How and when to add extra fruit flavours to cider kits please?

[davielovesgravy]

Hi all, I’ve got a couple of Magnum Strawberry cider kits to make that I picked up cheap but all the reviews say that there is hardly any strawberry taste at all, The taste is mainly grape.
So I want to add some extra fruit flavour to it but I have no idea whatsoever how to go about this other than I’ve read somewhere that people often add Ribena.

What is the best and safest (bacteria wise) way of adding lots of flavour? Real fruit? Fruit essence? Fruit juice? And at what stage would these get added?

I do have 320g frozen blackberries left from last summers crop and I think I would like to use them in the first strawberry cider kit, but as it’s real fruit that’s been frozen how and when would I add this to the kit process please? I am guessing I need to boil the berries and strain the juice?

I am hoping to nail the adding of flavours in the future so if anyone can help at all with any advice I would be very interested to hear what you have to say.

cheers guys!

 

[RPh_Guy]

I've had good success with Brewers Best natural fruit flavorings.

I've also had good success using whole fruit.

Either way, you want to add it after the main fermentation.

Wild microbes in cider generally aren't a problem if you take basic precautions to avoid excessive oxygen exposure.

Happy to answer any questions.
Cheers.

 

[davielovesgravy]

I've had good success with Brewers Best natural fruit flavorings.

I've also had good success using whole fruit.

Either way, you want to add it after the main fermentation.

Wild microbes in cider generally aren't a problem if you take basic precautions to avoid excessive oxygen exposure.

Happy to answer any questions.
Cheers.

Wonderful thanks for that reply. Can I ask HOW you added the fruit after primary fermentation please? Did you boil the fruits and the add the strained juice or should it not be boiled? Thanks

 

[RPh_Guy]

I personally would never heat fruit going into a cider or wine. Heat potentially damages the flavor and/or may cause a permanent haze.

If using whole fruit, make sure it's crushed and/or frozen & thawed beforehand. You can add it right into the fermenter if there's room, or rack with cider on top of it in another vessel if you're worried about space in the fermenter. Containing the fruit in some kind of mesh bag is also helpful for when it comes time to separate the wine from the fruit, depending on what kind of fermenter you have.
Pressing and adding reasonably clarified juice is definitely a good option too if you have the means to do that, although most fruits also have flavors in the skins that would be beneficial.

 

[davielovesgravy]

I personally would never heat fruit going into a cider or wine. Heat potentially damages the flavor and/or may cause a permanent haze.

If using whole fruit, make sure it's crushed and/or frozen & thawed beforehand. You can add it right into the fermenter if there's room, or rack with cider on top of it in another vessel if you're worried about space in the fermenter. Containing the fruit in some kind of mesh bag is also helpful for when it comes time to separate the wine from the fruit, depending on what kind of fermenter you have.
Pressing and adding reasonably clarified juice is definitely a good option too if you have the means to do that, although most fruits also have flavors in the skins that would be beneficial.

ok that’s great so would I be ok to just blitz the hell out of the un-frozen fruit and then add that straight into FV before secondary fermentation then? Thanks, this is all so helpful.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Yep, that's ok.

 

[madscientist451]

Hi all, I’ve got a couple of Magnum Strawberry cider kits to make that I picked up cheap but all the reviews say that there is hardly any strawberry taste at all, The taste is mainly grape.

Fruit flavors are mostly wiped out during the fermentation process. Zinfadel wine doesn't taste like the Zinfadel grapes that go into it. The best you can hope for is more of a "hint" of the original fruit that was used. As a hombrewer, you have an option not available to the pro brewers: Use vodka or Everclear to make tinctures. Basically the alcohol will pull fruit flavor out and it won't ferment away when added to your cider/beer/mead.
http://www.theoutcask.com/home-brew/homebrew-tinctures/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...tures-in-brewing/id1207681531?i=1000468619916

 

[davielovesgravy]

Fruit flavors are mostly wiped out during the fermentation process. Zinfadel wine doesn't taste like the Zinfadel grapes that go into it. The best you can hope for is more of a "hint" of the original fruit that was used. As a hombrewer, you have an option not available to the pro brewers: Use vodka or Everclear to make tinctures. Basically the alcohol will pull fruit flavor out and it won't ferment away when added to your cider/beer/mead.
http://www.theoutcask.com/home-brew/homebrew-tinctures/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...tures-in-brewing/id1207681531?i=1000468619916

Wow these tinctures sound awesome and just what I am after, do you know how long they last/keep when made? I will certainly be trying them very soon thanks a million!

Also back to my initial question, I just had another thought, do I need to add any extra sugar along with my fresh blitzed blackberries when I add them to secondary fermenter.

much obliged

 

[RPh_Guy]

do I need to add any extra sugar along with my fresh blitzed blackberries when I add them to secondary fermenter.

No, that would be counterproductive since additional fermentation would cause loss of flavor.

 

[davielovesgravy]

No, that would be counterproductive since additional fermentation would cause loss of flavor.

Ah yes of course, sorry I didn’t really think that through but makes total sense thanks a lot!