Cider friendly apps

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SquatchFoot

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Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for iphone/ipad brewing apps that work good for ciders, as far as ingredients, procedures, etc... I know they're all geared towards beer, but I'm thinking some must be better at handling cider recipes than others.

Thanks!
 
Well, I'm not sure about apps but the app for this site and this forum as well as the recipe forum is for this. Also there is an app for the forum as well, I don't known of that's what you are usingbalread ;)
 
But it's only a calc so it won't be as useful. My suggestion is to comb through the forum here and just absorb :)
 
Thanks for the replies!

I was thinking about getting something like Brew Pal, iBrewmaster or Beersmith and was wondering if anyone had any experience with them as far as what might work best for cider.
 
Hi Sqatchfoot and welcome. I guess I am a Luddite but what apps or calculators would you need for cider-making? You take apple juice and if it is not UV pasteurized you add 1 campden tab for each gallon. After 24 hours you pitch a wine or ale yeast. You measure the gravity and when it falls to about 1.005 you rack and allow to age 1- 12 months. If you want to drink the cider after 3 months you may want to rack again after 2 months. if you want to allow the cider to age longer then you rack every 2 to 3 months. Taste the cider. If it is not sharp enough add acid blend (see instructions). If it is not bitter enough add tannin (or age on oak). The best "app" is your experience and your mouth - and eyes (if you are looking for a bright clear cider).
Apple juice from pressed apples will probably have a specific gravity of about 1.045 or thereabouts (that's about 5 percent ABV when fully fermented). One pound of sugar (or honey or maple syrup or agave juice) will increase the gravity of one US gallon by about .040 (that will make the cider a wine).
Any single packet of wine yeast (sold dry ) will ferment every last gram of sugar in 5-6 gallons of juice without blinking. Different strains of yeast will bring out and produce different flavor notes in the same apple juice.
To make a sweet cider you allow the cider to ferment dry and then after several rackings you add k-meta and K-sorbate . That acts like a contraceptive for any remaining yeast to prevent them from budding (reproducing) and then you add the amount of sugar you want to sweeten the cider to your taste. How much sugar? only you can know - no app can tell you how sweet you want your cider.
To make a sparkling cider you allow the cider to ferment dry and then you add about 1 ounce of sugar for each gallon of liquid. You bottle immediately and about two weeks later that cider will be sparkling. It won't have a head 'coz cider ain't beer and there are no large protein molecules to form a net to trap the CO2. It will fizz like champagne.
Cider (and wine) has fewer moving parts than beer. Beer might benefit from apps and calculators. Wine and cider benefits from your eyes and your mouth: what does it look like? How does it taste? You don't "paint by numbers".
 
Thanks Bernard, I guess I'm just looking for something to keep a record of what I've made so if I like it I can recreate it. I am a beginner and am experimenting with different recipes. Although the recipes I've found are all pretty simple, they are all a little different and I'd like to have notes on these different batches so I can recall what yeasts, additives, gravities, etc.. worked well for me.

It could easily be done on paper, I just have seen that there are some pretty cool looking apps out there for beer and was wondering if any worked well for cider as well. I have searched the forum and haven't found much on it, probably because of the reasons you stated Bernard, but the apps are kind of expensive so I figured I'd throw it out there.
 
the best way to keep track of your ciders is to use a notebook, that way you can splatter the sh!t on there, make some memories, and you don't have to buy a new one because it got wet. I still have mine from when I started brewing and making cider and i can recall many great and not so great times with fondness. Besides, how can you pass down the "Family Cider" Recipe to your grandkids if it's all in the cloud? i'm one for sharing but some things are worth keeping.

:tank::tank: it's friday!!! :tank::tank:
 
For every carboy I fill I write out my ingredients and processes and keep that sheet in a plastic envelope fastened to the carboy. I will add my tasting notes when I bottle and then remove the sheet from the envelop and file in a 3 ring binder (but as I say I am a Luddite (although I teach online)) - but you could just as easily create a spreadsheet or a word file either on your computer or as Google doc etc. But in my opinion, liquid and computers do not mix well...
 
I'm not sure if you are still looking for a cider tracking app. I just released mine on Google Play. Its called Cider Tracker.

Not going to include a link so dont consider it spam. I built it to help me track all my test batches. Its not a finished product because im still brewing!

I hope it helps.
 
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