Dave's Carmel Apple Cider

[Soggyfoot]

I didn't get the chance to pick up the supplies for the second batch yet. I've been working 10 hour days and the HB shop isn't open on Sundays.

I didnt realize there was a difference between danstar and whitelabs(thats how new i am to brewing). I will be sure to use the whitelabs for my next batch. Thanks for the tips.

 

[aseelye]

So I've not used campden tabs or this recipe, but how does it carb up if the yeast is halted? Do the tabs just slow the yeast down, and these must be consumed in a certain timeframe or they'll blow?

 

[RelicBrewingSupply]

I didn't get the chance to pick up the supplies for the second batch yet. I've been working 10 hour days and the HB shop isn't open on Sundays.

I didnt realize there was a difference between danstar and whitelabs(thats how new i am to brewing). I will be sure to use the whitelabs for my next batch. Thanks for the tips.

There really isn't other than one is a liquid yeast and one is a dry yeast. I'm not an expert so I couldn't say what could possibly change that would cause this, I'm only reporting on the results in which I had.

 

[xsists]

Hey guys, just a heads up. I brewed this a while back, used about 2 cups of the syrup and 3 frozen juice cans for the 5 gals I had. I entered it in the Mid Winter comp up here in WI and ended up taking 2nd in cider with this recipe. Its damn good stuff!

 

[Bookem15]

Hey guys, just a heads up. I brewed this a while back, used about 2 cups of the syrup and 3 frozen juice cans for the 5 gals I had. I entered it in the Mid Winter comp up here in WI and ended up taking 2nd in cider with this recipe. Its damn good stuff!

So when you added the syrup and 3 cans did it carb alright or was it bottle bomb material? I am trying to make this for the wife and she likes it sweet and carbed. I understand the whole adding the Camden tabs to stop yeast reproduction but will adding the syrup over carb?

 

[slingshot81]

Sounds like a killer recipe! The bombs do worry me a lil though.

 

[Labratbrew]

This is a sweet cider and it tastes just like drinking a caramel apple pie :

Ingredients:
5 Gal. Apple Juice (Treetop or Mott's)
5 – 12 oz. cans of Apple Juice Concentrate
2 lbs. Dextrose
5 campden tablets
12 oz. Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
Nottingham Yeast

Recipe for Cinnamon Dolce Syrup:
2 cups of water
2 cups of brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil, at boil reduce heat and simmer for approx. 5 minutes (until volume is reduced to half). Cool & bottle for future use.

In carboy add 2 gal of apple juice, then add the 2 lbs. of dextrose then swirl (you want to mix the dextrose in well as to dissolve), then top off with the remaining 3 gallons of apple juice, pitch the yeast, sit back and wait.
When the fermentation has ceased and it now looks like apple juice once again, re-rack and add the 5 crushed campden tablets, and let the mix sit for 12-24 hours.
Siphon into your bottling bucket and now add the 12 oz. of Cinnamon Dolce Syrup & the 5 cans of Apple Juice concentrate. Bottle and enjoy.

I've been wanting to make this for a week now but am a little confused on carbing... I put all of my brew straight into a keg.. so do I use both potassium sorbate and campden tablets? Furthermore should I still add the 5 cans of Apple juice concentrate? I'm making this primarily for the girlfriend... And she likes sweet hard Apple cider.

 

[RobbyBeer]

I would skip potassium, but yes to tabs.
And if you want sparkling cider, the concentrate is a yes also. Unless you plan on force carbing.

 

[Labratbrew]

I would skip potassium, but yes to tabs.
And if you want sparkling cider, the concentrate is a yes also. Unless you plan on force carbing.

Thanks!
No force carbing... Was just gonna carb it and let it sit
and age a little

 

[xsists]

So when you added the syrup and 3 cans did it carb alright or was it bottle bomb material? I am trying to make this for the wife and she likes it sweet and carbed. I understand the whole adding the Camden tabs to stop yeast reproduction but will adding the syrup over carb?

Sorry for the late response. I kegged and force carbed mine. The potassium and camden prevent it from fermenting anymore and if you bottle it, it will just be still cider.

 

[RelicBrewingSupply]

Sorry for the late response. I kegged and force carbed mine. The potassium and camden prevent it from fermenting anymore and if you bottle it, it will just be still cider.

Simply, if you want to naturally carbonate in a bottle ONLY add the campden.
For a still (flat) cider add the campden and K sorbate (potassium sorbate). Or keg if you want to false carbonate.

 

[RelicBrewingSupply]

Just for some basics, the Campden is only used to help stop or prevent any form of wild yeast and some bacteria from reproducing. Campden will not stop/slow any brewers yeast.
K sorbate or Potassium Sorbate however, is simply a preservative and this does not kill yeast, it just slows or stops yeast from reproducing, even though you have a halted brew, you can however add more yeast to a point that will over take the preservative and cause a re-fermentation.
Hope this helps, notice we've had a lot of confusion especially in regards to this recipe. When I created it I only used the campden for the purpose of wild yeast prevention.

 

[aseelye]

Just for some basics, the Campden is only used to help stop or prevent any form of wild yeast and some bacteria from reproducing. Campden will not stop/slow any brewers yeast.
K sorbate or Potassium Sorbate however, is simply a preservative and this does not kill yeast, it just slows or stops yeast from reproducing, even though you have a halted brew, you can however add more yeast to a point that will over take the preservative and cause a re-fermentation.
Hope this helps, notice we've had a lot of confusion especially in regards to this recipe. When I created it I only used the campden for the purpose of wild yeast prevention.

Ok, so perhaps I'm not following something. Did you filter this, or how do you stop fermentation? I understand the K-sorbate stops reproduction, but you already will have a good amount of yeast. My initial confusion had to do with the mention in the OP about bottling, but now I'm curious how adding all that sugar won't cause a crazy amount of carbonation in the keg beyond what the force carbing will do.

 

[Labratbrew]

I made this 9 days ago.
OG was 1.071! Praying for an FG of 1.000 or less!
Still very active and actually looks like its turning clear again.... Any thoughts on when to transfer to corny keg?

 

[Chadski]

Hi guys. I have never made hard cider before, just drink plenty. I want to make this but let it. Do I follow the recipe the same, keg and attach co2. Or does something different need to be done? Thanks!!

 

[Chadski]

That should have read: I want to keg it.

 

[nezhed]

Started this cider on Saturday 3/24/12 and wanted to ask how long you guys waited from starting to crack open the first bottle, after reading this I don't wanna get glass grenades and this is my first cider and tips is much appreciated and thanks in advance

 

[RelicBrewingSupply]

Started this cider on Saturday 3/24/12 and wanted to ask how long you guys waited from starting to crack open the first bottle, after reading this I don't wanna get glass grenades and this is my first cider and tips is much appreciated and thanks in advance

They usually took me about a month just to let them ferment and clear by itself. Once it hit that stage and I added the concentrates and syrup, let it carb a week and enjoy.

 

[brewmaster89]

Making this tonight.

 

[brewmaster89]

All done.

 

[Soggyfoot]

Just reporting back.

I was able to avoid the bottle bombs that i wrote about in an earlier post. I emptied as much as I could aim back into a carboy. (thank god i did that in the basement, what a mess) That left me with roughly 3 gallons of cider.

I then just let the stuff sit and ferment completely, again. After getting my daughter to help me with the math, I added the appropriate amount of syrup for the decrease volume of cider.(since the unplanned fermentation was the syrup sugar)

Once I got my fingers and toes back under control I bottled everything. Ending up with 32-12 once bottles that i left alone. Starting at week 3 i began to open one bottle a week to give a taste/carb test. I was aiming for the still version since the carbed version is what started this whole mess.

I am proud to report that the last tasting when very well (6 weeks in bottle). I brought the bottle to a friends house so i could have 4 separate opinions. Trust me, if there was a problem with the brew these friends would enjoy the opportunity to harass me. The comments were "Whatever you did to this ... do it again." and also "What do I have to buy for you to do a batch for me?"

So to make a long story short. I know, too late. The cider was a big hit, proving that you really don't have to worry if something goes wrong.

Thanks for the recipe i am planing to start another batch this weekend.

 

[brewmaster89]

Do you have to add the bottling sugar still since your adding the concentrate or is that enough to carb it?

 

[Joneszen]

If you follow ellicit's recipe the concentrate is perfect for carbonation as well.

 

[KCBigDog]

I'm going to make this to the letter, and just keg the whole batch. Instead of bottle conditioning, it will naturally carb in the keg. Sounds great, and I've wanted a cider on tap for quite a while. I'm not the biggest fan of Apfelwein.

 

[djelemenohpee]

This will be my first cider ever So i plan to bottle this (no keg setup.....yet)
How long are people letting this bottle carb for?
Are you pasteurizing this like ive read in other posts in a pot of hot water?
anyone have a starting gravity and Finishing gravity to go by?

 

[brewmaster89]

Yes people are pasteurizing this. I will be bottling it soon so I am not sure how long it will take yet.

My OG was 1.060 (4/10/12) and my FG was 1.002 (5/1/12).

 

[djelemenohpee]

Wow thats a pretty quick fermentation! thats nice. are you going to secondary or just go straight to bottle?
since you are bottling do you still use the campden tablets?
do you have to use un-pasteurized juice or can it be pasteurized?

 

[djelemenohpee]

Is everyone using campden tablets? My LHBS said not to worry about it since I want to bottle carb then pasteurize in the bottle once I get The carbonation I want. Does this sound ok?

 

[VanHeroy]

In considering the bottle bomb issue; did folks using the Nottingham rehydrate the yeast prior to pitching or just pitch it? Not sure if this would matter or not but thought I would ask. Just made this for the first time myself tonight, we'll see how it does in a month or so.

 

[brewmaster89]

Great recipe but between this one and another one I made I will never bottle another cider again. Way to may bottle bombs after only a few days in the bottles.

The few bottles that I have been able to drink are delicious though!