Apple pie turned cider

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I make apple pie-- the drink. I use everclear. The flavor is awesome though, so I decided to see what it would taste like if I just ferment it, and it was awesome!
Now I did have to change the juices up a bit because in the everclear drink I used half gal store bought cider and half gal apple juice, and both had preservatives.... So I went with the kroger brand 100% juice in The amber plastic half gal jugs... But here is what I did

1 gal kroger brand 100% apple juice
2tbsp vanilla extract
1tsp ground nutmeg
1tsp ground cinnamon
2cups brown sugar (packed)

Basically... Put juice, vanilla, and brown sugar in a put and simmer... Not boil... And I don't like grounds floating in my drink and I have read about a snot like mucus occurring when fermenting, so I bought an infuser... Basically at my LHBS I saw what looks like a tennis-ball sized tea infuser for like $3... I put the grounds in a coffee filter, fold it so it looks like a pouch, and pin the with the closing infuser.
I then place it in the simmering pot for about 20 min, stirring occasionally. I taste the solution, and dunk the infuser like a tea bag until I can barely taste the cinnamon... Cause it will taste stronger as it cools. Remove the infuser (DO NOT SQUEEZE THE COFFEE FILTER LIKE A TEA BAG... You'll never taste anything other than cinnamon if u do)
Let cool to room temp and pitch yeast. I used red star Montrachet.
I don't remember my gravity readings, but it was about 10% and I let ferment dry, racked to another jug, and because i like it sweet, back sweetened with an old orchard apple cherry concentrate, and an old orchard apple concentrate. And cold crashes for two weeks in the fridge.

Was awesome... The only sad thing is, it took so long to make and me and my friend killed it in a night :-(
Gonna start a 5gal batch this weekend! :)
 
I did this once with blueberry pie by accident ( got done bottling some wine, had a few to many and used the same equipment to bottle the pie) woke up to corks flying across the living room. Had to uncork them and placed tin foil on top.
I let them ferment out and they were absolutely delicious and highly intoxicating.
 
I have only had Apple pie (the drink with everclear) once but I liked it. I'm looking for a recipe my wife will drink and this just might be the one.
 
Do you add everclear before cold crashing? That would work right? I might try that or a spiced rum with half of it just to experiment. I'm fairly new to homebrewing, will the concentrates you add allow it to carbonate a bit after fermenting dry and if so should I just let it sit a day before putting it in the fridge and killing the yeast?
 
I don't add everclear to this. This is what I made to add to everclear, but I fermented it instead.
And yes u could use to concentrates to carb, by letting it sit for two or three day some say up to a week before cold crashing
 
Ok, thanks. I'm going to try a gallon batch of this to try it and then when my ginger beer is done and I have my bigger fermenter open I will maybe do a larger batch. All I am changing is using fresh pressed Apple juice rather than from Kroger but it should be the same. I have just under 90 Apple trees to pick from out to my uncle's house so hard cider every year is a must. Usually I just ferment it until it stops bubbling then add suger to sweeten it back up before I drink it but I want to get more into homebrewing this year and find some real recipes.
 
I'm going to start a large batch of this next week but I want to use an actual cider yeast they have at my LHBS... And think ill take a gal and try my hand at bottle carbing for the first time. Let u know how it turns out
 
Let me know what you do for bottling. Will you have to pasteurize it? This recipe looks very good!
 
I started a five gallon batch of this I have never added sugar to my hard cider and wasnt prepaired for it bubbling up so much. It filled my airlock and spilled over so I took the airlock of and cleaned it out. I set a glass of water over the hole to try to keep air out when I did it but I'm worried it will go bad. Should I open it and take some out or maybe try to get a plastic tube and stick one end in a bucket of water instead of the airlock. Or is it to late for it now that I have pulled the airlock out to clean it? I just started it 2 days ago. Thanks for any and all advice it will be appreciated.
 
It shouldn't be bad. I mean I will open a batch of whatever I'm making occasionally, for one reason or another. Honestly if it was that strong of a ferment, that hole was pushing air out of the bucket, not letting anything in.
Only once have I had a blowout though. On a gal batch of strawberry wine that was set for 17% and using champagne yeast.

How big is ur primary?
What yeast?
How long was the airlock off?
 
Oh and I started a 5 gal batch of this about a week and a half ago. Used Nottingham yeast... Still bubbles every few seconds. But that's kinda normal for this stuff lol
 
There is only about a half inch between the top of the cider and the lid. I had the airlock off for about a minute is all. I did end up putting a piece of tubing in the rubber stopper instead of the airlock and sticking the other end in a bucket of water but it don't appear to be doing anything now, I don't even see bubbles. I used a Champaign yeast in it, I used the same yeast in my other two five gallon batches and they are ok but I didn't add sugar to those ones though. One of them is a six gallon bucket so I guess I should have done the Apple pie recipe in that one so it had room to bubble. All part of the learning process I guess.
 
I always leave some head room for primary ferment. U may want to leave a little more room next time.
Take a gravity reading.
I'd say if the gravity is still high either add som energiser or maybe re-pitch some yeast... It shouldn't have stopped completely
 
When I pulled the tube out there was clearly pressure in there and the airlock started bubbling right away when I stuck it back on. I guess I just couldn't see the bubbles in the apple cider carton that I filled with water and stuck the other end of the tube into. I forgot to take a gravity reading when I started which is a bummer. It is still bubbling away strong though.
 
I'm getting ready to bottle this plus 10 gallons of another recipe, it's all hard cider though. I have not back sweetened with juice concentrated before and I'm not sure how much to use so it will carbonate in the bottles but not explode. Or will it be ok if I put it in the fridge because that kills the yeast. How much should I use for five gallons and how long should I wait before I put it in the fridge. I know you said you let it sit two weeks in the fridge but I won't be able to drink this all very fast at the end of the two weeks since there is 15 gallons of it. I like it highly carbonated add long add it don't explode.
 
justineaton said:
Or will it be ok if I put it in the fridge because that kills the yeast.

Please note, the fridge won't kill yeast, just make them dormant. If you take a bottle out of the fridge and it warms up, the yeast will become active again....and eat your priming sugar. When you back sweeten, you need to add Camden and potassium sorbate to suppress yeast production so the yeast don't eat your priming sugar.
 
Will that stop it from carbonating all together though? I am sure there is a thread on it here somewhere I will see what I can dig up. Thanks for the advise
 
justineaton said:
Will that stop it from carbonating all together though? I am sure there is a thread on it here somewhere I will see what I can dig up. Thanks for the advise

Technically no. I think the CYA answer is no, it suppressed yeast growth, not kill them so the existing yeast will continue to eat until they die. The real world experience I have seen has me acting as though any fermentation of back sweetening sugar is negligible.
 
Ok I did some digging and it seems like one frozen juice concentrate in five gallons is about right as far as priming but it's probably not sweet enough for the cider, I am considering adding one frozen juice concentrate and some non fermentable sweetener or adding two-three frozen juice concentrates and doing this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/easy-stove-top-pasteurizing-pics-193295/
 
I have a few bail top bottles I can fill and use to keep an eye on carbonation levels and then pasturize when they are perfect. Since I don't really have fridge space for 15 gallons worth of bottles I think this is the route I am going to take
 
I honestly wouldn't know where to begin to tell u how to bottle carb this... I've never tried I usually drink it flat. I was going to experiment with bottling this the around. I was thinking I'd just cold crash about 4 gal of it and use the fifth to experiment with carbing. Mine is about ready to do so as well, so I'll try some this weekend and let u know how things go
 
Ok I did some digging and it seems like one frozen juice concentrate in five gallons is about right as far as priming but it's probably not sweet enough for the cider, I am considering adding one frozen juice concentrate and some non fermentable sweetener or adding two-three frozen juice concentrates and doing this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/easy-stove-top-pasteurizing-pics-193295/

This is the easiest way if your going to back sweeten the batch just make sure to fill a plastic soda bottle to check the carbination level or your going to have bottke bombs
 
Well I finaly started drinking this last night. I forgot to take a gravity reading when I started it so I don't know how strong it is but it is strong. I did all my cider in five gallon batches and this recipe is the third batch I have opened so I have had enough to play around a bit and realize I don't like it sweetened and prefer it flat which makes it easy to bottle up and not worry about carbonation levels. I thought this had almost a Carmel flavor to it and was very tasty. It was by far the best recipe I have tried so far, thanks for sharing!
 
I notice it has a bit of sweetness to it even though it has been weeks since I have seen a bubble and it is completely flat. No pressure in my bottles this morning either. Perhaps my alcohol content surpassed my yeasts tolerance level of it. I guess it is the carbonation I don't like not sweetness, if I bottle some later on I think I will use les sugar in the recipe then lightly sweeten it and pasturise right away before it can carbonate or maybe just use
 
I've been experimenting with making apple pie flavor but haven't gotten it quite right. This helps a lot. can't wait to try!
 
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