Boil my brown sugar? 1st time cider-er

Hi there,

I have a dozen or so batches of homebrew under my belt, and am about to try my 1st batch of cider and have a couple of questions for those more accomplished than me. I am considering adding 4 lbs of brown sugar to 5 gallons of cider, but wanted to ask, should I boil the brown sugar in water before adding to the cider? Presumably I pitch my yeast after adding the brown sugar and aerate?

Here's the other details of my plan...would appreciate any other thoughts:

- 5 gallons of unpasteurized cider from a local orchard (I'll buy tomorrow - not sure yet on the apple varieties)
- WLP775 English Cider Yeast
- After reading a bunch on the topic, decided NOT to add campden
- 4 lbs brown sugar
- leave it in a plastic primary fermenter until it's done (no bubbling, steady SG)
- prime with about 4oz of cane sugar; bottle in glass bottles

Thanks!

No need to boil from my understanding of the process. But you do want to make sure that you get the brown sugar completely dissolved.

I would heat, but NOT boil about 1gal of your cider and stir in the brown sugar until it's completely dissolved. Add that sugary gallon to the primary first, then shake and add the remaining 4 gal to properly mix and aerate. Pitch yeast, air lock, and proceed as planned.

Thanks for the help! Everything is underway...

BierKoning said:

No need to boil from my understanding of the process. But you do want to make sure that you get the brown sugar completely dissolved.

I would heat, but NOT boil about 1gal of your cider and stir in the brown sugar until it's completely dissolved. Add that sugary gallon to the primary first, then shake and add the remaining 4 gal to properly mix and aerate. Pitch yeast, air lock, and proceed as planned.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't even bother heating your cider. Heating juice/cider causes the chance for pectins to set in making your cider cloudy. It's as easy as combine and pitch!

@Oldmate - thanks! I ended heating 1 gallon to about 190, adding my sugar, and then mixing with the other 4 gallons and pitching. It is beating out a tympani beat in my basement and I've got my fingers crossed.

Slobberchops - how goes it? I am curious as I am about to start my first homebrew adventure, and want to make sparkling cider... I have read lots of stuff on using brown sugar for better flavor profile. Have you sampled any of yours yet? (i know it would be relativey young but still...)

Best of luck!