Epic Organic Cider

[Chavi]

I wanted to share with everyone the great success I had making my first Cider. I just kegged it today and tried some, and it exceeded my expectations; it was crisp, light, and apple-e. The best part is that its all organic!

Recipe:
5 gallons of Greenwise Apple Juice (They come in 2 qt bottles)
California liquid Yeast (i used beer yeast because I didn't want a ridiculous alc. content. You can sub in any yeast you prefer)
1 cup of organic sugar per 2 qts. or 10 cups of sugar for a 5 gal batch
It's that easy!

My OG was 1.080 which was what i was shooting for and my FG was 1.030 making the alc. 6.5%. I let mine sit for about 4 weeks. After fermentation, I subtracted 2 qts. of cider out and replaced it with 2 more qts of Greenwise cider to introduce a little more apple flavor. I also added 1 cup of honey that I got from a local bee keeper. I have only tried this un-carbonated, but it should be ready to drink from the keg by this weekend.

 

[CandleWineProject]

Hmm... first off, if you don't want a ridiculous alc. content, then don't add sugar! The best most purest ciders don't have added sugar. Okay, I've said that now, and will get off my soap box.

Out of curiosity, why did you stop at 1.030? That is really sweet. I'm in wine mode now, and that just seems really sweet and then you added more juice and honey. Glad to see you are going to keg it at that high of an FG. Bottles would not handle that at all.

I have a theory - I don't know if it is true or not, but I *think* JK Scrumpy cider gets juice with about 1.055 SG or so, allows it to ferment dry (1.000 or less) which gives them 7.1%, stabilize it, and then adds back in more apple juice to dilute it down to the bottled 6.0%. Posters have measured it out to be 1.025. It has one of the best apple flavors I've found in a cider, but I think it is because they added back allll that apple juice. Warning: soapbox moment - they are quite proud that they don't add sugar.

 

[Chavi]

Thats really interesting. Im new to the process so ill try different things.