Blackberry Cider doesnt taste like blackberries...

[Zzyzx]

5 gallons apple cider + 5 lbs blackberries = gloriously dark red cider, but it barely has the slightest hint of blackberries.

any one have berry related advice? Maybe up the berry content of the next batch to 10lbs?

 

[zoebisch01]

If you put it in for the bulk of the initial ferment, I believe it 'scrubs' out much of the flavor. Anything that gets fermented rarely tastes like what it began life as. The trick is to either after primary fermentation has wound down to add them, or to arrest fermentation via Campden/etc or Pasteurization and then add flavoring etc.

By the way..."Welcome to the forums"

 

[Zzyzx]

The blackberries were added in the secondary and the added fermentables kicked off a secondary fermentation. It was racked off the fruit last weekend which is when I got my 1st taste.

I've done fruited beers before with good success. I'm just supprised how apple cidery the brew still is.

Next batch i'll try something different.

 

[Melana]

let it rest... flavor can develop with time.

 

[zoebisch01]

The blackberries were added in the secondary and the added fermentables kicked off a secondary fermentation. It was racked off the fruit last weekend which is when I got my 1st taste.

I've done fruited beers before with good success. I'm just supprised how apple cidery the brew still is.

Next batch i'll try something different.

Hmm, interesting. I'd would have guessed with a lb/gal that in the secondary that you would have had something there (at least a hint of flavor ) which is why I made the suggestion that I did. In that case, possibly shoot up the amount of blackberry next time. Better yet, consider getting a few 1 gallon jugs and making a few experiments .

 

[Zzyzx]

heh, an upside to this would be now I have an incentive to brew more...

 

[david_42]

Sweeten the batch a little. I like to toss in some campden tablets and add a couple pints of juice. I've got acres of blackberries and have gone as high as two gallons of berries with 5 gallons of apple juice, but it still needed the sweetening.

 

[Zzyzx]

Thanks for the Ideas guys. Racked to to a tertiary and added 5 more LBS of black berries. Figured another month or so of waiting wont kill me.


Oh, and I used Ale yeast rather then champagne.

 

[zoebisch01]

Thanks for the Ideas guys. Racked to to a tertiary and added 5 more LBS of black berries. Figured another month or so of waiting wont kill me.


Oh, and I used Ale yeast rather then champagne.

I have mentioned this before, but I have used 3 methods this year. 1) Ale 2)Wine and 3)Natural. I am waiting to see the results. So far it looks as if they are all roughly finishing at the same gravity (1.000)

 

[cbrychcy]

5 gallons apple cider + 5 lbs blackberries = gloriously dark red cider, but it barely has the slightest hint of blackberries.

any one have berry related advice? Maybe up the berry content of the next batch to 10lbs?

I was just curious, did you add any sugar to this recipie????

 

[RobWalker]

They will finish at the same gravity providing there's adequate yeast because it'll eat the cider dry. Some people swear that cutting fermentation early and retaining some of the fruit sugar is the secret to great flavour...

 

[Bookem15]

Try using some pectic enzyme with your berries it helps add the flavor of the berries. That is what my LHBS told me. Just my .02