Johnny Jump Up Cider

[neovox]

If it's already pasteurized you're good to go.

 

[Mac_330]

Woo! Looks like I will be
starting that today. Before I pray for the Broncos. Lol

 

[cormano]

Wow, I racked to secondary today and checked the gravity. It was 1.082 OG and is currently ever so slightly under 1.0. It bubbled consistently but not wildly, I was worried. Looks like everything is going well, though.

 

[neovox]

I found it to be excellent after 12 months of aging.

 

[cormano]

*edit*

 

[Mfittante]

I just tried this and aged it for a little over 8 months and it's awesome... It really knocks you

 

[jkoegel]

I just started a batch of this a week ago. The only difference being I boiled the sugar with lemon juice and just enough water to make it liquid. Took the temperature slowly up to 280 degF to make a nice medium amber candi syrup.
Used Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast and it took off like crazy. Steady flow of co2 from the airlock for the first 5 days, now its down to about 1 bubble per second. Going to rack in a day or 2.

 

[slingshot81]

These are good questions.... can anybody chime in on this?

I must say great minds think alike! I started 6 gallons using a very similar recipe, albeit with less ingredients:

-6 gallons local cider (pasteurized, no preservatives)
- 3 lbs. brown sugar
- 1.5 lbs. local honey
- 1 packet Yeast (Red Star Premier Cuvee)

OG: 1.080
FG: don't know yet

I just started it 2 days ago. This yeast didn't take any additional effort to get it going. I poured the honey, brown sugar, and 3/4 gallon of cider into a pot and let it simmer to dissolve the sugar and honey. In the meantime, I let the remaining gallons of cider get close to room temp. I poured the sugar/honey/cider mixture into my fermentation bucket, then poured all of the remaining cider into it. I sealed the lid, added my airlock, and in less than 2 hours, the airlock was already bubbling!

Should I keep it in my primary for 1 week, no matter how much bubbling is still going on in the airlock?

Also, when do I take my final gravity reading? Is it when I rack to my secondary, or before I bottle?

Last question: Do I need to use priming sugar for bottling? Last year, I used regular white sugar, and while it wasn't very carbonated, it still had some fizz to it.

 

[sirmichael]

I brewed a version of this recipe on Sunday. I scaled it down to 4 gallons, used cream of tartar and I used Wyeast 4766 cider yeast. It's bubbling away in primary now.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

These are good questions.... can anybody chime in on this?

I'll to ahead and follow up on this. I waited 2 weeks before going into secondary and too my GF reading before adding prolong sugar....which was completely unnecessary because my cider was still fermenting. I had to put all 68 bottles of cider in the fridge the day after I bottled, and good thing too because if I waited another half day or full day, I would have had cider and glass shrapnel all over my house! They were unbelievably over carbed; it was basically a cider fountain every time I cracked one open...after drinking 2 or 3 it was actually quite hilarious...they ended up being around 12.5% some tasted great, some tasted like apple-flavored moonshine. I lucked out however in that I just moved to a new house that is within walking distance to the only cider mill/apple orchard near Chattanooga, TN. As soon as they are open for business, ill be starting my next cider.

 

[brazedowl]

I brewed a version of this recipe on Sunday. I scaled it down to 4 gallons, used cream of tartar and I used Wyeast 4766 cider yeast. It's bubbling away in primary now.

Hmm... what kind of flavor does cream of tartar add? And how much did you put in the batch?

 

[sirmichael]

Hmm... what kind of flavor does cream of tartar add? And how much did you put in the batch?

Cream of tartar doesn't add any flavor. It helps the sugar ferment.

 

[sirmichael]

And I used 6 tsps for a 4 gallon batch.

 

[brazedowl]

Never heard of that! Awesome to know. I'll have to get some and add it to my collection of wine making goodies.

 

[filmgoing]

hi to you from over the pond. this sounds like a good cider.i only want to make 5litres wot would you sugest i use instead of 1 can of white grape concentrate. thanks.

 

[CollegeCider]

Just bottled a batch of this, followed the recipe but I added no tannin, malic acid or yeast nutrient. I also added a little cinnamon(I love cinnamony ciders for some reason). Turned out great at ~11% can't wait til it is carb'd up though!

 

[zuko51]

is there any boiling at all or just simply mix and ferment?

 

[zuko51]

and did anyone add cinnamon or nutmeg? if u did id like to know if it turned out well. thnx

 

[brazedowl]

I've got a ginger-nutmeg-clove-cinnamon-allspice-vanilla spice cider going. We'll see how it turns out.

 

[Zippox]

I threw this recipe together tonight but halved it, making just 3 gallons worth. I ended up using Nottingham yeast, and for some reason I forgot to buy pectic enzyme, so I hope that my cider clears on its own. I will be getting a garage fridge at the end of this month, so I might throw it in the fridge when its all done before bottling to clear it up more.. or something.

Good thing is I hit 1.080 exactly :rockin:

 

[Zippox]

After four days the SG went down to 1.014. Airlock activity is still around a bubble a second and there is a half inch white krausen. I've heard that some ciders can give off a 'rhino fart' smell, but assuming because this recipe uses yeast nutrient I am getting a sugary apple smell instead (which is much nicer).

I tried a sample of it at that point and was surprised that it still seemed sweet to me. It was also very tart at the same time which was overpowering. I am hoping that after this is all said and done that everything balances out.

 

[putout]

Can I use acid blend instead of malic or tartaric acid? My LHBS only had the blend.

 

[Zippox]

I think this recipe is a little too tart for me. I will let it age for another 6 months and post back with what I think of it then. I probably would suggest leaving out the malic acid if I were to try this recipe again. Because it is such a dry cider/wine, the tartness would probably shine through enough as it is.

 

[Seanana]

I have a few quick questions. Do you have to move to secondary and could you just move to secondary in a corny keg. I am wanting to keg and forgo the bottling. I'm totally ok with a more dry cider, but my roommate swmbo may like it a little bit more if it was a tad bit more sweet.

 

[Zippox]

I ended up letting it sit in the primary for a month, I don't think it will do too much to rack to a secondary. It is clearing up well in the bottles and there is not much yeast.

 

[Seanana]

You left it in primary for a month? Maybe I could cold shock and then siphon all the top minus the crud. I can move to a secondary, but I figure less amount of o2 the better and a whole lot easier, since I'm lazy and all. I'm sort of new to brewing, I have been part of many many brews and have a pretty good knowledge, but more just gun shy. Don't want to waste!!

 

[Zippox]

Yeah I've read that dead yeast won't affect flavor until about 2 months, so leaving it in the primary the whole time is fine. Secondary is important for lagers and other things that need to age for a long time so for those it's best to get it off the dead yeast.

And you're right, less O2 contact the better. Especially for cider.

 

[Toko3D]

what was the reason for using white sugar as well?

 

[neovox]

I think this recipe is a little too tart for me. I will let it age for another 6 months and post back with what I think of it then. I probably would suggest leaving out the malic acid if I were to try this recipe again. Because it is such a dry cider/wine, the tartness would probably shine through enough as it is.

It is a bit tart early but after 12 months aging, it tastes really good.

 

[Wraithraider]

Hi Gang

Everyone is talking about bottle aging this cider but has anyone kegged it? And if so at what pressure?

Cheers!