First Time Plain Ol Cider

I was told I could get fresh cider for $2.75 a gallon. I gave the guy 2 sanitized glass carboys. He had them filled. Cider was awesome alone.

OG 1.050 I added wine yeast nothing else. Checked it a week and half later, Gravity about 0 or 1.000 Tasted bitter.

I did not want high alcohol cider. Waiting to keg it because I don't wash bottles any more.

Hope it turns out. My dad says It should be good by new years.

Whaddyathink? Anybody else make cider with out any sugar?

If My grandfather did not make cider in a barrel, I would not have learned how to siphon.

David

I do it every year. I make one straight up and it comes out very clear and dry, but I like it that way. Then I make a second one with raspberries and honey. That is the sweet one. Either way it is good, quick and easy. Oh....I keg the plain one, but bottle the fruit one.

bruck said:

I do it every year. I make one straight up and it comes out very clear and dry, but I like it that way. Then I make a second one with raspberries and honey. That is the sweet one. Either way it is good, quick and easy. Oh....I keg the plain one, but bottle the fruit one.

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Bruck what kind of yeast do you use for the rasberryand honey one and do you need to do that from the beginning? i have a hc47 and lavlin 1122 and a cote de blanc going... cote de blanc is about ready to go into second rack can i add the rasberries during the second rack and the honey? its 5 gallons how much would u add and how long you let it go for? it'll either get bottled into 1 gallon jugs or cornelius keg do u prime them for carbonation still?

I've used regular wine yeast and this year I used a cider specific yeast. The brand escapes me at the moment. Both worked perfectly. With regards to priming, I have done both. Meaning, I have carbonated batches and left others alone. I prefer carbonating it I've found.

Sorry. With regards to adding the raspberries and honey, go ahead and add to the secondary. You can leave them for as long as you want, but I go with 3-4 weeks. Than I will bottle.

bruck said:

Sorry. With regards to adding the raspberries and honey, go ahead and add to the secondary. You can leave them for as long as you want, but I go with 3-4 weeks. Than I will bottle.

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Ok thanks how much would u add of each for 5 gallons of cider approx. i know it prob depends on the level of sweetness or taste i want. does the rasberries just add sweetness or you actually get some raseberry flvor? i love woodchucks rasberry cider

I add 3lbs of raspberries and a lb of honey. It is not overly sweet in my experience, but you do get the flavor.

Girlfriend likes sweet wine, so I think one needs some more sweet. After a week, they went down to 1.00 or even a little less. Tasted pretty bitter. (dry?)

Still in the glass.

Thanks for the replies.

David

Finished at .998. Tastes a little like cider, more like green wine. Check again Jan 1s.
Yeast is dropping out.
David

Droot said:

Girlfriend likes sweet wine, so I think one needs some more sweet. After a week, they went down to 1.00 or even a little less. Tasted pretty bitter. (dry?)

snip.

David

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Droot,

I think you might enjoy trying a batch of keeved cider. If your girlfriend likes something sweeter, the sparkling French styled cider should be a hit.

The process depends on the wild yeasts and a couple of additives to help with the separation of nutrients. Sugar is only added to chaptalize the juice if the og is not up to 1.055

I added 1 lb 15 oz of sugar to 9 gallons of juice.

So far, my first attempt is working out.

Joe

Joe

Mine has been on Wyeast Sweet Mead yeast for about 5 weeks. Tastes fantastic now, getting ready to bottle in a few days... it finished below 1.00, and tastes really pretty darned tremendous, to my mind.

Oddly more like green fresh apples than the original cider tasted, I think.

Anyone know if it's a bad idea to just put fresh cider onto the lees/yeast cake at the bottom of the carboy I used for primary? I'm going to figure on just adding another five gallon batch in as soon as I've cleared the yeast and let it sit at an angle to prep for bottling.