OP
OP
Luckily I get it from the grocery store down the st. Maybe check some specialty markets or little Hispanic shops if there's any around.
Honey Peach Cider
- Thread starter KeyWestBrewing
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Luckily I get it from the grocery store down the st. Maybe check some specialty markets or little Hispanic shops if there's any around.
SoCalJames
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I have found it in the grocery store in the hispanic or ethnic aisle if you have one. If you have Cost Plus World Market around you, they typically have it too.
BrewinSoldier
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Awesome, that is good to know. I had to order mine online because I couldnt find it in any stores. The shipping was hard to swallow. I will go grab a few bottles of other flavors to try if Cost Plus near me has it. I need to find a place that has 1 gallon jugs of actual cider near me now.
For this batch, I used 4 gallons of Martenelli's gold label apple juice, and one gallon of Tree top 3 apple blend. I used US-05 because that is all I had. Dumped it all in the conical and brought the temp down to 66 degrees. Oxygenated with the Oxy wand set at 1PPM for 60 seconds so I could get 10PPM of oxygen. Then pitched the yeast dry without rehydrating. Started this on 05/02/16 in the evening and SG was 13.0 brix. I just checked it right now after 10 days in the fermenter and it is down to 5.2 brix which is 1.001 current gravity/6.8%ABV, just so nobody has to try and calculate it. 2 days ago when I checked it was at 7.2 brix and even now there is still some activity going on in the blow off tube. I am going to keep letting it go.
When I add the honey and flavoring, how much will that drop the ABV?
For this batch, since I didn't use cider, and I didn't have the Nottingham yeast when I started it, I am just going to split the batch into two different kegs and and try one with honey and a strawberry/raspberry nectar I found.. The other 2.5 gallon keg I will use a 100% fresh pressed pomegranate juice I found.
One question for the OP, would you cut the honey and juices in half if you split the batch? Also, with adding the honey back in for sweetness, I know you said it brings out the apple flavor, but can you actually taste the honey in the finished product? If so, is it overwhelming to where that most of what you taste?
Thanks again,
Dan:rockin:
OP
OP
1L juice will drop the ABV by about .5%. I would cut the ratios in half at first and see how they taste. Then if you want more add more. I think my original ratios are good but I'm a fan of tweaking things like this to taste. I aim to get some honey character in my batches but not anything overwhelming or cloying. It should be distinguishable but balanced.
BrewinSoldier
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Thanks for the response. How do you think the commercial cider companies go about sweetening theirs. Do you think they use honey or just add in more cider at the end?
OP
OP
Probably similar to this guys method. This is a must watch....
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tDP1ubIci8[/ame]
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
OP
OP
Yea in the past I did side by side tests with the different dry yeasts. Nottingham IMO makes for the best cider. The others throw off too many esters while Notty is always clean and neutral.
I don't think S-04 is terrible, certainly better than US05, but not something I would personally use.
Sudsyone
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Just pitched S-04 last night. We will see how it comes out. So poured 5 gallons store bought AJ and 3 cups sugar for a SG of 1.062. Looking for a 6.5% finisher. Already bubbling this am, love when that happens! Only decent nectar I could find is this
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463576217.009548.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463576332.127149.jpg
Couldn't find any peach but I'm sure this will do
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463576217.009548.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463576332.127149.jpg
Couldn't find any peach but I'm sure this will do
OP
OP
make sure to post back with how it turns out
OP
OP
Works really well with pear. I don't think there is anything that can replace a quality honey though. Maybe pear or apple concentrate but it won't be the same. Good honey has it's own unique complexity.
Key West,
Do you cold crash this at all before you backsweeten? I'm 7 days in the primary, and it's a bit cloudy. I know you said that is a bit cloudy in the glass.
BTW, LHBS was out of Notty, so I picked up Safcider. Really cool fermentation that was mostly little fizzy bubbles. Going to test gravity in the AM, as I think it's done.
Do you cold crash this at all before you backsweeten? I'm 7 days in the primary, and it's a bit cloudy. I know you said that is a bit cloudy in the glass.
BTW, LHBS was out of Notty, so I picked up Safcider. Really cool fermentation that was mostly little fizzy bubbles. Going to test gravity in the AM, as I think it's done.
OP
OP
Sorry took me a couple days to get back. I generally don't crash, wherever I'm at after 17-21 days is where I roll with it. Granted by then it's pretty much done and is slowly settling out.
I feel like my batches don't come out very dry, usually FG is around 1.010 then I backsweeten up closer to 1.020. I'm wondering if your batch finished up lower than mine normally do? In either case you can always add more honey or juice concentrate to sweeten it up. If you go by taste you should get what your after.
I feel like my batches don't come out very dry, usually FG is around 1.010 then I backsweeten up closer to 1.020. I'm wondering if your batch finished up lower than mine normally do? In either case you can always add more honey or juice concentrate to sweeten it up. If you go by taste you should get what your after.
OP
OP
Check out the video a couple posts back. The guy has a really good way of dialing in how much to backsweeten.
Update: pasteurization only cost me 1 bottle, so in a three gallon batch, I ended up with 29 bottles.
Good flavor, not too sweet. On par with a Woodchuck or similar, but not as cloying. I'm happy with it, and my wife, who is the real cider drinker enjoys it. She even said, "I can't believe you just made this."
Kudos, KWB. Thanks!
Good flavor, not too sweet. On par with a Woodchuck or similar, but not as cloying. I'm happy with it, and my wife, who is the real cider drinker enjoys it. She even said, "I can't believe you just made this."
Kudos, KWB. Thanks!
OP
OP
Sudsyone
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Well, just tried pasteurizing this a.m. and 3 min into the first 9 bottles, sounded like a bomb went off. Thought it was just a fluke, then again a minute later. I kept putting the lid back on so glass wouldn't fly everywhere. Lost 5 out of 9 the first round. I then threw the 21 more 22 oz bottles in the fridge to cold crash instead. This was only 4 days after bottling. I did back sweeten quite a bit with more honey and mango nectar to get down to 6.5% and for taste. It was quite scary in between bombs to cover the pot each time but no injuries!! Weirdest thing is, I just cracked one open cautiously and has medium carbonation, so why the bottle bombs?? I've pasteurized a few times before with no issue.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1465520030.440613.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1465520030.440613.jpg
OP
OP
That's scary stuff man. Exact reason why I feel better doing it in a cooler. Safer, contained, and easier clean up. Glad to hear nobody got hurt.
How old were your bottles? I know sometimes old bottles can't hold the pressure as well. Though I must say I've never gone passed 3 days and even then it's normally pushing it. That's the main drawback to the pasteurization method. You have to go easy on the carb levels.
How old were your bottles? I know sometimes old bottles can't hold the pressure as well. Though I must say I've never gone passed 3 days and even then it's normally pushing it. That's the main drawback to the pasteurization method. You have to go easy on the carb levels.
OP
OP
Will do. Ran the idea by SWMBO, and she insisted I just go with apple again. Probably going to pull the primary earlier than I did last time so it isn't as dry.
Ike
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OK, so, in an attempt to reach my goal of a super-peachy apple cider, this just happened:
Eight cans, along with about 200g of orange blossom honey, added to just two gallons of 8% ABV cider. Due to the volume of the "nectar" I ended up dropping my ABV down around the neighborhood of 5.5% but such is life. It tasted pretty good from the bottling wand, I'll report back when it's carbed, pasteurized, and cold!
Eight cans, along with about 200g of orange blossom honey, added to just two gallons of 8% ABV cider. Due to the volume of the "nectar" I ended up dropping my ABV down around the neighborhood of 5.5% but such is life. It tasted pretty good from the bottling wand, I'll report back when it's carbed, pasteurized, and cold!
jimmerz
Well-Known Member
OK, so, in an attempt to reach my goal of a super-peachy apple cider, this just happened:
Eight cans, along with about 200g of orange blossom honey, added to just two gallons of 8% ABV cider. Due to the volume of the "nectar" I ended up dropping my ABV down around the neighborhood of 5.5% but such is life. It tasted pretty good from the bottling wand, I'll report back when it's carbed, pasteurized, and cold!
Hmmm. I have a 2 gallon batch of apfelwine I'm about to bottle. I'd love to add peach nectar to it...
This is my first hard cider
6 gal tree top from costco
3/4 gal water to get to the top of my 6.5 gal carboy
OG 1.052 first time taking a hydro reading.
pectic enzyme added
Notty pitched
Was thinking about adding a cinnamon stick or two, is this a good time to do this in the primary?
I'll let sit in primary 30 days
then back sweeten with local honey 1lb
and 1 can frozen AJ.
bottle and pasteurize when carbonated to my liking.
6 gal tree top from costco
3/4 gal water to get to the top of my 6.5 gal carboy
OG 1.052 first time taking a hydro reading.
pectic enzyme added
Notty pitched
Was thinking about adding a cinnamon stick or two, is this a good time to do this in the primary?
I'll let sit in primary 30 days
then back sweeten with local honey 1lb
and 1 can frozen AJ.
bottle and pasteurize when carbonated to my liking.
OP
OP
Add the cinnamon after fermentation, probably a few days before bottling. Also make sure to leave headspace in the carboy for krausen. It's less than a batch of beer but still expect some.
Ok thanks for the info on the cinnamon sticks, i'll install the blow off hose for a few days.
