first attempt at hard cider.

[Ho0sier-9]

Management and I both like the green apple Sparkletini. I made a Green apple Reisling and we liked it just as well.
I started a Hard Cider on Friday evening. I decided I would do a hybrid of
Pappys Pub Cider https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=408610
and
UpstateMike's Caramel Apple Hard Cider https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=292770.

I started with:
7- 96oz bottles of Pure Apple Juice (5.25 gal) sg 1.050
4# Sugar upped the sg to 1.080 this should yield about 10% abv when complete.
1 packet of EC-1118
Into primary Friday evening (11/11/16) was bubbling away by Saturday morning.

in about 14 days (when sg is between 1.010 and 1.015) I will rack and Stabilize.
Wait 24 hours Then add:
Caramel Syrup
5 cans of apple juice concentrate
And then Bottle the still Cider.
I am hoping that we like it as well as the other Apple.

tom

 

[Maylar]

in about 14 days (when sg is between 1.010 and 1.015) I will rack and Stabilize.

tom

You don't actually expect to stabilize an active fermentation, do you?

 

[Ho0sier-9]

You don't actually expect to stabilize an active fermentation, do you?

We do NOT like dry wine therefore I will be adding Potassium Metabisulphite and Potassium Sorbate. to suspend fermentation.
Since I will be back sweetening I might let it ferment dry to 1.000 or .997 then add metabisulphite and Sorbate. prior to adding the caramel and additional Apple Juice Concentrate.

 

[Maylar]

We do NOT like dry wine therefore I will be adding Potassium Metabisulphite and Potassium Sorbate. to suspend fermentation.
Since I will be back sweetening I might let it ferment dry to 1.000 or .997 then add metabisulphite and Sorbate. prior to adding the caramel and additional Apple Juice Concentrate.

My point is that sulfite & sorbate will not suspend fermentation. You need to let the ferment complete and clear, then rack off the lees before stabilizing. You want as little yeast in there as possible. If you try to stabilize at 1.010 you will fail.

 

[dmtaylor]

If you want to stall fermentation, you need to keep it cool or cold, rack early and often, and add gelatin to knock out as much yeast as possible. Don't add any nutrients. Add your sorbate at like 1.020-1.025 because the fermentation will continue to coast down to the ~1.010 desired. Chemicals don't kill the yeast, however gelatin and cold and racking a lot will remove most of 'em.

 

[bucketnative]

Another option is to ferment dry, rack, age, sweeten at bottling, then immediately pasteurize your bottles to keep them still and sweet. I would also age the bottles for a few months before consuming to let everything mellow out.

See pasteurization sticky on first page of Cider forum.

 

[chunkychicken]

Good info on stabilisation guys, I was wondering how to do that myself to stop fermentation.

Hoosier-Shine9, are you using an over the counter syrup, or are you making your own? You can easily caramelise sugar and water together for 15 minutes as long as you don't burn it and add it to the mix. Depending on how much you like your "caramel", you might want to add double or half.

2 cups of sugar + 1 cup of water is a pretty mild caramel flavour - it's there, but it certainly isn't overpowering, it's more a hint of something than some nice smooth caramel in your mouth. But if all you drink is dry (which you don't), then it'll be more noticeable.

I've got 3 brews on the go at the moment:
- Apple, Caramel, Apricot
- Apple, Cinnamon, Cloves, Vanilla (might need more vanilla)
- Apple (will become lime & strawberry for swmbo)

 

[Ho0sier-9]

Thanks for all the responses.
It is still fermenting really well. Bubbling about every 5 seconds, I will probably wait until Thursday or Friday to check gravity.
When I rack it off of the lees I will use those as the starter for the "Skeeter Pee". I have been looking forward to making, hoping this is as good as I have heard it is.

 

[Ho0sier-9]

Good info on stabilisation guys, I was wondering how to do that myself to stop fermentation.

Hoosier-Shine9, are you using an over the counter syrup, or are you making your own? You can easily caramelise sugar and water together for 15 minutes as long as you don't burn it and add it to the mix. Depending on how much you like your "caramel", you might want to add double or half.

2 cups of sugar + 1 cup of water is a pretty mild caramel flavour - it's there, but it certainly isn't overpowering, it's more a hint of something than some nice smooth caramel in your mouth. But if all you drink is dry (which you don't), then it'll be more noticeable.

I've got 3 brews on the go at the moment:
- Apple, Caramel, Apricot
- Apple, Cinnamon, Cloves, Vanilla (might need more vanilla)
- Apple (will become lime & strawberry for swmbo)

Chicken:
Thanks for the heads up about the caramel. I will make the syrup, will also add cinnamon(as in Mikes recipe) mix before bottling. We will taste before bottling and see if we want more Caramel flavor for the next time.

 

[chunkychicken]

Chicken:
Thanks for the heads up about the caramel. I will make the syrup, will also add cinnamon(as in Mikes recipe) mix before bottling. We will taste before bottling and see if we want more Caramel flavor for the next time.

Make sure you use cinnamon sticks instead of cinnamon powder. That stuff will kill your brew. You're better off sanitising the sticks and dropping them in a week or two, or more before you plan to bottle, so that the flavour mixes in.