pomegranate cider

[candlejack]

So im trying to come up with a recipe for a pomegranate cider, it's pretty basic.

I found a bottle of pomegranate molasses (cortas pomegranate molasses 10 oz's) at a local middle eastern grocery store. I'm thinking about using this in lieu of sugar.

in addition to this, just about a gallon of pomegranate juice from the store. I may have to get a blueberry pomegranate combination, I really dont want to spring for 20 or 30 dollars of pom wonder stuff.

Any way, i just want to get a discussion going, maybe bring to light anything i missed and to tap into all collective generations of experience. any one know of any flavors or spices i should look into adding or should i do it straight? What are your opinions on the pomegranate juice that is premixed with another berry juice, such as blueberry or cranberry? which would would you go for? any opinions on yeast. I think i have red star, yellow and a montrachet yeast.

also, as i type this, im thinking about how the pom molasses is middle eastern, should i maybe research middle eastern spices to add?

 

[kewlio250]

if you want pomegranate, go for pom wonderful, its 100% pomegranate, with any blend you normally get less than 10%, google the specific one you want to buy, even some pomegranate juices arent 100%

for yeast, i would use Safale S04, a lot of long time brewers would recommend this
if you want a bit drier cider, use Nottingham's instead

from what ive heard (i think, dont quote me) molasses leaves a heavier taste in your cider compared to brown sugar, and even more so compared to table and corn sugars

as for other spices, i've only done cinnamon sticks, and tasted it before going into secondary, and it was a subtle taste, but it tasted good

another thing, dont pomegranate juices ferment out fairly sour/bitter?
you might want to look at also backsweetening with pomegranate/concentrated apple juice