hard as nails Cider

[RobbyBeer]

I put this recipe together for this coming weekend. Just wondering what everyone thinks of it..
1gal batch

1 gal organic apple juice.
1 cup light brown sugar.
3 fuji apples, skinned and sliced thin.
1/4tsp crushed caraway seed.
2tbs honey.
2 cinnamon sticks (secondary)
1.5 cups apple juice concentrate. (priming)
1.5 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice.
2tsp yeast nutrient. (secondary)


Boil 3 cups apple juice with brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until completely dissolved, then remove from heat and add caraway seed. Allow to cool to room temperature. During this cool down time, skin, slice, and wash 2 apples.
Should be sliced into thin wedges.
Coat apples with 1tbs lemon juice and 1tbs honey and place in bottom of fermenter.
Next mix the cooled sugar solution and remaining apple juice in a large bowl or kettle to areate.
Then pour gently into fermenter, on top of apples. Pitch yeast, cap, add airlock and allow to ferment for 10 days.


Before racking to secondary, prepare by skinning and slicing 3rd apple. Again place in bottom of fermenter with 1tbs honey, and 1/2tbs lemon juice. Also place two cinnamon sticks at bottom.
Finally rack the cider gently on top of apples, add nutrient, cap and airlock. Allow to rest for 10 days.

At this time rack to bottling bucket and add 1.5 cups apple juice concentrate.
I just use regular 12oz bottles.
Bottle, cap and rest for minimum one week before refrigeration.

 

[ColbyJack]

I put this recipe together for this coming weekend. Just wondering what everyone thinks of it..
1gal batch

1 gal organic apple juice.
1 cup light brown sugar.
3 fuji apples, skinned and sliced thin.
1/4tsp crushed caraway seed.
2tbs honey.
2 cinnamon sticks (secondary)
1.5 cups apple juice concentrate. (priming)
1.5 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice.
2tsp yeast nutrient. (secondary)

Boil 3 cups apple juice with brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until completely dissolved, then remove from heat and add caraway seed. Allow to cool to room temperature. During this cool down time, skin, slice, and wash 2 apples.
Should be sliced into thin wedges.
Coat apples with 1tbs lemon juice and 1tbs honey and place in bottom of fermenter.
Next mix the cooled sugar solution and remaining apple juice in a large bowl or kettle to areate.
Then pour gently into fermenter, on top of apples. Pitch yeast, cap, add airlock and allow to ferment for 10 days.

Before racking to secondary, prepare by skinning and slicing 3rd apple. Again place in bottom of fermenter with 1tbs honey, and 1/2tbs lemon juice. Also place two cinnamon sticks at bottom.
Finally rack the cider gently on top of apples, add nutrient, cap and airlock. Allow to rest for 10 days.

At this time rack to bottling bucket and add 1.5 cups apple juice concentrate.
I just use regular 12oz bottles.
Bottle, cap and rest for minimum one week before refrigeration.

Looks good to me! What flavors does caraway seed impart? Also, any particular reason you are adding fermentables in your secondary? Seems if you did all your additions in one vessel (even at a later date) you'd leave less cider behind. I use secondary vessels for clarifying only. I'm not a pro. Was just curious of your methods mentioned. Let us know how it turned out!!!
Colby Jack

 

[RobbyBeer]

Looks good to me! What flavors does caraway seed impart? Also, any particular reason you are adding fermentables in your secondary? Seems if you did all your additions in one vessel (even at a later date) you'd leave less cider behind. I use secondary vessels for clarifying only. I'm not a pro. Was just curious of your methods mentioned. Let us know how it turned out!!!
Colby Jack

From all the reading I've done, it's seems like extra fruit flavor is best when added to the secondary. I know this applies to beer from experience, and thought the same would be true for cider.
Just playing around with technique, I guess.
And as for the caraway, it gives an old world flavor when combined with apple...

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

I think the caraway sounds interesting. I wonder if 1/4 teaspoon will be enough?

 

[JohnnyBeerbottles]

Caraway seed usually goes into sauerkraut. I would taste one first. Taste probably will change your mind. Try cardamom instead. Just lightly crack them so the cider penetrates the shell.

 

[RobbyBeer]

Caraway seed usually goes into sauerkraut. I would taste one first. Taste probably will change your mind. Try cardamom instead. Just lightly crack them so the cider penetrates the shell.

I go to the renaissance fair once a year, and they serve apples with caraway seeds..
It's good. But the cardamom sounds good also.. Perhaps I'll split the batch.

 

[RobbyBeer]

I think the caraway sounds interesting. I wonder if 1/4 teaspoon will be enough?

I am hoping so.. It's only a 1 gal batch.. So I am starting low.. And in future batches I'll add more.. If need be.