I'm been experimenting with a few different flavored ciders recently namely Cranberry, Cranberry-Pomegranite and Blueberry. My normal recipe for 6 gallons is
1.5 gallons Cranberry (or other) Juice
2.5 lbs Dextrose
Apple Juice to fill
Champagne Yeast
OG of 1.066
FG of .998
I then usually backsweeten with a mix of cranberry juice and sugar to 1.024 and pasteurize at 1.020. When tasting my latest batch pre-backsweetened it dawned on me that very little flavor is coming from the cranberry juice added at the start and that I could save some money by fermenting straight apple juice and sugar and then backsweetening.
Anyone ever compare straight apple cider backsweetened with cranberry juice to one fermented with some cranberry juice? Do you think their will be vastly different flavors between the two?
1.5 gallons Cranberry (or other) Juice
2.5 lbs Dextrose
Apple Juice to fill
Champagne Yeast
OG of 1.066
FG of .998
I then usually backsweeten with a mix of cranberry juice and sugar to 1.024 and pasteurize at 1.020. When tasting my latest batch pre-backsweetened it dawned on me that very little flavor is coming from the cranberry juice added at the start and that I could save some money by fermenting straight apple juice and sugar and then backsweetening.
Anyone ever compare straight apple cider backsweetened with cranberry juice to one fermented with some cranberry juice? Do you think their will be vastly different flavors between the two?