Cutting Hard Cider with Cider

[MarkIafrate]

Hey everyone,

Last year I tried to do a very simple cider recipe on the fly and it didn't turn out that well. It was in an older plastic bucket that I didn't use much anymore so I figured I'd let it sit. Almost a year later I've sampled it a bit and it's turned into, well, something.

Vinegar-esque and a bit sour but still has a hint of apple. Very alcoholic. I was thinking of taking the 4-5 gallons of it and cutting it with normal apple cider from the store. Essentially just dilute it until it's drinkable and throwing it into a keg while my other stuff is fermenting.

1. Will cutting it after it's that sour actually produce something drinkable or am I wasting my time and money trying?

2. If I cut a 12% (I know, wow) cider with normal cider how will that effect the ABV? I'm assuming it's simple ratios, correct? Ex: 4 gallons cut with 4 gallons of cider would bring it down to 6% ABV?

3. Will there be any additional fermentation with the addition of the cider if I add it then immediately keg and put it in the kegerator and chill it?

Thanks in advance for all the help!

Best,
Mark

 

[ctbrewguy]

Toss it, make the one week cider in the recipe forum, keg it and

 

[UpstateMike]

1. Will cutting it after it's that sour actually produce something drinkable or am I wasting my time and money trying?

No sense in adding good cider to vinegar. Flush it, clean everything, start over, and aim for a more workable 7-8% ABV (1.055 - 1.060 starting gravity on your hydrometer).

2. If I cut a 12% (I know, wow) cider with normal cider how will that effect the ABV? I'm assuming it's simple ratios, correct? Ex: 4 gallons cut with 4 gallons of cider would bring it down to 6% ABV?

Correct.

 

[DisplacedSailor]

Why does everyone on this forum recommend tossing out good quality acv? Folks pay darned good money for that stuff. Heck, if I could sneak it past the wife, I'd turn a gallon into vinegar.

 

[MarkIafrate]

Yea I should have been more specific. It definitely is not vinegar, just a overly sour apple wine (I did use a wine yeast, after all). I just did not want to serve it to people because even though I could have drank it most others wouldn't like it.

Just for others knowledge I took the 4 gallons or so I had and cut it with 1.5 gallons of apple cider. That got to a nice sweetness level but still had some kick. I then kegged it and haven't carbed it yet it's just sitting in the kegerator chilling.