Frozen applejuice ... Icecider ... or something else ?? Help :D

[Sballe]

So - I had about 4 gallons of my own freshly pressed applejuice, stored in the freezer in the shed. Today I realised the electricity had failed, and the freezer had turned off somehow. So - my frozen applejuice was 'kinda' melted ... more so had it cryo-concentrated. I poured the liquid off and the gravity was 1,080.

So, now I have 2,5 gallons of Cryconcentrated applejuice, OG of 1,080. What to do ??? It is kinda too low for at proper icecider, I guess ? Could I just add sugar to raise the gravity to get a good staring gravity for IceCider? (I did ice-cider once a few years back, and it didnt really taste all that great)

I Could also just make a cider from it, but the ABV will be so high, that it probably will not taste good...

So - what to do ? Any ideas ?

...feels kind of a waste to water i down to OG 1,060 now

 

[CKuhns]

I would ferment it as is using a wine or champaign yeast at lower temperatures. I have had real good luck with Lalvins D47 at 54 deg F. Takes a good long while, couple of months but doesnt stress the yeast and turns out well.

Alternatively you could add additional sugars and make a faux ice cider. I have had great results with adding frozen apple juice concentrate to a SG of 1.125 to 1.135 adding some D47 and letting it go. D 47 tends to poop out without additional neutrients at about 1.030. Making a nice very sweet desert wine / cider after a few months. Then bottle still and pasteurize as D47 will or may continue to ferment very slowly.

 

[Sballe]

I would ferment it as is using a wine or champaign yeast at lower temperatures. I have had real good luck with Lalvins D47 at 54 deg F. Takes a good long while, couple of months but doesnt stress the yeast and turns out well.

Alternatively you could add additional sugars and make a faux ice cider. I have had great results with adding frozen apple juice concentrate to a SG of 1.125 to 1.135 adding some D47 and letting it go. D 47 tends to poop out without additional neutrients at about 1.030. Making a nice very sweet desert wine / cider after a few months. Then bottle still and pasteurize as D47 will or may continue to ferment very slowly.

Thx for the advice ... couple of questions:

Wouldnt 1,080 get a too high ABV for a nice cider?

...I was thinking about a faux ice cider. I dont have D47 though. But I do have SafCider AS04 and AC02, Nottingham, EC1118, Lalvins 71B, SafAle and Cote de Blanc ... anyone of these you would recommend ?

 

[CKuhns]

I would go with the Cote. Cote Des Blanc is close to D47 and brings some nice light fruit notes.

1.080 SG will give you about 10.5 ABV if you go dry without adding additional sugar. ASO4 And all others will get there so no worries regardless of what you use. (Dont know about ACO2)

 

[Raptor99]

Another calculator gives 11% ABV for 1.080 SG. That would be a good level for apple wine! Use a wine yeast rather than a cider or ale yeast. From your list, I might try Cote de Blanc.

 

[doublejef]

I personnally would freeze/unfreeze it one or two times more to level up SG to 1020-1050 and do a real Ice cider.
I use 71B and have good results with it.
The most important for ice cider is to stop before fermentation go too far. 1040-1030 is a good targuet. Ferment cold 15°C max, no DAP and the yeast should stop by it self.

 

[JulianDave]

I just did 3 freeze/thaw cycles on 1.050 store bought juice and it's at 1.078, so similar to OPs results. Volume was reduced by about 40%.