So this is what I am going to start this week...any other suggestions?

[pdavis88]

So I have been experimenting a bit and am trying to recreate something like a Woodchuck apple cider (but if I discover something else I enjoy better then that's fine too). I am hoping to start this later this week but here is the plan.

In my 2.5 gal fermenter:
5 cans apple juice concentrate
enough water to fill 'er up
1 pkg Wheat beer yeast
1/2 cup white sugar....or brown sugar....I haven't decided

Once I get it to 5-7% ABV, I am wanting to stop fermentation with some K-sorbate.

Then I will transfer it to my secondary fermenter with light oak chips to add some flavor (and perhaps some more concentrate if it is too dry), and let that sit for several weeks.

Now once I do all that is there a way to bottle carb it since I have stopped the original fermentation?

I'm still a noob so any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Tusch]

No, if you kill off the yeast, you can not bottle carb it.

It is very difficult to stop a fermentation, but you can prevent a renewed one. Apple juice alone will get you the 5-7% with the sugars already present. So if you choose to use concentrate over juice, mix up a batch to reach normal juice specific gravities. Aim for about 1.050. Ferment it to dryness, then stabilize it with sorbate and sulphate, then add concentrate until you get your desired sweetness.

 

[flyweed]

If you make Edworts apfelwein..then let it finish out dry and then come in and back sweeten with 2 cans of AJ concentrate and 1/4 pound of honey...that will be pretty close to your Woodchuck. I did this one and my 5 gallon keg was gone in a night. It lacks a little body, but otherwise is a DANGEROUSLY drinkable beverage. Otherwise, go to the cider recipe section and take a look at Jayhuffs Apple Bee recipe. I just got done brewing that one, and it will be AMAZING!! both are excellent recipes.

Dan

 

[Cugel]

No, if you kill off the yeast, you can not bottle carb it.

It is very difficult to stop a fermentation, but you can prevent a renewed one. Apple juice alone will get you the 5-7% with the sugars already present. So if you choose to use concentrate over juice, mix up a batch to reach normal juice specific gravities. Aim for about 1.050. Ferment it to dryness, then stabilize it with sorbate and sulphate, then add concentrate until you get your desired sweetness.

This is good advice, but you could always do something a little different... I like you thinking on the oak, that sounds like what I plan on myself... I would think about letting the ferment go until it stabilizes at a SG of about 1.000 then sweetening with a small amount of lactose ~3-5 oz perhaps? Then you can carbonate with priming sugar and voila you have a sweet/non dry sparkling cider. A touch (but not much more than that) of oak and that sounds like a great drink.

This, in fact, is what I have planned for my current batch when it finally stops fermenting!

 

[pdavis88]

Thanks for all the posts!

And so it has begun...It just got done putting it all together about an hour ago. Here's what I ended up doing:

5 cans apple juice concentrate (2 Seneca, 2 Best Choice, 1 Kroeger)
1 11.5g packet Safbrew WB-06 "Dry Wheat Beer Yeast"
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
1/4 cup white sugar
Enough water to bring it up to 7.5 quarts (how much juice the concentrate was supposed to make)

OG: 1.056

In about a week or two I am going to bottle a few, then the rest is going to the secondary fermenter with the oak chips for another week.

I'm already thinking ahead to my next batch if this one turns out alright...

 

[Tusch]

Why would you bottle after only a week or two? You need to let it ferment completely, which may be done by that time, but you should also let it clear completely. Even then you will be bottling a very young cider.

 

[wreckinball9]

yeah you shouldnt be thinking about bottling for closer to 2 months

 

[pdavis88]

Oh....right....I guess I'm still in Mr. Beer mode...This has been my first adventure in brewing that wasn't a kit. Doh

 

[wreckinball9]

dont worry it'll be worth the wait, although you will want to get a pipeline going so you dont have to wait months in between every batch. i bought two new better bottles after i started making cider, and i will probably be getting more soon. its just as addicting as beer making and takes longer so be prepared to look for more fermenters.

 

[pdavis88]

So tonight I racked it to the secondary and added a handful of oak chips (after boiling them of course). Also, as I was racking it, I went ahead and bottled a 6 pack. It wasn't 100% clear yet, but the gravity hadn't changed in about a week and I wanted to get it to the secondary since I will be going out of town soon. I kind of like the taste at the moment, but I definitely want more apple flavor back, so I am going to try very hard to wait while it ages. It ended at approximately 7.4% ABV.

I will monitor the oak flavor over the next couple days as I have heard that it is possible to go horribly overboard with the oak flavor.

Also, I saw apple wood chips among the grilling supplies at the store this weekend. Has anyone ever used those (for brewing or grilling)? I am interested to know how they would taste, if it is much different than oak chips. They were definitely a lot cheaper than the oak chips I bought.