Christmas cider

[Nurglespuss]

Hi all,

I'm still a novice at this stuff, have made a few batches if cider and wine over the past few years with varying success.

Currently I have a container with 23L of juice from local apples (windfall apples, stewed, homogenised, and seived through muslin). I used wine yeast as nowhere local had any cider yeast this year. It's almost finished initial fermentation.

I have been reading about adding cinamen, all spice, sultanas etc. To add Flavour. Well, I was wondering if I could add some mincemeat instead? Or would the vegetable suet prove problematic?

Otherwise, I will soak some sultanas in some Whiskey, boil some cinamen sticks and spices, and maybe add some black tea...

Any thoughts on either of these strategies appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[DaMonkey]

Not sure about mincemeat but for a Christmas Cider I would just add cinnamon personally. But there are other recipes with cloves and other stuff. You should make sure you use whole spices and not ground ones though. I would just drop a few sticks of cinnamon in your secondary and let it age with the cider. You will get a few floaters but its not an issue.

 

[Nurglespuss]

Thank you,

I've tasted it and its very very dry, so added, Brown sugar. Also added 2 boiled cinamen sticks, cold tea and sultanas.

Will taste again in a few weeks.

 

[Yooper]

Thank you,

I've tasted it and its very very dry, so added, Brown sugar. Also added 2 boiled cinamen sticks, cold tea and sultanas.

Will taste again in a few weeks.

The sugar will ferment out. In order to sweeten the cider, once it is clear and no longer dropping any lees, it must be stabilized. Once it is stabilized, it can be sweeten to taste with honey or brown sugar or whatever you want.

I personally hate the taste of fermented brown sugar, but others like it.

 

[Nurglespuss]

Cheers,

Ah yes, the cider (when I tasted it) also had no 'body' it was very watery (if you know what I mean) which was disappointing because it took quite a long time to get 23L of apple juice from windfall apples with no press ;p (though my garden is happy with the mulch). Hence because the cider will (hopefully) be given out as presents for christmas, adding the christmas flavourings, and a bit of tannin. In previous attempts, I've added red or white grape extract to demijohns of cider with success, they have still tasted like cider, but had a bit more depth. Previously I've added this after primary fermentation. I am tempted to do the same (red grape concentrate) to this batch, to go with the cineman flavour, but as the apple flavour is already very, very subtle, I am not sure.

Anyway, this is the first time I've brewed in this quantity, and I will be patient and wait 2-3 weeks to taste it again, and see what needs adding.

Another quick point, I have also used Cambden tablets to end the fermentation in my previous batches, but I don't fancy doing this in a big batch. If I were to do this, how long should I give it to kill activity, and would the recommended bottle dosage be accurate for the larger volume?

 

[Yooper]

Campden tablets do not end fermentation. Potassium meta-bisulfite is used as an anti-oxidant, and does not impede fermentation. Potassium sorbate is the chemical used to impede further fermentation.

 

[Nurglespuss]

That's what I meant, sorry tired brain

 

[Padj]

I am also on the lookout for a tasty Christmas cider, but I am going to be making one that can be served warm. At least that's the idea...

 

[CallyBrewster]

I'd put the spices in some kind of spice ball or spice bag that you can pull out. Some spices, looking at you cloves & nutmeg, can get insanely bitter after steeping in alcohol for a long time.

I made Cherry Rumtopf (Cherries soaked in booze for at least 6 months) last year and the spices I used were: vanilla beans cinnamon sticks, allspice balls, cloves, star anise and a few pepper corns. All the spices except the vanilla and cinnamon came out tasting like crunchy bitterness bombs. Next time, I'll pull them after a couple of months.

You probably want to give it more time to see results than just a few weeks. My 2¢.