First Try Cider

[macs]

Is it normal for the cider to alternate between a very foamy surface and a very flat surface?

Yes it is...I watched my Apfelwein alternate between totally flat and 1/4" of Krausen every 3 minutes like freak'in clockwork! It was weird. Don't ask why I decided to time it....I'm just like that sometimes.

 

[macs]

Hey Macs,

It sounds like you have quite a bit of experience with ciders. I was hoping to make a high alcohol content, sweet, apple-y concoction for the holidays. Is that combination even possible?

I realize it might be a bit late now, but I thought I'd see if there was any way to speed the process along. I have some 2nd-generation bottles of yeast that I've washed from previous beer batches that would probably plow through fermentation. I have both California Ale yeast and British Ale yeast on hand (WLP051 and WLP005, respectively).

Also, my previous attempt at cider was simply done in the 1-gallon glass jug the cider came in. I added some sugar and yeast and put an airlock on it and it seemed to have finished fermentation in week or so. It ended up very dry though - more like champagne, obviously from the champagne yeast I used.

I guess what I'm envisioning is doing a batch with brown sugar, ripping through fermentation to get as much alcohol as possible, transferring to secondary, and then adding a bit more cider with brown sugar, as well as some sort of sulfite or other fermentation inhibitor.

How long do you think it'll take start to finish to have a decent result?

I still have much to learn and much experimenting to do. That's why I'm on this forum. It is rather tricky to get high alky plus flavor and sweetness with natural techniques. Most yeasts want to eat all the sugar and leave little sweetness and especially "apple flavor" behind. Either they make high alky and little sweetness and flavor or low alky and more sweetness and flavor. That is why I found two recipes I like and sometimes just mix them 50/50 in a glass. Everyone will have their own favorite though, so just go for it and see what you like best. I have many gallons of cider that I don't like. Maybe in a year I'll try them again. Oddly, one of my favorites was an accident. A plastic gallon jug of Treetop apple juice that spontaneously fermented from a wild yeast strain! I discovered it just in time too cause the plastic bottle was about to explode!! I usually start sampling my cider after 1 month because I'm impatient. It's drinkable by then but will improve greatly with 3 or more months. I can sample away 5 gallons in no time

 

[BrewDey]

What was you starting gravity??

I actually didn't take a reading. With my previous batches of Ed's, I just wait for all signs of fermentation to stop-then wait a few more weeks before bottling. Not very exact I know-but I had been getting low readings from extract brews (not thoroughly mixed), so I got out of the habit. Maybe I'll but a blanket around it. I think it's almost finished.

 

[Benny Blanco]

Just made my first batch myself. It's edworts recipe exactly except i used a 22oz bag of dextrose instead of the 2 lbs because that was all i had on hand.

It's been over 3 days and fermentation has kicked off. I read on this thread about the OP adding 2 lbs of sugar after a few weeks and fermentation started up again. Someone replied that this will boost his abv but his apple flavor/sweetness will suffer in the final product.

I probably shouldn't be concerned, but there wouldn't be a problem adding the remaining 10 oz. of dextrose tomorrow when I go the the HBS...right? I mean, it's only been 3 days since fermentation started.

 

[Yooper]

You can add more dextrose if you want. It won't harm it. You can also leave it out if you want. Just a little less ABV.

 

[Jesse17]

I read on this thread about the OP adding 2 lbs of sugar after a few weeks and fermentation started up again. Someone replied that this will boost his abv but his apple flavor/sweetness will suffer in the final product.

I probably shouldn't be concerned, but there wouldn't be a problem adding the remaining 10 oz. of dextrose tomorrow when I go the the HBS...right? I mean, it's only been 3 days since fermentation started.

More sugar = more abv, and less apple/sweetness

It doesn't matter when you add the sugar, as far as taste is concerned, but the longer you wait, the longer it will take to finish for two reasons. First, you'll have fresh sugar to start fermenting again. Second, it will take longer for the second batch of sugar to ferment than the first, because the longer you wait, the more yeast has settled out of suspension.

On the other hand, three days probably won't make any difference in how long, because the first couple of days is basically the 'adjustment' phase of the yeast.

 

[Benny Blanco]

So, if adding the dextrose right to the 5 gallons after the juice is in the carboy is fine..then why bother shaking it in a container and mixing it well before adding it?

Why can't I just add the 2 lbs of dextrose after I fill the carboy up?

 

[RICLARK]

I have Found that The more Sugar anything you put in Cider The More SOur the Final Product I use 2# at the most and my cider is still quite sour.

 

[macs]

So, if adding the dextrose right to the 5 gallons after the juice is in the carboy is fine..then why bother shaking it in a container and mixing it well before adding it?

Why can't I just add the 2 lbs of dextrose after I fill the carboy up?

You could do that if you want, but the reason for the other method is mainly: 1) To aerate the juice while you are dissolving the sugar in it.
2) A sugar solution will more quickly and uniformly disperse into the Must, than would a rather large dose of crystalline sugar which would tend to sink to the bottom and dissolve very slowly.

 

[agrtek]

White Wine, that is all

 

[agrtek]

The parent's liked it. Went through about a 1/4 gallon during dinner tonight. I call: Success!!

 

[Jesse17]

As a reminder, here's my recipe:

Juice: 4 gal. Tree Top 100% Juice Apple Cider
1 gal. Florida’s Natural Premium 100% Pure Apple Juice
Yeast: Red Star Pasteur Champagne
Sugar: 2 LBS. Western Family Brown Sugar
Priming: 8 oz. Tree Top apple juice concentrate (116 g. sugar)

Primary: 15 Days 68° F.
Secondary: 21 Days 68° F.

After that, I bottled it with the apple juice concentrate for priming. I opened a bottle on Christmas (Day 10 in bottle) and it was awlful. I had to add apple juice to get it down. VERY dry and tart. No carb at all.

Then today (Day 21 in bottle) it tasted a little better. Very little carb, still quite tart, but you could kind of taste some apple flavor, and it wasn't quite as dry, but still dry.

Though it's still not verry good, I can see the difference in the last 11 days, and can't wait to try it again in a few weeks. It is also 8.2% abv so 15 min. after the bottle I drank today, I'm feeling warm and fuzzy

 

[Jesse17]

You were too late my friend, I added another 2lbs of sugar and liberal squirt of honey and a table spoon of vanilla extract, fermentation is going at a nice rate again (bubbles freely flowing up all sides of the fermenter), now on to x-mas!

Agrtek, How is your cider these days? I'm curious as to how it has conditioned/tastes by now.

Mine (which was very similar to yours before you added the above) has finally mellowed out to the point that I actually like it. I've tried a bottle every 2 weeks or so, and the bottle I drank yesterday, made me chill a six pack for tonight.

It's nicely carbed, which I think counters the dryness well. It has a kind of tart, with a hint of apple, bubbly taste. And I like it quite a bit. In fact, I did my second batch without any sugar, and with Wyeast 4766 because I disliked the dryness so much on this first batch, but now the second batch tastes watery in comparison.

I like the first batch (with 5 gal. juice, 2 lbs. brown sugar, and Pasteur Champagne yeast) well enough that I'm going to do another the same way.

 

[agrtek]

Agrtek, How is your cider these days? I'm curious as to how it has conditioned/tastes by now.

Mine (which was very similar to yours before you added the above) has finally mellowed out to the point that I actually like it. I've tried a bottle every 2 weeks or so, and the bottle I drank yesterday, made me chill a six pack for tonight.

It's nicely carbed, which I think counters the dryness well. It has a kind of tart, with a hint of apple, bubbly taste. And I like it quite a bit. In fact, I did my second batch without any sugar, and with Wyeast 4766 because I disliked the dryness so much on this first batch, but now the second batch tastes watery in comparison.

I like the first batch (with 5 gal. juice, 2 lbs. brown sugar, and Pasteur Champagne yeast) well enough that I'm going to do another the same way.

2 gallons were good and the remaining three I'm calling contamination, they went sour

I have some one gallon jugs now so I'm gonna try some different juices.

 

[waterkc]

I can't wait to give this a try, I am going to shoot for a English Ale Yeast and see what happens. I have always enjoyed woodpeckers Hard Draft Cider. So I am hoping to reproduce something close to that.

Thanks for the info. More to come as I figure it out.

 

[67coupe390]

When I make my "hooch wines" I use an extra cup (per gallon) of sugar to make it more sweet. I also use the 1118 yeast and its good and strong but not as dry. Hope I helped. Have fun!!!