Cheap and easy cider

So, I was wanting to make a hard cider about two weeks ago, so I picked up a gallon of apple juice, a can of apple juice concentrate, a bit of honey, some raisins, yeast nutrients and some Champagne yeast. Mixed it all up, hydrated and pitched the yeast, and... Nothing. I tried re-pitching, but still nothing happened, turns out the yeast was dead. Since I had no other yeast, and didn't particularly wish to pour all that juice down the drain, I went ahead and pitched some regular bread yeast, figuring in the worst case scenario, I could leave it open and have some apple cider vinegar. It went like mad for about a week, and then tapered off until after about a week and a half there was no activity and things were starting to settle.

I tossed it into the fridge to settle the rest of the way, and now about two weeks from the beginning of this little experiment it is settling very well. I took a little off the top, and I have got to say wow. It has a good flavor (although there is almost no apple flavor at all to it), it is quite dry and with a bit of a bite (Although there is a slight sulfur flavor in the aftertaste).

For how cheap it is, I am quite happy with the result, although I am sure it would turn out far better with more time and better yeast.

Reminds me of Joe's Ancient Orange Mead recipe! I think the cheapest and best tasting hard cider I ever had was fresh pressed apple cider fermented with S-04.

I've done the same thing more then once. rack it off any yeast on the bottom the sulfer smell/taste will fade out.

So, I racked it off today, and stole another sample in the process (hey, can't let that little bit that wouldn't fit go to waste). It is quite tasty, although I am still a little saddened by the total lack of apple flavor, it tastes a lot like a dry white wine.

Any way to get more apple flavor into future batches? Maybe a couple of jars of concentrate per gallon of juice?

Confucius said:

So, I racked it off today, and stole another sample in the process (hey, can't let that little bit that wouldn't fit go to waste). It is quite tasty, although I am still a little saddened by the total lack of apple flavor, it tastes a lot like a dry white wine.

Any way to get more apple flavor into future batches? Maybe a couple of jars of concentrate per gallon of juice?

Click to expand...

Yes, don't use wine yeast, it takes years for it to taste good and the apple flavor will never really POP.

You need to check out the cider recipes if you want a really big apple flavor.

Check out the Graff recipe under the ciders. It is excellent to drink in only weeks and it is very cheap to make, not to mention super easy. You don't have to use the hops in the recipe if you don't like, I like using a half ounce of a really low AA% hop, but some prefer with out.

This drink is so refreshing in the summer I have drank 20 gallons in 4 weeks. Well, I should say my neighbor helps me drink it quite frequently.

You can back sweeten with 1 can of apple juice concentrate. It will up the flavor a little, and by back-sweetening just a little, you will notice more of the flavor. IE: your tongue will not be in shock.