Cranberry/Apple Cider

[truck1985]

I am considering making a cranberry/apple cider. I want a dry yet refreshing cider with a hint of (albeit strong hint) of cranberries. I cannot find an actual recipe for cranberry/apple cider so I am weighing my options. I am considering making an apple cider using fresh cranberries in primary or secondary (keeping the berries in a mesh BIAB type bag) though I am not sure which way would work best. My second option is making two separate ciders and blending the two together. I have a basic apple that I really enjoy and I feel will work well with either option but am wondering which method would work best for what I am trying to get. Any guidance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MarkKF]

Something like this:
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1450235087.601187.jpg
I just get a big bag of craisins, chop them up in the food processor and add them to the primary.

 

[Evilgrin]

I made a small batch with fresh cranberries that ended up with just a hint of carbonation and semi sweet. Everyone that tried it really liked it. I fermented dry and back sweetened with cran-apple juice and honey which also brought the ABV down quite a bit.

Craisuns contain sunflower oil so i avoid them for wines.

 

[MarkKF]

What does the sunflower oil do? Do raisin have sunflower oil also?

 

[Evilgrin]

What does the sunflower oil do? Do raisin have sunflower oil also?

It keeps them from sticking together but offers no benefit in wine. Dried cranberries at natural food stores are often just dried cranberries and maybe some sugar added.

The raisins i get have nothing but raisins listed in the ingredients.

 

[MarkKF]

Ivd looked at several brands and I'll I've seen are cranberries, sugar, corn sugar or Sucralose. No oils listed.

 

[JimRausch]

I add 1 lb. of fresh frozen crushed cranberries to my Graf(5G batch). I usually add them to the primary bucket about 1 week into fermentation when things are starting to slow down. They float, so I just leave them there and siphon underneath them when I rack carboy for conditioning. 1 lb yields a beautiful light ruby color and a little tartness that counterbalances the sweetness from the malt.

 

[Evilgrin]

Ivd looked at several brands and I'll I've seen are cranberries, sugar, corn sugar or Sucralose. No oils listed.

Note that my response was to Craisins by Ocean Spray.

Click the nutritional facts on the page
http://www.oceanspray.ca/Products/C...ries/Craisins-Original-Dried-Cranberries.aspx

Ive got a cheap bag of Great Value brand right here too. Both have sunflower oil listed.

 

[truck1985]

Thanks everybody for the ideas. I think I'll go with fruit in primary. I usually use a champagne yeast with the base recipe I use, but would like something that won't cause quite as high an ABC and will carbonate nicely when bottled (I don't have a keg setup yet, maybe in a year or two). What would you guys recommend?

 

[MarkKF]

Notty or S-04. Brewers Best Cider House Select if you can find it. I've never been disappointed with them.

 

[Evilgrin]

I used 71B and a pound of fresh cranberries (crushed) in a gallon carboy. Cooked the cranberries on low heat with enough water to cover and 1.5 cups of sugar. Strained the mixture and added the strained liquid to the cider. Fermented dry, stabilize and back sweeten with a quart of cran-apple juice.

Cold crashed for about 3 days and bottled. Turned out excellent and cleared nicely.

I used a similar method with 3 cups of wild blackberries, Montrachet and AJ concentrate. It turns out very attractive.

 

[madscientist451]

I'd make a dry base cider and use frozen cranberry juice to backsweeten/flavor the cider.
With some tasting trials you should be able to fine tune the flavor profile you are looking for.

 

[mammachick]

I just made a 1 gallon batch I used Montrachet yeast, 64 oz ocean spray 100% cranberry juice and 64 oz organic apple juice, and 1/4 tea yeast nutrient. I wanted it to have kick so I added 2 cups sugar. I am a newby but I figure the only way to learn is to keep trying and to take detailed notes on successes and failures. Hopefully this will turn out well. Good luck!

 

[Evilgrin]

The Montrachet seemed good with the blackberry and apple. I plan on trying it again with cran-apple. Ive got another cran-apple going now with Brewers best cider house yeast. Not sure if im too thrilled with it yet. It hasn't cleared as well as 71B or Montrachet.

 

[MarkKF]

Brewers Best Ciderhouse Select doesn't clear quickly but it will clear if that's important to you. It does have great flavor and no off odors.

 

[drhall23]

What hops are using? Dry hop?

 

[Bender]

Try making Ed Wort's Apfelwein, but leave out 1/2 gallon of juice and add 5 cans of this.

 

[Evilgrin]

Welch's Cranberry cocktail concentrate

Ingredients:
Corn Syrup, Water, Cranberry Juice Concentrate, Sugar, Grape Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Old Orchard cranberry blend concentrate.

Ingredients:
Apple juice concentrate, filtered water, cranberry juice concentrate, aronia berry juice concentrate, natural flavors, citric acid, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).


I just did a small test batch with the Old Orchard instead because im not fond of corn syrup being at the top of the ingredient list or the added sugar.

 

[Bender]

Welch's Cranberry cocktail concentrate

Ingredients:
Corn Syrup, Water, Cranberry Juice Concentrate, Sugar, Grape Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Old Orchard cranberry blend concentrate.

Ingredients:
Apple juice concentrate, filtered water, cranberry juice concentrate, aronia berry juice concentrate, natural flavors, citric acid, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

Sounds good. Welsh's is what's available around here so it's that or nothing.

 

[Evilgrin]

I normally add mine to back sweeten because i ferment dry. If added to the primary, the Welchs is certainly worth a shot. I took a quick sample when i added the concentrate and i still prefer the fresh cranberry mash i used on my first batch. I wont know for sure until this one has some more time in the secondary.

 

[Bender]

I normally add mine to back sweeten because i ferment dry. If added to the primary, the Welchs is certainly worth a shot. I took a quick sample when i added the concentrate and i still prefer the fresh cranberry mash i used on my first batch. I wont know for sure until this one has some more time in the secondary.

The cranberry makes it pretty acidic and it takes forever to start fermenting and it's a slow fermentation. I let it ferment out, rack to a bottling bucket and add priming sugar and bottle. Like all Apfelwein it need to age to taste decent. I give it at least 6 mo.

 

[drhall23]

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