"Fixing" Cider

[cipoliva]

I've made cider twice now. Both times it hasn't come out as sweet as it should. It isn't a matter of sanitation since I religiously conduct the exact same sanitation procedures for everything I make and haven't once, even the first time, had a bad batch of beer. This is one gallon batch making, with local cider with no preservatives. It comes out so dry I nearly smells like vinegar, but isn't. My brother likes it but it can't even remotely be called sweet, which is what my wife wants. I heard that cider can be dialed back so long as it hasn't gone bad. How do you do that? I use Brooklyn Brew for the yeast for this cider, haven't gone the complete DIY route with anything other than beer so far.

 

[Dhelderman]

I've made cider twice now. Both times it hasn't come out as sweet as it should. It isn't a matter of sanitation since I religiously conduct the exact same sanitation procedures for everything I make and haven't once, even the first time, had a bad batch of beer. This is one gallon batch making, with local cider with no preservatives. It comes out so dry I nearly smells like vinegar, but isn't. My brother likes it but it can't even remotely be called sweet, which is what my wife wants. I heard that cider can be dialed back so long as it hasn't gone bad. How do you do that? I use Brooklyn Brew for the yeast for this cider, haven't gone the complete DIY route with anything other than beer so far.

You can "treat" your completely fermented dry cider with potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite. The combination of these two stops yeast activity, allowing you to add otherwise fermentable sugars (of your choosing) back to your cider. It can then be bottled and will be sweet, but still (i.e. Not carbonated).

Alternatively, you can measure the gravity of the cider mid fermentation, bottle at a "not yet dry" state (i.e. 1.010), and the pasteurize to stop yeast activity. Though riskier in terms of creating "bottle bombs", this method allows you to create sweet and sparking, or carbonated, cider.

I recommend you read up on all the beginner, how-to type threads to get an idea of how to do either of the previous methods.

 

[solbes]

The dry cider ends up quite good, though generally it takes 3-6 months for the apple flavor to return.

Agree with the other 2 options above if you want sweetened. After turning my kitchen into a war room of flying glass on my heat pasteurization attempt (I am likely to blame here), I have since moved to a "bottles in the fridge" method. You use one PET plastic bottle (12 oz, 16 oz, or 1L size). When the bottle gets hard after 3-5 days since priming, you put all of the bottles into the fridge to make the yeast go dormant. Colder the fridge the better and my experience is only with Montrachet wine yeast which seems to veeeeery slowly chug along at 35F. So I can fridge the whole batch for a couple months while I consume it.

And yet a 4th is to do the potassium sorbate & metabisulphate step, back sweeten, bottle (ideally in PET bottles), and place in the fridge. If you bottled in glass, transfer to a soda pop PET bottle and carbonate with carbonator cap and CO2 tank. Cheers!

 

[dmf38]

cipoliva, you could just pour some cider in a glass and stir in some sugar until it's sweet enough.

 

[madscientist451]

What yeast did you use? Try WL 002 or similar ale yeast and ferment it at a low temperature, say in the high 50's. No yeast nutrient. You'll get an off dry cider, but it takes a few months to finish.

 

[cipoliva]

I'll try the sugar. That may save it. I fermented at 65.

 

[cipoliva]

Cider just does not seem to be my strong point. I think I'll stick with beer.

 

[theDREWery]

You could also try adding a nonfermentable sweetener, like splenda, if you're into that kind of thing.

 

[Mismost]

cipoliva, you could just pour some cider in a glass and stir in some sugar until it's sweet enough.

This is the easiest. Your brother gets the dry he likes, his wife can add a sweetner to where she likes it. Two ciders, same bottle. Ferment to dry, sweeten in the glass.

BTW, a simple syrup made of two parts sugar with one part water, heat until it is water clear...works real good for this operation....or homemade wine that is too dry for some folks taste.