with a lid and let it steep. It will pick up a little more flavor but not enough to overpower it or change it dramatically.

mgayer said:

I would be a bit careful on the spices. Add what I listed and then get it to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer to reduce. When it reduces it will get way strong. The clove and Cinnamon I would wait. A good test would be to add a Tablespoon to a cup of cider or apple juice and see how it is taste you can use this as your reference as there are 16 Tbsp in a cup and 16 cups in a gallon. Then if you want to add more of something go for it then.

Once it is where you want it cover with a lid and let it steep. It will pick up a little more flavor but not enough to overpower it or change it dramatically.

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Sorry for all the questions...but what do you mean by wait on the clove and cinnamon? So you are saying that I stick with the amounts you listed for a 5g batch? I suppose I can do a little experimenting before I bottle.

Just as an aside, I love to make Wassail around the holidays. Keep in mind this is truly a ceremony that is highly personalized. When I was formulating the recipe that will be used traditionally in our household, there were myriads of bases from hard cider based to Ale based to just apple cider based. You just have to develop what you like and call it Wassail. A few key elements: Heated, highly spiced and based on Ale, Hard Cider, Wine/Brandy/Sherry or unfermented Cider, often with Apples added.

I love Wassail

Glogg is good too

billpa said:

Sorry for all the questions...but what do you mean by wait on the clove and cinnamon? So you are saying that I stick with the amounts you listed for a 5g batch? I suppose I can do a little experimenting before I bottle.

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No problem with the questions:rockin:
Cinnamon and cloves react a bit different when boiled than when they are fermented. I just took out a cinnamon stick that has been in the Applewine for 3 months. It has made it a bit darker flavored than I usually care for but it is the Holloween batch and most will be servered hot anyway. With boiling it will bring out the flavor all at once! I will usually do the cp of water test first and see if it has the spicy flavors I want any then try it in a cup of apple juice. If it is not strong enough then add some more and boil and steep again.

As zoebisch01 said this is about your personal taste. Wassail is a tradition from long ago in which the toasting glass started from the lord of the estate and was passed to friends and family at a large gathering during the Yule or Christmas time. As the cup was passed a kiss was given.

In short the batch was made to the lords taste.