First Cider

[Blanchy]

Hey guys- new to the forums, and just started my first cider today. One gallon Nature Valley organic apple juice, and Nottingham yeast. One question though: if I let it ferment all the way out, will I lose the apple character?

Thanks for reading!

Graham

 

[shanecb]

Kinda. It will be rather dry, and sweetness really helps to bring the apple character out. But you won't entirely lose it; there will still be some apple smell and taste, though it won't be the same as biting into an apple.

 

[Chromis]

Initially. According to what i've been reading on these forums the apple flavor will come back after several months of aging. My first batch fermented all the way out in about two weeks and when i tasted it after racking it resembled a watery carbonated white wine. Not a hint of apple at all. I'm leaving it in the secondary for a month, then bottling and waiting several more months for it to age. Looks like its time to go to the store and buy some Crispin.

 

[Blanchy]

Shanecb- that is exactly the effect I am hoping for.

Chromis- that is what I was worried about... what kind of yeast did you use? I was hoping using an ale yeast would help leave some apple-y taste in there.

 

[Chromis]

Red Star champagne. After doing more research I realized it probably wasn't the best choice for what i was trying to do. But with some aging I'm hoping that within 6 months to a year I'll have something that resembles hard apple cider. I started another batch using nottingham and its still in the primary chugging along.

From what I've read from others' experiences the nottingham (along with pretty much any other yeast) will ferment dry as well.

There seems to be several schools of thought on creating a semi-dry or semi-sweet cider and it gets more complicated if you want your cider carbonated as well.

You can backsweeten with a nonfermentable sugar such as splenda, xylitol, lactose etc. You can even add apple essence/extract to enhance the flavor of young cider.

If you have a kegging system you might try cold crashing and backsweetening with sugar, apple juice concentrate, honey etc. Pasteurization is another option to stop the ferment-- there is a great thread on that subject stickied at the top of the cider forum.

Or you can wait-- which is what I'm doing. Apparently making cider is very much like making wine in this regard: it tastes better with age.

 

[truckjohn]

They won't "Taste" more like apple as they sit and age... "Taste" is the wrong word.... They tend to "Taste" more and more like an appley white wine....

The essence and aroma of apple gets more pronounced while the "Green Apple" flavor and bitterness diminishes... as do weird off flavors like "Bitter," "Yeasty" and other miscellaneous off flavors...

Now.. If it has fermented out and is really blah/insipid and not tart at all - like alcoholic apple scented water... Go get a few cans of the expensive organic apple juice concentrate and add them to your must.... This will bring the acids and more intense apple flavor back to your cider.

Thanks

 

[Blanchy]

Thanks guys! Definitely a noob at this point, but looking through threads and soaking up knowledge. I think the plan of action now is to just let it ferment out, see how it tastes after 8 weeks, and deal with it accordingly. Good call on the apple juice concentrate truckjohn- to me the most appealing way to get some flavor back into it. Also, apple extract sounds intriguing as well.

Thanks for all the advice!

Graham

 

[shanecb]

Nottingham, in my experience, leaves a great apple aroma behind, as well.