I decided to make a batch of BrewFrink's Sweet Cider Recipe. Here are a couple of hints.
First, I used the recipe as posted.
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I was making a batch of apfelwein at the same time so I was a little careless reading the instructions and nearly burned the sugar to the bottom of the pot. Fortunately it hadn't caramelized yet so I turned off the heat and let the sugar dissolve while I stirred. I then heated the syrup solution to 120, but the table sugar had dissolved and I don't want it to convert so I turned off the heat and tossed in the remaining concentrate. Added to the remaining juice and most of the water this brought the temp down to 80 degrees.
Before I pitched the yeast I noticed the syrup hadn't really mixed with the water. Many years ago I tried to make some mead (there was a waste of 12 lbs of honey) and it separated the same way and never fermented properly.
I shook the carboy thoroughly and got the heavy and light fluids to mix, pitched the yeast and topped off to 5.5 gal. I haven't used liquid yeast in years so it was pretty cool watching is spread through the solution.
First, I used the recipe as posted.
- 8 cans of Wal-Mart Apple Juice Concentrate
- 2 Gallons Tree Top Apple Juice
- 2 lbs Regular White Table Sugar
- Sweet Mead Yeast WLP720
- Topped up to 5.5 gallons with bottled spring water
Heated one gallon of juice up to 150 and added four cans of concentrate and the sugar to dissolve. I had previously left out the other four cans of concentrate to soften and to use to cool down the heated mix. Combined all ingredients in my primary bucket and it was right at 90 degrees, so I pitched that mead yeast.
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I was making a batch of apfelwein at the same time so I was a little careless reading the instructions and nearly burned the sugar to the bottom of the pot. Fortunately it hadn't caramelized yet so I turned off the heat and let the sugar dissolve while I stirred. I then heated the syrup solution to 120, but the table sugar had dissolved and I don't want it to convert so I turned off the heat and tossed in the remaining concentrate. Added to the remaining juice and most of the water this brought the temp down to 80 degrees.
Before I pitched the yeast I noticed the syrup hadn't really mixed with the water. Many years ago I tried to make some mead (there was a waste of 12 lbs of honey) and it separated the same way and never fermented properly.
I shook the carboy thoroughly and got the heavy and light fluids to mix, pitched the yeast and topped off to 5.5 gal. I haven't used liquid yeast in years so it was pretty cool watching is spread through the solution.