Cider recipe critique
- Thread starter KBradt83
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TechFanMD
Well-Known Member
The second most important part of the recipe is missing. You've got fermentables - what yeast are you going to use?
TechFanMD
Well-Known Member
When you say 'fuller bodied' do you mean mouthfeel or alcohol?
1 can of apple juice concentrate is meant to make 48oz of juice (12oz can + 3 cans water). You're adding half of it to 1 gallon of water which is 128oz (so a VERY VERY weak apple juice.....6oz juice in 128oz water which is 1:21 instead of 12oz juice in 36oz water which is 1:3) then adding DME and raisins. The DME will add some body/alcohol/fermentables and some body, and the raisins may add a bit to the fermentables but I'd guess more to the flavor profile than anything.
Back of napkin math coming.....don't kill me if I'm wrong:
That apple juice made per the instructions would have an OG around 1.050 give or take. Using your ratio of FAJC to water ratio, the 'juice' will be around 0.150 SG (1/7th the gravity of juice made per instructions).
Ignoring juice for a second: for an OG around 1.040 you'd need ~ 1lb of DME per gallon of water. Your 'water' portion is really apple juice at 0.15, so I'd say you need closer to 1lb of DME/gallon instead OR make the apple juice full strength and calculate DME from there......otherwise this is going to be really thin and really low in alcohol. If you use pound of DME/gallon of weak juice you'll be at around 1.055 + raisins (depends on what DME you have as well). This would be more like beer with some apple flavor.
As for the raisins.....I can't speak to what they'll add but I don't think they'll give up their sugar easily and won't add a large amount of fermentables.
I could be wrong here, but it seems low in sugars to me.
Have you checked out the Man I love Apfelwein post? It might be a place to read through and see what some others have done to take a known recipe to make a very very dry cider and add flavor and body to it.
1 can of apple juice concentrate is meant to make 48oz of juice (12oz can + 3 cans water). You're adding half of it to 1 gallon of water which is 128oz (so a VERY VERY weak apple juice.....6oz juice in 128oz water which is 1:21 instead of 12oz juice in 36oz water which is 1:3) then adding DME and raisins. The DME will add some body/alcohol/fermentables and some body, and the raisins may add a bit to the fermentables but I'd guess more to the flavor profile than anything.
Back of napkin math coming.....don't kill me if I'm wrong:
That apple juice made per the instructions would have an OG around 1.050 give or take. Using your ratio of FAJC to water ratio, the 'juice' will be around 0.150 SG (1/7th the gravity of juice made per instructions).
Ignoring juice for a second: for an OG around 1.040 you'd need ~ 1lb of DME per gallon of water. Your 'water' portion is really apple juice at 0.15, so I'd say you need closer to 1lb of DME/gallon instead OR make the apple juice full strength and calculate DME from there......otherwise this is going to be really thin and really low in alcohol. If you use pound of DME/gallon of weak juice you'll be at around 1.055 + raisins (depends on what DME you have as well). This would be more like beer with some apple flavor.
As for the raisins.....I can't speak to what they'll add but I don't think they'll give up their sugar easily and won't add a large amount of fermentables.
I could be wrong here, but it seems low in sugars to me.
Have you checked out the Man I love Apfelwein post? It might be a place to read through and see what some others have done to take a known recipe to make a very very dry cider and add flavor and body to it.
Let me take a step back. The FAJC is for back sweetening. My base will be either a cider blend from a local orchard or just Kirkland apple juice.
My ABV should be around 7%. The ciders I make now are lacking depth and taste empty. I'm trying to find a good recipe to add something to the middle.
My ABV should be around 7%. The ciders I make now are lacking depth and taste empty. I'm trying to find a good recipe to add something to the middle.
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
I think your math is wrong.
He's using apple juice as the base, not water.
So off the top of my head I think it'll start around 1.055 (from the juice), the DME will add 15-20 points and the FAJC will add 20-30 points so it'll be around 1.095, ignoring the raisins.
TechFanMD
Well-Known Member
He’s not using apple juice. As my post mentioned and calculated - he is using frozen apple juice concentrate made much much weaker than the instructions (about 1/7th the normal mix rate).
bucketnative
Well-Known Member
bucketnative
Well-Known Member
See the first quote, he clearly states that he is using apple juice/sweet cider as a base.
TechFanMD
Well-Known Member
I swear it said water earlier......ignore everything I said. Yes, that added to a base of Juice will be much higher in alcohol....
now as to why I see the word juice and read 'water' I have no idea.
now as to why I see the word juice and read 'water' I have no idea.
