Cider types?

[CMcPherson]

What are the most common styles of hard cider?
I see references to hefeweizen here in this forum but isn't that a style of beer?

 

[MarkKF]

For me....just cider, plus Peaches, plus craisins and plus POM juice.
Still and carbed.

 

[dmtaylor]

Well, you've heard there's two primary kinds of beer: lager and ale. Right.

In similar fashion, there are also two primary kinds of cider: crap cider and real cider.

Crap cider is what you can buy at every supermarket. Real cider is harder to find commercially, but is what you'll make if you make your own at home.

As for styles, there's "common cider" or "New World cider" made from supermarket apples. Then there's "New England" which has added sugars and/or raisins. Also applewine, made with a lot of extra sugars. Then there's different types of Canandian (ice cider), English, French, and Spanish ciders most commonly. Also some Germans. Many of these are very difficult or dang near impossible to find in the USA. Hopped cider is another example of what I refer to as "crap cider".

For the official BJCP style guidelines, go here:

http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Cider.pdf

 

[CMcPherson]

For me....just cider, plus Peaches, plus craisins and plus POM juice.
Still and carbed.

That sounds good. I've looked at quite a few flavored ciders and will begin giving some of them a try.
I am wondering more about the 'style' of brew.
It seems that there are some cider/beer hybrids even? Is that true?
I obviously know very little about home/micro brewing. If I'm in the mood for an attitude adjustment, it's Bourbon or Gin. If I do order a beer, it's a Bud for a shot chaser.
So... this whole deal with Bocks, IPA's, Hefeweizen... it's all gone right over my head.

 

[dmtaylor]

A blend of apple cider and beer (made that way in the fermenter) is often called graff. I make a pretty decent one, has done very well in competitions including a 2nd Best of Show. Recipe here:

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=71478&p=662452&hilit=smoked+harvest#p662452

A lot of people like the smoked malt character. Personally, I do not. I won't be using smoked malt anymore. But if you do think you'll like it, try it. The key to brewing this recipe is really to brew 2 gallons of beer, and then add a gallon of cider at the end of the boil of the wort to make the total 3 gallons that the recipe calls for. If you want more than 3 gallons, double the ingredients or whatever.

If you want to get educated on cider at all, well.... the best way is just to make your own. Your own will be better than anything you can buy, and it is also the easiest thing on the planet to ferment. Buy a gallon jug of apple juice, remove a few ounces of it for some head space, add a pack of dry Cote des Blancs yeast, and let it sit for a month or two. Done. Easy as that.

 

[CMcPherson]

Thank you dmtaylor!! The style guidelines is exactly what I was looking for.
I agree and will be keeping it *very* simple for now but I'm already looking over the horizon.