Caramel Apple Hard Cider

[robbyhicks]

The cider stuff would work... as would a higher concentration of the brown sugar, corn sugar, pretty much anything sweet... if your going for carbonated then make sure to stay away from artificial sweetners like stevia or spelnda etc...

its not terrible dry (not back sweetened)

try mixing 2 cups brown sugar and 1.5 cups apple juice and simmer down to 75%ish

 

[jak1010]

I can't seem to find concentrated juice anywhere :/ is there anything else I can use instead? I'm supposed to be adding it in two days...


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You could start with a gallon of juice/cider and do a freeze concentration. Take the gallon and freeze it, turn upside down and let it drip thaw until you have all liquid juice in one container and remaining frozen ice water in the other. Toss the ice and the juice left over will be concentrated.

 

[brewski09]

I would probably go with freeze concentrating a good juice myself. You ends up with about the same thing as we buy here. Good luck.

 

[kalamj]

Do you take the final ready before or after you add the caramel syrup


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[Newsman]

Do you take the final ready before or after you add the caramel syrup


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Before

 

[robbyhicks]

Before for abv... if you want a certain gravity for a back sweeten target you can check again after...

from Windy Wyo

 

[brewski09]

How much gravity points is everyone adding when they back sweeten? Just curious. Thanks.


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[phug]

My target would be to bump it to 1.010 or so


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[j1n]

So thinking about making my own cinnamon extract instead of adding straight cinnamon powder.

I'm going to soak some cinnamon sticks and some powder in vodka. then filter it through a coffee filter and then add it to the caramel and boil off the alcohol.

Does this sound like a good plan? i really do not want those cinnamon floaties in the cider.

 

[Newsman]

So thinking about making my own cinnamon extract instead of adding straight cinnamon powder.

I'm going to soak some cinnamon sticks and some powder in vodka. then filter it through a coffee filter and then add it to the caramel and boil off the alcohol.

Does this sound like a good plan? i really do not want those cinnamon floaties in the cider.

I wouldn't worry about the powder. Just use the sticks.

 

[brewski09]

I used powder only (in rum) and it's fantastic. Make sure whatever you use that it's high quality. If you have a spice shop nearby (we have a penzey's spices here) I would recommend going in and smelling the different cinnamons to make sure you get the right character you are looking for as they are actually different.

 

[kstone803]

I used powder only (in rum) and it's fantastic. Make sure whatever you use that it's high quality. If you have a spice shop nearby (we have a penzey's spices here) I would recommend going in and smelling the different cinnamons to make sure you get the right character you are looking for as they are actually different.

+1 for Penzeys. We don't have a store here but I get all my spices through them mailorder.

 

[Newsman]

So I made a batch of this and took some in aluminum bottles (had to drink the crap that was in them -- UGH!!) to Ohio with me when I went to visit my brother and his fiancee. They loved it. His fiancee asked for the recipe and I just sent it to her. She's a bit concerned that it makes approximately 5 gallosn of cider, but I assured her she could reduce the quantities to 1/5 of what everything calls for (except yeast) and she should make about 1 gallon.

 

[Trulyphe]

What yeast did you use? Looking to start this recipe this weekend and wanted to know what yeast works best for cider.

 

[robbyhicks]

I generally use nottingham ale yeast from Danstar... I've gotten a nice dry cider from using belle saison and not back sweetening...

 

[brewski09]

Nottingham here too

 

[Newsman]

Original recipe calls for Danstar Nottingham. That being said, you're welcome to try any other yeast you want. If you try a different yeast, please report back how well it worked.

 

[j1n]

Just started a batch today. Used Langers Apple juice and cane sugar since i didnt have dextrose and ddint feel like making a trip to the LHBS. I also added DAP to prevent rhino farts. Using Notty yeast as recommended.

 

[BigFloyd]

Just started a batch today. Used Langers Apple juice and cane sugar since i didnt have dextrose and ddint feel like making a trip to the LHBS. I also added DAP to prevent rhino farts. Using Notty yeast as recommended.

No worries using table/cane sugar. It works just fine. Notty is great. Keep it under 66 though.

 

[j1n]

No worries using table/cane sugar. It works just fine. Notty is great. Keep it under 66 though.

I've used Notty once before and fermented at 62 with good results. this time i'm trying it at 60 since i keep hearing lower is cleaner with that yeast.

Yeah, i figured Cane sugar would be OK. i read that sticky where the guy did a bunch of tests and used cane sugar with good results.

Honestly im not really a big fan of cider. This is more for the ladies.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I've used Notty once before and fermented at 62 with good results. this time i'm trying it at 60 since i keep hearing lower is cleaner with that yeast.

Yeah, i figured Cane sugar would be OK. i read that sticky where the guy did a bunch of tests and used cane sugar with good results.

Honestly im not really a big fan of cider. This is more for the ladies.

Yes!! The key to Notty is low and slow, but honestly, I've produced excellent results with fermentation and a clean yeast profile for 5 batches of cider and at least 10 different batches of beer starting with 62, then raising to 65 and then 68, 7 days each. For a total of 3 weeks this produces exceptional results. The key is to not let it get higher than 62 the first week.
As for sugar, I've used dextrose every time but have wanted to try brown sugar. Ive heard many have had great results and it adds a lil sumptin good to the taste profile.
And yes, the ladies love this stuff! As long as u backsweeten it enough (I still use 5 cans FAJC), with vanilla and cinnamon, the apple pie flavor and 7.75% ABV is a big hit!!


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

 

[brewski09]

I had no issues with Notty at 68F. Any particular notes you are worried about or don't like with Notty at that temp?


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[TrustyOlJohnson]

I had no issues with Notty at 68F. Any particular notes you are worried about or don't like with Notty at that temp?


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Its possible, and if you have produced good results, its true, that Notty can have a clean fermentation at that temperature. For me, I really enjoy using Nottingham over any other dry yeasts because, with lower temps, I can produce a clean refeshing beer with no off flavors. Many people on this forum can confirm that Notty will ferment anything!! My first few attempts with kits that included Notty fermented at higher temps (room temps of 68-70) and I had MASSIVE amounts of acetaldehyde. 2 of the 4 batches were undrinkable. Once I got the temps in the low 60's, all the problems went away. Thus, my ferment schedule.


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

 

[j1n]

Yes!! The key to Notty is low and slow, but honestly, I've produced excellent results with fermentation and a clean yeast profile for 5 batches of cider and at least 10 different batches of beer starting with 62, then raising to 65 and then 68, 7 days each. For a total of 3 weeks this produces exceptional results. The key is to not let it get higher than 62 the first week.
As for sugar, I've used dextrose every time but have wanted to try brown sugar. Ive heard many have had great results and it adds a lil sumptin good to the taste profile.
And yes, the ladies love this stuff! As long as u backsweeten it enough (I still use 5 cans FAJC), with vanilla and cinnamon, the apple pie flavor and 7.75% ABV is a big hit!!


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

Didn't think about the vanilla. How much did you add?

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Didn't think about the vanilla. How much did you add?

For a 5 gallon batch I add:
5 cans FAJC
2 cups brown sugar boiled in 2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract

For last Thanksgiving, I added 4 cans frozen Apple and 1 can Cranberry juice concentrate. It was a nice touch.



"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

 

[Newsman]

(snip)
Honestly im not really a big fan of cider. This is more for the ladies.

Yeah..... I took a couple bombers to a former co-worker Saturday night. She drank them all by herself... kept raving about how good it was.

 

[Newsman]

Started another batch last night. OG is approximately 1.076 (corrected, according to a chart I found online.) I have two hydrometers which read a little different so I averaged the two.
I've pitched the yeast. Will Nottingham be able to eat up most of that sugar or do I need to pitch something a bit more alcohol tolerant?

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Started another batch last night. OG is approximately 1.076 (corrected, according to a chart I found online.) I have two hydrometers which read a little different so I averaged the two.
I've pitched the yeast. Will Nottingham be able to eat up most of that sugar or do I need to pitch something a bit more alcohol tolerant?

Notty is a great yeast for this!! Ive used it on every batch. And despite what the literature says, it'll handle up to 12%.


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

 

[Trulyphe]

I made a one gallon batch and then placed it in mason jars and stove top pasteurized it. Damn the back sweeting masks the alcohol taste bit time, you don't notice it until you have taken a few sips of it. Yeah my wife is happy with the outcome.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I made a one gallon batch and then placed it in mason jars and stove top pasteurized it. Damn the back sweeting masks the alcohol taste bit time, you don't notice it until you have taken a few sips of it. Yeah my wife is happy with the outcome.

That 1 gallon is prob not gonna last long!!


"Sometimes Im right half of the time..."