Cover me, I'm going in! - Caramel Apple Hard Cider

[Requiemm]

I finally got my Brewer's Best kit and the ingrdients so I'm going to try to make this recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=4477665&postcount=420 as my first brew.

EDIT: In my excitement I forgot to add some details. I plan to allow this to go for about 2 weeks in primary then add the caramel syrup and FAJC to flavor and backsweeten. Figure on using 16oz grolsch type bottles for bottling. Couple of days carbing with test soda bottles and then a stove top pasteurize session.

Should I seperate out some to be a still cider?

Wish me luck, I'll post updates as it goes.

 

[passedpawn]

Good luck!

 

[Requiemm]

Thanks! I can't believe I'm this excited to clean the kitchen, but Mrs. Requiemm decreed that needed to be done before I was allowed to clean and sanitize the new set.

 

[passedpawn]

Thanks! I can't believe I'm this excited to clean the kitchen, but Mrs. Requiemm decreed that needed to be done before I was allowed to clean and sanitize the new set.

Of course you're excited. You've somehow stumbled onto the greatest hobby ever. And, it gets better and better. Prepare to become totally obsessed.

 

[Requiemm]

So it's sealed in the bucket now. Here's what I did:

Opened 1 bottle of Wellesly Farm apple juice, got a gravity reading of 1.0590. adjusted for temp.

Poured first 2 bottles of juice into my 6.5 gal fermenter.

Opened bottles 3 and 4 of apple juice. Poured half of each bottle into fermenter. Added 1 pound dextrose per bottle to the remaining amount of apple juice in bottles 3 and 4. Shook bottles like crazy to mix sugar and apple juice. Then added bottles 3 and 4 into fermenter followed by bottles 5 and 6. New OG of 1.0633

Added nutrient and then the Nottingham. Followed by last 2 bottles, capped fermenter, added airlock and then placed in my spare bedroom.

This is the point where I realized that the original recipe only called for 7 96 oz bottles not 8. Please tell me the extra bottle won't throw off the recipe....

 

[passedpawn]

Whatever you do, don't worry. If you worry, you'll ruin EVERYTHING.

Zen. Fermentation is zen, and zen is fermentation. When it starts bubbling through the airlock, count bubbles until the world goes away, and it's just you and the yeast. Yeast is alive, you grew them, be proud. Your own little colony, building your precious brew.

You'll see. Thank me later.

 

[GrogNerd]

heck yes, it throws it off

you're making 6 gallons instead of 5.25

you'll have to suck it up and drink an extra 3 quarts, you poor bastid

 

[Requiemm]

Thanks guys, both replies made me laugh.

 

[Requiemm]

We have bubbles!!

Unfortunately, I don't have a 6 gallon carboy so I had to make this in my 6.5lb bucket. As a result I can't see anything. This means seeing bubbles in the airlock makes me a happy camper. About 1 bubble per second at the moment.

 

[WilliamSlayer]

Of course you're excited. You've somehow stumbled onto the greatest hobby ever. And, it gets better and better. Prepare to become totally obsessed.

I completely agree! TRY not to stress too much, and enjoy the amazing process. Cheers!

 

[Gavin C]

I finally got my Brewer's Best kit and the ingrdients so I'm going to try to make this recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=4477665&postcount=420 as my first brew.

EDIT: In my excitement I forgot to add some details. I plan to allow this to go for about 2 weeks in primary then add the caramel syrup and FAJC to flavor and backsweeten. Figure on using 16oz grolsch type bottles for bottling. Couple of days carbing with test soda bottles and then a stove top pasteurize session.

Should I seperate out some to be a still cider?

Wish me luck, I'll post updates as it goes.

A chara

Fáilte romhat go HBT.

Best of luck with your first brew.

Is mise le meas

GC

 

[YeastMode]

Hey, good for you. I made that recipe as my first cider and it was a excellent. Here is a suggestion, take a few bottles and put them away in a cool, dark place (preferably in a box or plastic container if you are carbing in the bottle) and forget about them. Then, grab one every few months, chill it down, and give it a try. The difference over just a short period is remarkable, and after 6 months it had a remarkably distinct profile.

 

[Requiemm]

Almost exactly 4 days in so I took a reading. It's already down to 1.012 @ 78 degrees.

Current plan is to let it go down to 1.000 then back sweeten. Quick tast test was still pretty sweet. I hope I can stay patient enough to let the yeasties finish their meal.

Yeastmode, I'll do my best. Pretty sure I can hide a couple bottles in a dark place.

Gavin C - Go raibh maith agat mo chara.

 

[Requiemm]

Ok, 1.010 today. At this point I think I'll be bottling on Saturday or Sunday.

 

[Newsman]

If you want more al-key-hall, add some more sugar now, otherwise just leave it be! Trust me on this... there WILL be alcohol in there!

 

[Requiemm]

SG dropped to 1.005 so I backsweetened with the caramel syrup and 3 cans FCAJ.

Filled 4 64oz growlers and stovetop pasteurized them for still cider. The rest went into 12 32oz grolsch type flip tops along with 4 20oz diet DR. Pepper bottles. THese will be allowed to carbonate then be pasteurized.

SWMBO was quite surprised at how smooth it was right out of the bottling bucket. Need to add a bit more spice next time as it seems to be very faint.

 

[Michigan_Wolfman]

Sounds like a successful brew session. Keep calm and brew on!

 

[Requiemm]

OK, successfully pasteurized all 12 grolsch bottles without any bombs. I had already immediately pasteurized the growlers as they were staying still.

So far I like it and my wife seems to like it, but the big test will be this coming weekend when I debut it to some of my best friends at a party this weekend.

Now to decide what to brew next?

 

[MindenMan]

Generally speaking the flavor of the spices will increase before they decrease, just a thought...

 

[summerofgeorge]

Almost exactly 4 days in so I took a reading. It's already down to 1.012 @ 78 degrees.

Any issues fermenting this at 78*? That's about where we keep the house in the summer but I thought this would be too high. The basement is a little cooler but I thought that might still be too high.

 

[Requiemm]

Any issues fermenting this at 78*? That's about where we keep the house in the summer but I thought this would be too high. The basement is a little cooler but I thought that might still be too high.

According to the folk at the party this weekend there was no problem at all. It fermented in a week. Judging by the now empty grolsch bottles it couldn't have been too bad.

 

[summerofgeorge]

Nice! I'm going to try to throw this together this week and leave it in the basement around 70*.

 

[WilliamSlayer]

Lower temps - more flavor in general, but when it comes to spicing your Brew, the game changes a bit. Sounds like a good time was had by all, hope you are planning your next Brew!