Apple / Grape Cider

[jawats]

All,

I stared this cider - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=7271214 - a few weeks back. I just moved this to secondary - went from 1.060 to 1.000 - 8% ABV or thereabouts. It has a slightly bitter flavor. Would y'all recommend leaving it in secondary, adding stevia and bottling now, adding some sugar, some stevia, and bottling now or..?

I like both still and carbed ciders, but I would like to carve away some of the bitterness, if possible. Is that just a matter of backsweetening, or additives or...?

Thank you!

 

[jawats]

Stevia + Erythritol from Target - tested...BLAH...

 

[Maylar]

Try some Xylitol instead. I use Xylo Sweet found in the alternative sugar isles. No aftertaste like Stevia.

 

[chevalcider]

My opinion is to wait. A few weeks isn't enough time. None of my ciders have tasted anything like the finished product when they were that young. All of my ciders that I started in mid-September are still in secondary. Things mellow and develop with time.

 

[MindenMan]

IMHO good cider takes weeks, great cider takes months. Letting your cider age before drinking will do nothing but improve the flavor and the higher the ABV, the longer it takes to age, but it will also last longer due to a higher ABV.