Apple schnapps into the mix?

[yerbabie]

Hi All,

I've got an apple cider on the go at the moment, started from scratch, juiced and strained, heated etc, Anyhow most people suggest adding additional flavouring prior to bottling but I can't find anything local. My local home brew shop has nothing other than Apple Schnapps Liquer for adding to Wiskey / Vodka etc.

The brew is looking pretty good at the moment colour wise and had been bubbling away like a trooper, so I'd rather not kill it if I can avoid it, but I also Don't want to bottle it and it to be flavourless.

It does not look like it contains anything that would kill the yeast Just 422, 1520 and some colours.

Good idea, Bad idea? try it in a few bottles?

 

[yerbabie]

I guess thats a no then....

 

[spearmintskies]

Why do you think it would be flavorless if you started from straight fresh apples?

 

[MetalMatt408]

Amazon. I found apple raspberry and blackberry extracts with free two day shipping thanks to prime :rockin:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QXKQN8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[yerbabie]

Why do you think it would be flavorless if you started from straight fresh apples?

I guess I'm only going on what the majority of articles say, that adding extra flavour / extract helps prior to bottling. It's my first time working from scratch.

 

[yerbabie]

Amazon. I found apple raspberry and blackberry extracts with free two day shipping thanks to prime :rockin:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QXKQN8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I'm in Tasmania (Australia), I'll keep digging about locally and see if I can find something better. if not I guess it wont hurt to run it through a few bottles... never know I may be onto a winner....

 

[MindenMan]

Unless you are planning on making a very dry cider, apple juice concentrate will fortify the flavor at bottling; anything that adds a touch of sweetness will really fortify the natural flavor. I am the only cider maker I know of that uses a touch of apricot extract at bottling to brighten up the apple flavor. Unless you tell someone there is apricot in there, most people never detect it. Pear juice in minimal quantity will add a light "green apple flavor". Depending upon what yeast you used and the temperature you fermented at, a couple of months in the bottle will really improve the apple flavor.

 

[globell]

Unless you are planning on making a very dry cider, apple juice concentrate will fortify the flavor at bottling; anything that adds a touch of sweetness will really fortify the natural flavor. I am the only cider maker I know of that uses a touch of apricot extract at bottling to brighten up the apple flavor. Unless you tell someone there is apricot in there, most people never detect it. Pear juice in minimal quantity will add a light "green apple flavor". Depending upon what yeast you used and the temperature you fermented at, a couple of months in the bottle will really improve the apple flavor.

Do you use canned pear juice or fres or from concentrate?

 

[MindenMan]

The pear juice I use in found in the "baby" section, I have never found concentrate where I live. When it comes to adding flavors one has to be careful the flavor does not overtake the desired flavor of the product. Too much "apple flavor" usually gives a phony Jolly Rancher sour green apple candy taste, but a small amount will "brighten" the apple flavor. A very small amount of apricot flavor is nice too. Added flavors will strengthen over the course of a few months, and then settle down, so if it tastes great at bottling time in three months it may not.

 

[globell]

How much juice do you add per gallon of the pear and does it taste like pear or just add a little something extra to the body of the cider? I'm looking to find a pear flavour overall with cider base for at least one gallon (for friend who loves perry)

 

[MindenMan]

Commercial perry's are not always 100% pear juice, most are apple based from I can find. Pears naturally contain sorbitol which adds a bit of sweetness and even a little mouth feel.To me, sometimes pears add a tiny bit of "green apple" flavor to the juices they are added to. It really depends on the quality/strength of the pear juice you use when added to an apple base. Sometimes 50/50 and sometimes 75/25 pear to apple. Considering the fact that many "pear juices" have a significant portion of apple juice as a base it is going to be up to you what ratio you use.

 

[Hankhill11]

I made a 5 gallon batch of 75% 'gerber' brand pair juice (baby section). That was bottled on 5/30/2016 and has been super delicious since then. It is getting better and better, and the pear flavor is starting to get stronger finally. I think in a lot of folks experience the fruit flavors may be somewhat absent up front with most ciders only to fill back in after a couple months in the bottle.

 

[GHBWNY]

I guess I'm only going on what the majority of articles say, that adding extra flavour / extract helps prior to bottling. It's my first time working from scratch.

With the addition of any artificial flavor extract (AFE), you will have to be careful. That is, a little goes a l-o-n-g way in flavoring your beer. Case in point, I have AFE'd two different 5-gal batches at bottling. The first was 4 oz. of Brewer's Best Apricot Extract in a 5-gal Belgian Wit at bottling. It was "ok" but a little more artificial tasting than I'd hoped for. Apparently, it fooled the crowd because everyone (except me) loved it. The second was 2 oz. of BB Watermelon Extract in 3 gal of American Wheat --- it turned out WAY too artificial/medicinal tasting. If and when I consider another artificial extract addition, I will take a small sample of pre-bottled beer first and with an eyedropper add until I get the desired effect then scale it to the size batch I'm bottling. If you have the means to do it, split your batch via flavored/unflavored, or two different levels of one flavor addition just to give yourself a more likely outcome of drinkable beer. Although discernible from the real thing, AFE's can be beneficial to enhancing without overpowering if done discriminately.