Help on taste, racking

[CyderSilverblade]

Questions for the following ciders that I have fermenting.
Im not really fond of the taste of either one of these at this point.

How much longer do I need to let these sit in the carboy?
How to sweeten? Add apple conc at bottling? Add more dextrose at bottling?

I plan on bottle carbonating these.
Any suggestions are more than welcome!

I like a more sweeter carb'd cider.

Hard Cider
5 gallons unfiltered fresh pressed apple cider
2 lbs Dextrose
5 Campden
1 1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1 1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 1/2 tsp Acid Blend
1 Montrachet Yeast

Pitched 01.25.15
Racked twice

Apple Pie Cider
5 gallons unfiltered fresh pressed apple cider
5 lbs honey
1 lb brown sugar
1 lb dextrose
5 campden
1 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
1 1/2 tsp acid blend
1 oz apple pie spice
1 Lalvin EC 1118 yeast

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Your 1st recipe is pretty much Apfelwein, which can taste pretty "hoochy" when young. Best bet for this one is to let it age at least 6 months, though a year is better.
If you want a sweet, sparkling cider, you'll have to backsweeten & pasteurize.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=193295

For future batches, you can use ale yeast that won't take it so dry, maybe try a graff recipe:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=117117

For your 2nd recipe, I still think aging is your best bet, but the spice concerns me. If you used powdered spice & didn't contain it in a "teabag," then you could be in for some interesting cider. Spice usually continues to add flavor even after your desired flavor profile has been reached.

This is why it's best to use sliced, cracked or whole spices instead of powdered; you can easily contain the spice in a hop sack & remove them when your desired flavor profile has been reached. Powdered spice can only be removed with filtration. Though you MIGHT be able to remove most with fining agents & cold crashing. I don't use fining agents, so somebody who knows more about them would be a better source of info on them. It might be a fine line between aging out the "hoochieness" & drinking before there's too much spice flavor with this batch.

In the meantime, try a graff, it's a bit sweeter, ready quicker & doesn't have that "hoochy" flavor, and it's pretty near goof-proof.
Regards, GF.

 

[CyderSilverblade]

Thank you!!!!

Yes I knew the first one was more an apple wine....I just expected it to taste different!!!!!!
And yes I agree next time I will not use powdered spice blends.
Im going to try to filter it out before bottling.
So I guess at this point I will bottle the first batch in wine bottles and let it sit for 6 months or more and keep my fingers crossed!!!

I will check out the referenced recipes!!!!

Thank you again!!

Your 1st recipe is pretty much Apfelwein, which can taste pretty "hoochy" when young. Best bet for this one is to let it age at least 6 months, though a year is better.
If you want a sweet, sparkling cider, you'll have to backsweeten & pasteurize.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=193295

For future batches, you can use ale yeast that won't take it so dry, maybe try a graff recipe:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=117117

For your 2nd recipe, I still think aging is your best bet, but the spice concerns me. If you used powdered spice & didn't contain it in a "teabag," then you could be in for some interesting cider. Spice usually continues to add flavor even after your desired flavor profile has been reached.

This is why it's best to use sliced, cracked or whole spices instead of powdered; you can easily contain the spice in a hop sack & remove them when your desired flavor profile has been reached. Powdered spice can only be removed with filtration. Though you MIGHT be able to remove most with fining agents & cold crashing. I don't use fining agents, so somebody who knows more about them would be a better source of info on them. It might be a fine line between aging out the "hoochieness" & drinking before there's too much spice flavor with this batch.

In the meantime, try a graff, it's a bit sweeter, ready quicker & doesn't have that "hoochy" flavor, and it's pretty near goof-proof.
Regards, GF.