Producing sweet, non carbonated ciders

[iskra092]

Okay Guys,

Just need a few opinions on this, my original goal in making cider was to produce sweet ciders, not necessarily with a high alcohol content, that can be ready to drink within 1-3 months. I am not worried about carbonation, so this is not a factor in what I am attempting to do.

My first couple of batches were made using wine yeast and added sugars, which goes completely against my original goal. These are now sitting on a shelf in secondary, and will be there for months to come (just an added bonus to all of this fun I suppose).

SO, I would like to get a concrete method down to use with most of my recipes where I can do a main fermentation, no added extra sugars (og around 1.050-60) using a low alcohol tolerant yeast, and add campden with pottasium sorbate going into secondary. Wait a few days for the sulfurs to release, add my sugars and let it age to taste.

For example, I currently have a blueberry/apple juice (50/50) combo that has just about completed primary fermentation I would like to try this method with.

When adding to secondary, do I simply just crush the campden and sorbate and mix in with the must, or do I need to mix it with water first? How long is a proper amount of time to wait after this addition to start putting more sugars in to age in the secondary?

More importantly, does aging the wort with the sugar actually have any affect? Or is it more viable to just simply add it right before bottling?

If anyone has tried anything close to this, or is willing to extend their knowledge on how this can positively/negatively affect the cider, please chime in!

 

[mredge73]

Sounds like you have a solid plan.

Starting with a 1.05 must use an ale yeast (I like Notty) and a little nutrient and ferment it between 68-72F; this will finish in a few days.
It should ferment pretty dry but not wine dry.
Once finished cold crash it for 2-3 days to drop most of the yeast out of suspension.
Transfer to secondary or serving keg being careful not to disturb the yeast cake.
Add campden/sorbate per instructions, let sit a day or so.
Backsweeten however you like, I like to use frozen concentrate at 1 can per gallon. Let sit 2-3 days; watch for signs of fermentation.
If all good, Bottle time.

No need to do any aging at this low ABV unless it isn't clearing. If you want perfectly still cider you may want to let it sit a little longer for CO2 to work its way out of solution.

 

[bernardsmith]

In my opinion you want to use a wine yeast like 71B. 71B will convert about 40% of the malic acid (the major acid in apples) to lactic acid - a less harsh acid. You want to add pectic enzyme to the juice about 12 hours before you pitch the yeast . That will help break up pectins which are the chief cause of cloudiness in cider - but pectic enzyme does not work as well in the presence of alcohol so this should be done before you add any yeast. Allow the cider to ferment until it is brut dry then you could do as mredge73 suggests and cold crash the cider to help the yeast drop out of suspension and after stabilizing with K-meta and K-sorbate you can add any sweetener you like. The longer you allow the cider to age the more mellow it will taste... but if you are in a hurry ... For the record I started a small batch of scrumpy about three weeks ago using a wild yeast I harvested from some raw honey and it tasted very drinkable (although drier than sand in the Sahara) when I tried it last night

 

[Maylar]

Quoted inline ....

Okay Guys,

Just need a few opinions on this, my original goal in making cider was to produce sweet ciders, not necessarily with a high alcohol content, that can be ready to drink within 1-3 months. I am not worried about carbonation, so this is not a factor in what I am attempting to do.

My first couple of batches were made using wine yeast and added sugars, which goes completely against my original goal. These are now sitting on a shelf in secondary, and will be there for months to come (just an added bonus to all of this fun I suppose).

SO, I would like to get a concrete method down to use with most of my recipes where I can do a main fermentation, no added extra sugars (og around 1.050-60) using a low alcohol tolerant yeast, and add campden with pottasium sorbate going into secondary. Wait a few days for the sulfurs to release, add my sugars and let it age to taste.

No such thing really as a low alcohol yeast. Ale yeasts typically will handle 12% or more, way beyond cider level. Before adding the sulfite/sorbate you need to be sure that fermentation is done, and get it off the lees. The classic way of handling it is to rack to secondary somewhere below 1.010 and let it clear, then rack to bottling and add the stabilizers then.

For example, I currently have a blueberry/apple juice (50/50) combo that has just about completed primary fermentation I would like to try this method with.

When adding to secondary, do I simply just crush the campden and sorbate and mix in with the must, or do I need to mix it with water first? How long is a proper amount of time to wait after this addition to start putting more sugars in to age in the secondary?

Again, secondary won't be free of yeast unless you wait in primary long enough to clear it out. There are methods of forcing that, like cold crashing or using fining agents and others will chime in here but I have no experience with that. I use a small amount of the cider in a Pyrex cup when I mix up the chemicals.

More importantly, does aging the wort with the sugar actually have any affect? Or is it more viable to just simply add it right before bottling?

I've always aged my ciders at least a couple months in secondary, allowing them to clear. Sweeten at bottling time, at the end.