Raw potatoes in hard cider?

[MindenMan]

I have read about people adding grated raw potato into their pre-ferment hard cider mix. Has anyone here ever done it, and if so what were the results? Clarity, flavor, ABV% or anything else? I don't mind potentially wasting a potato, but wasting a gallon of apple juice is a whole different story.

 

[bondra76]

What is the purpose of the potato?

 

[cyanmonkey]

What is the purpose of the potato?

Riiiight?!?!?

You aren't getting conversion, so I assume it's a mouthfeel/flavor thing?

 

[MarkKF]

How does potatoes get fermented to make vodka? Maybe the sugars just bump up the ABV.

 

[cyanmonkey]

How does potatoes get fermented to make vodka? Maybe the sugars just bump up the ABV.

If I'm not mistaken, there's a bit of grain thrown in to convert starch to sugars.

 

[slym2none]

If I'm not mistaken, there's a bit of grain thrown in to convert starch to sugars.

Yep, about 9:1, potato:grain. But that's enough of that kind of talk, we might be pushing the limits with my post.

Pardons, if so.

 

[madscientist451]

Never heard of adding potato to cider but
I did some searching and came up with the following reference:

We make Apple Jack from cider we press. In a glass gallon jug leave a 3 inch space. Add one grated potato the size of a womans fist, 1 pound of dark brown sugar and 1 cup of raisins Drill a hole in the cap, insert small plastic tube (like the tubes u...

Read More at www.deliciousobsessions.com/2012/01/52-weeks-of-bad-a-bacteria-week-4-spontaneous-hard-apple-cider/ © Delicious Obsessions

 

[bondra76]

Sounds like it actually increases ABV, no flavor....at least that's what I got out of this article.

Weird.

I'm not convinced to use them, but yeah...interesting.

https://byo.com/mead/item/323-brewing-with-potatoes-techniques

Both corn and rice are used as starchy adjuncts by brewers worldwide. These adjuncts boost the strength of a beer without increasing its body. Corn and rice also dilute the protein content of wort. As adventurous homebrewers, there is another common starchy food we can use as an adjunct — potatoes.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Sounds like it actually increases ABV, no flavor....at least that's what I got out of this article.

Weird.

I'm not convinced to use them, but yeah...interesting.

https://byo.com/mead/item/323-brewing-with-potatoes-techniques

When brewing with malted barley it boosts abv because the grains have enzymes that convert starch to sugar. If you wanted to strictly boost abv in a cider I'd imagine you would just use sugar.

I'm speculating, though. I don't have any experience in the matter. [emoji13]

 

[Maylar]

I'll have mine baked, with sour cream and butter thank you. Accompanied by a cold hard cider, of course.

 

[WVMJ]

It would be so much easier to just add a little ELDME if you are looking for some body. WVMJ

 

[bondra76]

It would be so much easier to just add a little ELDME if you are looking for some body. WVMJ

I was thinking just add honey, which is what I've always done.

I guess honey or ELDME might have a slight taste to it (honey for sure). Potato - not sure of flavor. But I also found sweet potato used and that would bring something to the table.

 

[SomersetRedstreak]

I once bought some (hard) cider from a guy who pressed some beetroot (not sure what you call it in the U.S, Red beets?), in with his apples. Apparently, it added some extra sugars & a red tinge. The cider was very dry, with no residual sweetness.
I once made a 1gallon batch with store-bought juice and a litre of beetroot juice as an experiment. It turned out gross, way too earthy tasting. Had to ditch it. I can usually drink most things but it was too much!

 

[SerifSansSerif]

Sounds like it actually increases ABV, no flavor....at least that's what I got out of this article.

Weird.

I'm not convinced to use them, but yeah...interesting.

https://byo.com/mead/item/323-brewing-with-potatoes-techniques

Key words there. Adjuncts. Wort. Beer.

Beer brewing is a different animal as I am just beginning to realize as I delve from wine/mead/cider into beer brews.

With beer and starch based brewing, these starches are basically "steeped" like tea in water at very specific temperatures (temperatures higher than your fermentation happens at) to use naturally occurring (or in some cases, added) enzymes can chew away at the starches and break them down into sugars.

Now, potatoes DO have natural sugars, but they're mainly starches. So you'd probably have to go through the process of cooking them, adding them to a brew pot full of water (and since it's an "adjunct", this means it's not the main source of fermentable sugars, but a "flavoring" addition or one to add or change the body and mouth feel of your brew), and probably adding new enzymes or brewing with other ingredients that can provide the extra enzyme boost.

Just for the hell of it, I suggest that some of you head over to the gluten free board here and check out the crazy stuff they're brewing with. They seem very open to experimentation and are a wealth of knowledge on more unusual brewing ingredients. (provided you're trying to do something more beer like).