Apple Cider Recommendations?

[Davevjordon]

Never planned on making a cider before. Until I tried a friend’s. Now I’m planning on it.
From what I understand, I need to get Pasteurized, not from concentrate.
Do I also need to get one that’s NO PRESERVATIVES? Because that can inhibit fermentation?
Thanks for the help.
Additional info: I’m a homebrewer, all grain. And I’ve made some fruit wines. So I’m only a “first timer” when it comes to Cider. Basically just asking if I should steer clear of preservatives, or does that make a difference, and any recommendations you have.
I will be doing a 5 gallon batch, ferment for a month, and going to keg it.
Thank you.

 

[bmd2k1]

No preservatives is a MUST!

I've had nothing but great results using Sam's 100% AJ & S04.

Fermentation lasts 7days....then I cold crash for 48hrs....toss back in 1gal containers & condition with cinnamon sticks & fruit concentrates...and toss in fridge.

I've tried a few other yeasts...but for me and those I've shared my ciders with...S04 has been the fav.....with Wyeast1272 2nd.

I've also cranked out some "cheaters" ice cider...higher ABV...using FAJC+AJ...goooood stuff!

Cheers & good luck! [emoji111]

 

[Davevjordon]

Do I need to get one that’s “No Preservatives”?

 

[bmd2k1]

Yes

 

[dmtaylor]

Either get cider from a real orchard (probably frozen, this time of year), or get a no-preservative brand such as Simply Apple which is nothing but juice.

 

[Davevjordon]

Thank you!

 

[Davevjordon]

Yes

Thank you. Sorry, I didn’t see that you already answered that question in your original comment.

 

[bmd2k1]

Thank you. Sorry, I didn’t see that you already answered that question in your original comment.

Good luck & Cheers! [emoji111]

Sent from my VS987 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[John Doe]

Musselman's from Walmart also.

 

[Silver79]

Old orchard 100% juice frozen concentrate here. Has malic acid added for tartness.

 

[Davevjordon]

Musselman's from Walmart also.

I actually went with 5 gallons of Musselman’s. Added 6 lbs of dark brown sugar (turned into a simple syrup), OG was 1.092 ! ! ! ...holy crap!
did a yeast starter with a light, simple syrup I made with light brown sugar. Pitched that once it was looking violent. Day 2 of fermentation went well. Yeast nutrient both days. We’ll see when / if I decide to do a secondary and I’ll take a gravity reading.

 

[MindenMan]

If you let the brown sugar ferment all the way out, you may have a flavor you do not particularly like.
Just my $0.02

 

[stieg000]

Both Kirkland and tree-top carried at Costco are preservative free and roughly $9 for 2g. Used both. They come in right at 1.055 and will ferment down to around 1.006 with us04 or Nottingham. I usually add in 1/2# of surgar to mine using a little apple juice to do a slurry with some yeast nutrient also. The cider will ferment fast and be ready to keg after a week. Ready to drink in 2 weeks. Can add 2-4qts of a knudsens just fruit juice easily if you want to experiment with that. So far I think I like blueberry best.

 

[JKenshi]

I agree 100% with DmTaylor... there is nothing quite like working with unpasteurized orchard juice if you can get it, so watch for it in the fall. Start sniffing around for sources in late August. Around here pre-orders open up in mid September with the actual product available in mid October.

Since you're experienced with brewing you should try a graf. I did one with 2.5 ounces of crystal 120L steeped for 20 minutes at 150 degrees and 2 pounds of sparkling amber DME... it turned out great!

 

[Davevjordon]

If you let the brown sugar ferment all the way out, you may have a flavor you do not particularly like.
Just my $0.02

Thanks

 

[John Doe]

FWIW as of two weeks ago I could still get local cider here in PA. I'm guessing they press the stored apples that are getting old? Last I got a couple weeks ago was said to be the last, but you could always call around.
I guess my point is fresher local cider can be found long after the normal fall season.

 

[Jonakr]

I don’t like sweet ciders, but I do like sweet wines. I almost always have a keg of the Costco Treetop cider, with 2-4 oz ground ginger added. For the holidays I did a batch with their Cran-raspberry juice. Very tart, and most folks don’t care for it. I usually have keg of that on tap, too. Nothing extra added to my ciders, beyond flavor.

 

[Davevjordon]

It’s all fermented out, down to .998, transferred to a secondary to get it off the yeast cake and been cold crashing at 29 degrees for 4 days.
I want to backsweeten it with concentrated apple juice before I keg it, but I ran out of potassium sorbate. I will see if my local (nearly out of buisiness) homebrew has any. But if not, is there an alternative? Or do you think I should be fine?, between secondary, cold crashing and kegging?

 

[MindenMan]

There are many cider makers that back sweeten in the keg and keep cold w/o incident. If all else fails put some FAJC in a squirt bottle and sweeten by the glass.
AND I WANT TO WARN YOU NEVER MAKE APPLEJACK. NEVER!
All kidding aside, well made applejack is a thing of beauty for both the eyes and the taste buds. The predominant reason I make hard cider is to make it into applejack, and I make a few bottles of cider with the "leftovers" to share with friends as the applejack waits at least a year before I open the bottles.

 

[MarkKF]

I’ve made apple jack. I had comm. distilled apple jack and I had Pommeau. I prefer Pommeau but comm. distilled apple jack is a heck of a lot less dangerous than my own. Now 12 oz. of a nice dry cider + 1-2 oz. of Irish whiskey is fantastic!