Caramel Apple Hard Cider

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Will it change the taste if I let it the FG go under the taget 1.010? It was at that last night after fermenting for 10 days. I don't know that I will have a chance to bottle it until at least Friday evening maybe Saturday. There is still a good amount of activity going on (about 20 bubbles a min in the airlock). I am planning on mixing carmel and AJC in straight into the the bottle bucket and bottling from there. I don't have another carboy to transfer to to let it clear.
 
Jdseiverth said:
Will it change the taste if I let it the FG go under the taget 1.010? It was at that last night after fermenting for 10 days. I don't know that I will have a chance to bottle it until at least Friday evening maybe Saturday. There is still a good amount of activity going on (about 20 bubbles a min in the airlock). I am planning on mixing carmel and AJC in straight into the the bottle bucket and bottling from there. I don't have another carboy to transfer to to let it clear.
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Each time I made this, it finally gave me consistent FG readings at 1.006. So let it go til its done.

Secondly, adding AJC and caramel into cider in bottling bucket is fine. Works perfectly.
 
Jdseiverth said:
Will it change the taste if I let it the FG go under the taget 1.010? It was at that last night after fermenting for 10 days. I don't know that I will have a chance to bottle it until at least Friday evening maybe Saturday. There is still a good amount of activity going on (about 20 bubbles a min in the airlock). I am planning on mixing carmel and AJC in straight into the the bottle bucket and bottling from there. I don't have another carboy to transfer to to let it clear.
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I bottled mine a week ago. It went down to 0.098. Backsweetened with 3 cans concentrate plus 2 cups brown sugar, boiled and cooled. Goes down like water. Next time if it goes down that far I'm going to go with 5 cans concentrate. I did not add the 3 LBS corn at primary, so that's all apple juice. I just let it go until it finished. About 10 days.

For some reason the cinnamon settled out of suspension. Not the sugar, that mixed in fine. I brought the water/sugar/cinnamon mixture to a boil and simmered 5 minutes. Then cooled a bit, added the concetrate and stirred until incorporated. Racked over, and stirred for 5 minutes to incorporate. There was a brown sludge at the bottom of the bottling bucket. It tasted bitter, which leads me to believe it was cinnamon. Perhaps I should simmer longer?
 
william_shakes_beer said:
For some reason the cinnamon settled out of suspension. Not the sugar, that mixed in fine. I brought the water/sugar/cinnamon mixture to a boil and simmered 5 minutes. Then cooled a bit, added the concetrate and stirred until incorporated. Racked over, and stirred for 5 minutes to incorporate. There was a brown sludge at the bottom of the bottling bucket. It tasted bitter, which leads me to believe it was cinnamon. Perhaps I should simmer longer?
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That's one of the reasons I revised the recipe a bit, on page 42. Try using 1/2 tsp liquid cinnamon extract next time instead of 2 tsp. ground cinnamon.
 
Kegged this tonight...didnt have cinnamon in the caramel syrup because i couldnt find any.... It seems like its going to be super sweet but im excited to try it
 
Mike, i made this recipe mid October and took it camping with a group of friends on the 1st weekend of November. The keg was empty in the morning! Thanks for a great recipe, I and all my friends enjoyed it. I will be making this again, and trying the updated version this time!
 
Just bottled my second batch last night... Changes include 5 days in secondary over campden tabs, 3 cinnamon sticks instead of in the syrup, and 2 packs mulling spices... Initial tests while bottling where fantastic! Since it is just still cider for this batch we are looking forward to sampling some tonight and seeing how it ages over the next month or so...
 
Thinking if someone does not want to make cinnamon extract, what about melting red hot candies or even the hard cinnamon disk candies?
 
saramc said:
Thinking if someone does not want to make cinnamon extract, what about melting red hot candies or even the hard cinnamon disk candies?
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Who said anything about making cinnamon extract? You can buy it at Walmart. Much easier than trying to melt redhots.

McCormic Cinnamon Extract at Walmart

cinnamon%20extract.ashx
 
Not mentioned cinnamon extract, but if anyone has a method for making something to substitute for the frozen AJ concentrate ( it's not available in the UK it seems) then that would be great.

I tried boiling down a ltr or two of apple juice but , whilst it was concentrated, it wasn't sweet and the end product didn't back sweeten my cider at all. I've taken to cutting it with lemonade, because there's dry and there's "here drink this, I want to see what your face looks like inside out".
 
UpstateMike said:
Who said anything about making cinnamon extract? You can buy it at Walmart. Much easier than trying to melt redhots.

McCormic Cinnamon Extract at Walmart
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Was not aware if the extract was homemade or storebought. Plus there are some out there who like to walk on the wild side and use things like redhots or such. Making a cinnamon extract is so very easy and most who make their own extracts shudder to purchase the commercial alternative. Just options, that is all.
 
mcspanner said:
Not mentioned cinnamon extract, but if anyone has a method for making something to substitute for the frozen AJ concentrate ( it's not available in the UK it seems) then that would be great.

I tried boiling down a ltr or two of apple juice but , whilst it was concentrated, it wasn't sweet and the end product didn't back sweeten my cider at all. I've taken to cutting it with lemonade, because there's dry and there's "here drink this, I want to see what your face looks like inside out".
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I make apple cider syrup by slow simmering fresh pressed cider until it has reduced in volume by at least half. It caramelizes while it reduces.
You can also freeze concentrate the apple juice. Pour into open top wide mouth container and place in freezer until just the top starts to ice over, remove that ice. Repeat, repeat, repeat until you are left with apple concentrate.
Another alternative, freeze juice in gallon increments in bucket until rock solid. Remove from bucket, invert into large funnel and allow to drip thaw. The sugary juice will thaw first, leaving ice behind. Can use refractometer to determine when to dispose of remaining ice block. This is a common method for making ice style wine.
 
mcspanner said:
Not mentioned cinnamon extract, but if anyone has a method for making something to substitute for the frozen AJ concentrate ( it's not available in the UK it seems) then that would be great.

I tried boiling down a ltr or two of apple juice but , whilst it was concentrated, it wasn't sweet and the end product didn't back sweeten my cider at all. I've taken to cutting it with lemonade, because there's dry and there's "here drink this, I want to see what your face looks like inside out".
Click to expand...

I reduce 2.4L to 400mL and seems to do the job well. Takes frickin' ages though. Sickly sweet on its own, I used 1.6L of my concentrate in my last 23L brew. Removed the super dryness from the brew and carbed up a treat. Didn't make a sweet brew but I wasn't after that personally.
 
I was trying really hard not to make a post like this, but I screwed up. (First brew ever. Sue me.)

Everything was perfect until I went to pitch the yeast and ended up pitching about half of it on the floor. I didn't try to save what I had already spilled, but I did pour the rest of the package into the carboy and continued the recipe.

So I'm at an unknown point right now. Will I be fine and it will just take longer to ferment since I've reduced the number of yeast? Don't tell me RDWHAHB?

Or should I take a drive and pick up some more Nottingham from the LHBS?
 
Shohan said:
I was trying really hard not to make a post like this, but I screwed up. (First brew ever. Sue me.)

Everything was perfect until I went to pitch the yeast and ended up pitching about half of it on the floor. I didn't try to save what I had already spilled, but I did pour the rest of the package into the carboy and continued the recipe.

So I'm at an unknown point right now. Will I be fine and it will just take longer to ferment since I've reduced the number of yeast? Don't tell me RDWHAHB?

Or should I take a drive and pick up some more Nottingham from the LHBS?
Click to expand...

You should be fine the little yeasties will do that thing they do and may take a few days longer to do it but all should be ok
 
Shohan said:
I was trying really hard not to make a post like this, but I screwed up. (First brew ever. Sue me.)

Everything was perfect until I went to pitch the yeast and ended up pitching about half of it on the floor. I didn't try to save what I had already spilled, but I did pour the rest of the package into the carboy and continued the recipe.

So I'm at an unknown point right now. Will I be fine and it will just take longer to ferment since I've reduced the number of yeast? Don't tell me RDWHAHB?

Or should I take a drive and pick up some more Nottingham from the LHBS?
Click to expand...

Sweet cider is really fermentable, so I vote with badboygator that you should be fine. FYI this is the only thing I have ever brewed that went BELOW 1.00. Did you do a starter or just toss the dry yeast into the fermenter?
 
william_shakes_beer said:
Sweet cider is really fermentable, so I vote with badboygator that you should be fine. FYI this is the only thing I have ever brewed that went BELOW 1.00. Did you do a starter or just toss the dry yeast into the fermenter?
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I pitched dry as in the instructions. I need to look into how to make a yeast starter actually. Everything I read a starter is recommended.

Here's a picture from yesterday and the 48 hour mark. Lots of airlock activity so something is going on.

image-3168498759.jpg

The thicker head is gone as of today and there are just bubbles on the top of the liquid. It's still bubbling and the airlock is still going, though.
 
I just finished a 4 gal batch and it has been carbing for about a week i think i will pasteurize tonight. but i was looking at my bottles and the cinnamon and brown sugar are floating near the bottom and when I try and mix it up they turn in to these nasty looking jelly fish floaties. I added a couple drops of vanilla extract when making the caramel. but that shouldn't affect it. anyone else have the same problem?
 
Hey upstate, thanks for the recipe. I've had great reviews. It took about a month after pasteurizing to reach its peak but damn!
 
Started this today. Went off the instructions on page 42. OG was 1.062. Used Safale S-04. Cant wait to see what everyone is raving about!!!
 
raysmithtx said:
Why do you take the OG before adding the last bottle of cider?

I have never made cider so this might be a dumb question.
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It does throw the gravity reading off but the reason it's done is to wash the yeast down
 
Big mistake. I made this and ended up putting twice as much dextrose as the recipe calls for. What will the result be? More alcohol? Yeast that cannot handle that much yeast?
Pitched this morning. Any thing I need to do at this point?
 
raysmithtx said:
Big mistake. I made this and ended up putting twice as much dextrose as the recipe calls for. What will the result be? More alcohol? Yeast that cannot handle that much yeast?
Pitched this morning. Any thing I need to do at this point?
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. With twice the dextrose, gravity may be too high for yeast to convert all of it to alcohol. You'd be left with unconverted dextrose leaving the cider sweeter. Also, with all that alcohol, yeast could get stressed and create off flavors
 
raysmithtx said:
Thanks. At least with cider it's not like it took a lot of time, like beer does. I think I'll try again and try not to confuse pounds and ounces this time.
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If you want, get a packet of wine yeast and throw it in and make some apfelwein, or just let it go and see what happens. Who knows, you could like how it turns out
 
Just a newbie question. But you could never use 100% apple juice from concentrate for this recipe. Correct?
 
Johny123472 said:
Just a newbie question. But you could never use 100% apple juice from concentrate for this recipe. Correct?
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You sure can! Just make sure there aren't any preservatives, vitamin C is okay too. I used plain old Motts with Vit C, turned out great!
 
It's quite popular on here it seems. You pretty well copied and pasted my original recipe from the Recipes Database under Ciders > Dave's Carmel Apple Cider.
At least give a little credit when changing the name or at least make a variant other than copying my post.
Yes, folks. This recipe has been taking many BOS for ciders and multiple firsts in many competitions in the West.
For some background, goto Starbucks and get their Carmel Apple Spice. It's a great drink and from that is how this recipe came to be back in 05/2011.
 
ellicit said:
It's quite popular on here it seems. You pretty well copied and pasted my original recipe from the Recipes Database under Ciders > Dave's Carmel Apple Cider.
At least give a little credit when changing the name or at least make a variant other than copying my post.
Yes, folks. This recipe has been taking many BOS for ciders and multiple firsts in many competitions in the West.
For some background, goto Starbucks and get their Carmel Apple Spice. It's a great drink and from that is how this recipe came to be back in 05/2011.
Click to expand...
Ok, lets dial back the butthurt here, shall we?

First, I didn't copy your post. I did a Google search for a recipe and found one that I liked. Granted it is similar to yours, maybe where I got it from saw yours too. A couple quick things to note, the recipe used has no hoity toity words like "dolce", and more cider is used.

Now go to page 42 of this thread (or just click HERE) and you will see some improvements to the recipe:
Yeast nutrient
Less cans of FAJC
Liquid cinnamon extract instead of powdered.

And there are more improvements coming.

So, RDWHAHB, and have fun. :D :tank:
 
I'm sorry if this is posted in this thread some where but I have been trying to find an answer about clearing. If I used ground cinnamon instead of the extract will this ever clear? I have only ever used cinnamon sticks (JAOM) and never ground cinnamon.

In various other searches I cannot seem to find where people used ground cinnamon but I can find plenty of recipes with the sticks.
 
Collitchboy,
I've ONLY used ground cinnamon in my 3 batches of this. It's not going to be super clear but believe me, it's totally fine. Just let anyone know, "that's the good stuff - the carmel syrup" and there are no further questions and everyone just enjoys themselves :D
 

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