Caramel Apple Cider

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Good point. I wanted to continue the fermentation to avoid bottle bombs when bottling. Then again, perhaps I should just try the stove top pasteurization method, never tried that before.

I also have campden + potassium sorbate but I think the "no chemical" option (pasteurization) is better, no? Will it work well on an electric stove top?

The most difficult thing would be mixing the honey in the cider without oxidation. I'm thinking of dropping the honey into a plastic bucket and then gently rack the cider to this bucket while gently mixing. Then from the bucket into bottle with the spigot.
 
OK, so I left the cider in the fermenter a month longer than I expected due to circumstances. Came down to about 0.996

Tasted great, sweet apple at the beginning with strong apple tartness at the end with some alcohol warmth. Caramelized the honey a bit which also tasted very nice. Then I added this to the cider + mixed thoroughly without splashing so it did not end up at the bottom and bottled everything.

I had some leftover of this "mix" and I tasted it. Personally, I was kinda disappointed because the apple taste was much less and I did not taste the honey at all. Not sure what happened there, maybe it just takes time for the flavours to develop?

I'll leave it for 2 days in the bottle before pasteurizing.
 
Giving this one a crack. I put this in my S04 brew that was already on for 2 weeks, so it'll go back on for another 2 weeks before I add additional flavours to it.
 
Im goimg to try this recipe I think. (In the UK here).

I want it sparkling. So... I will likely add a little honey to prime bottles, then after a couple of weeks pasturise it. Any suggestions or advice?
 
When i bottled it after primary and secondary i would mix the honey in in another fermetation bucket until dissolved ( i did 25l
L batches so added 5 jars of aldi clear honey). Then i would bottle and only pasteurise after a few days. I wouldnt leave a few weeks unless only a small amount of honey is going in as i have had bottlebombs after only 7 days
 
When i bottled it after primary and secondary i would mix the honey in in another fermetation bucket until dissolved ( i did 25l
L batches so added 5 jars of aldi clear honey). Then i would bottle and only pasteurise after a few days. I wouldnt leave a few weeks unless only a small amount of honey is going in as i have had bottlebombs after only 7 days

I will be using the plastic bottle trick to gauge the gas.
 
Just purchased a new fermenter, the yeast and a new hydrometer along with some yeast nutrient (because it was £1) and a couple of other bits. 15 litres of pressed apple juice to collect at the weekend and I can set it away!
 
Just set 12 litres of this away. 1.080 gravity, I went for quite a dark caramel,and the juice currently tastes like overly sweet apple juice.

I plan on letting it ferment out and then backsweeten (possibly by just priming individual bottles with the caramelised honey), and have a plastic bottle there as a litmus test for carbonation. As soon as the plastic bottle is hard, I will taste it and if good, pasturise the bottles.
 
Hellfire this is a lively fermentation! My airlock won't stop farting LOL! Though it doesn't smell like caramel apple coming out of the top... It smells, well... Just like fermenting apples. Which is fine... But... Maybe didn't caramelise the sugar enough?
 
Just taken a gravity reading since fermentation seems to have almost ceased.

0.98...

Thats 13%abv. And it tastes veeeeery sharp, not a hint of caramel in there. So, gonna leave it a few days to fall clear and then put it into another vessel, backsweeten and bottle.
 
Yep sounds same as me. Its verry nice after a month of aging. If you ever work out how to keep the caramel taste please share haha
 
Well I left this for a long time before bottling yesterday, three months to ferment is enough I think!

Still sharp as hell, and not at all clear... But. I pressed on anyway! Added the caramelised honey, and bottled it. Leaving some bottles to carbonate, some I will pasteurise tonight.

I ran out of bottles LOL

IMG-20170329-WA0025.jpg
 
This recipe sounds delicious. I just finished a blueberry apple cider. I'm going to try this one next.

Booker
 
Hi everyone!
I'm a basically a newbie. I brewed beer in the past, ok a loooong time in the past lol, but I certainly have never done a hard cider before.
I started this up on the 15th (1 gallon) and it started up pretty good. Had lots of bubbles. I used Nottingham yeast and it has been fermenting at round 72-75 degrees (Texas heat). The OG was around 1.080. I pulled it out yesterday because the bubbles slowed way down to around one every 40 secs. and the SG was at 1.010. Wife said it tasted like beer. I would have to agree, with a small bit of apple taste (very small). Can definitely smell the alcohol.

Wife wants a sweet cider and I kind of have a sweet tooth myself.
So should I let it ferment out more, or transfer to a secondary to finish recipe and bottle.
Will the beer taste go away? Or did I mess something up? lol

Advise is well appreciated!
 
Stabilize it, then add about a half cup of frozen apple juice concentrate with a bit of brown sugar. Yes, it will taste like beer. You're right on the money for a nice British dry cider. I use Nottingham specifically for my ciders. All I do is ferment 5 gallons of apple juice with about 2 pounds of honey to bring the gravity up to about 1.055-60. The longer it sits, the more the apple taste will come back.
 
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