Spiced Cider for Christmas

[Tnoodle]

I need some thoughts on a 1 gallon batch I just started,

1 gallon store bought apple cider
1/2 pound dark brown sugar
2 pounds table sugar
2 tbs ma's molasses
1tsp nutrient
1tsp energizer
10 apple spice tea bags
1tbs EC-1118

Heat apple cider till it starts to steam
add all 10 tea bags
Keep heat low and add all sugar till dissolved
Remove from heat and let cool with tea bags still in the must
Add molasses, nutrient, and energizer to carboy
Once must is cool remove tea bags and put into a measuring cup
Squeeze juice from tea bags into must and toss them
Add must to carboy, and shake
Pitch dry yeast and shake again once yeast has fallen.

Let me know what you think, I don't have the tools to take gravity readings but I kinda like it that way.

 

[fendermallot]

that'll probably be in the low 9's if my head-calculator is workin...

 

[Blanchy]

That might be some overpowering spice- I would lessen the number of tea bogs, or shorten the steeping time just to be safe. You'd be better off with an under-spiced cider that you can spice more when you drink it (or when you rack to secondary) than one that is overpowering.

 

[taobass]

I'm new to cider having just started my first batch yesterday but doesn't sugar add about 46 points per gallon? If your cider starts at about 1.050 and you add 2.5 lbs of sugar, I think you'd have an OG of about 1.165. If you get your EC-1118 to go to 18% abv (max from lalvin website), your FG will be about 1.030 which is pretty sweet. Maybe the tannins from the tea will balance it out though? Again, I'm new so maybe I'm wrong on something but let us know how it turns out!

 

[SaccharoVices]

I have found that excess sugar (more than OG of 1.100) makes the cider horribly hot and boozy- well beyond enjoyable. If your ferm temp is anywhere above 72F the fusels will make it taste like paint thinner ( yeast actually produces acetone). also, even if a yeast can supposedly tolerate a high alcohol %, it usually takes a huge amount of coaxing to get it to actually ferment to that level. Sugar concentration has to start a bit lower, wait for ferm to settle, then add sugar incrementally until it will no longer ferm (evidenced by airlock bubbling) not trying to shoot you down, i hope this experiment ends in some yummy hooch, just my 2c worth- best regards

 

[Tnoodle]

When I tasted the must before I put it in the primary, the spice wasn't very prominent. As for the sugar I really wanted it to be a sweet finished product. If it is to sweet or hot at bottling time I will just cut it with some more cider, or some aplefwein. I will have to top the carboy off after racking, I plan to use mor apple cider. This will help with some of the heat if there is any. Thanks for the input, I plan to let this age for around 5-6 months before I try it.

 

[sashurlow]

Adding sugar to start off with generally only adds ABV, not sweetness. Wine opposed to cider. There is nothing wrong with spiced apple wine of course. Adding more cider at racking will restart fermentation and increase the ABV as well. If ABV is too high at racking you could always kill the yeasties, de-gas it and turn it into wine.
But I'm a newbe, so I could be wrong...

 

[Tnoodle]

Adding sugar to start off with generally only adds ABV, not sweetness. Wine opposed to cider. There is nothing wrong with spiced apple wine of course. Adding more cider at racking will restart fermentation and increase the ABV as well. If ABV is too high at racking you could always kill the yeasties, de-gas it and turn it into wine.
But I'm a newbe, so I could be wrong...

You are right about turning into a wine, but we won't know what it is like for around another week or two when I rack it. I just put it together on Sunday so we will see how it turns out. I'll keep you updated.