Kirkland Apple juice. First cider

[Hoppy_Sanchez]

So for a couple of years I’ve been wanting to experiment with fermenting apple juice. There’s so much apple juice out there I figured to give it a whirl. I picked up 6 gallons of Kirkland apple juice. Sanitized a carboy, poured in 5 gallons then pitched the dry belle saison yeast. I checked on the beer 14 hours later and the yeast was
Going to town. About 18 hrs in I realized I should have used a blow off. At 24 hrs it has calmed down still chugging. Figured at day 3 I’ll take a gravity reading. Figured to share my 24 hr experience. I’m planning on adding frozen mixed berries from Costco. I’m basically copying Brülosophys berry cider. Cheers!

 

[AkTom]

Sounds good. I use Costco aj too.

 

[AzOr]

Costco juice is decent and inexpensive. Like most aj meant for drinking, it can be a bit bland. You can really up your game by adding tannins and malic acid (available at any brew store). It’s fun to have people over and experiment with acid and tannin additions. Just be sure to dissolve in a few oz of water and add to batch.

 

[BrewingAroundtheRrealm]

I always use store brand juice and back sweeten with apple juice concentrate. Works great every time.

 

[CKuhns]

Great plan, For a light berry flavor go with 1 to 1.5 pounds of berries per gallon. If using a wide mouth carboy sanitize a paint strainer bag place a handful of marbles in with the fruit and drop them in frozen in secondary. Pull the bag at 10 to14 days. If a regular carboy just push the frozen berries through the hole and again rack in 10 to 14 days.

 

[bracconiere]

So for a couple of years I’ve been wanting to experiment with fermenting apple juice. There’s so much apple juice out there I figured to give it a whirl. I picked up 6 gallons of Kirkland apple juice. Sanitized a carboy, poured in 5 gallons then pitched the dry belle saison yeast. I checked on the beer 14 hours later and the yeast was
Going to town. About 18 hrs in I realized I should have used a blow off. At 24 hrs it has calmed down still chugging. Figured at day 3 I’ll take a gravity reading. Figured to share my 24 hr experience. I’m planning on adding frozen mixed berries from Costco. I’m basically copying Brülosophys berry cider. Cheers!

the easiest alcoholic beverage to make! been taking a small break from brewing, and drinking kroger aj myself, fermented of course!

 

[Hoppy_Sanchez]

Finally kegged and carbed the Very Berry Cider. Delicious. The carbonation helped a lot. Helped boost aroma. Very drinkable cider at 7%. My wife says is good but strong. She is sensitive to stronger abv beverages. She did enjoy it more once fully carbed. I didn’t back sweeten as to the recipe called and I didn’t add any lactic acid to up the tartness. I know that’s what Marshall did with his berry cider. I feel that leaving the berries sit longer will help in giving that overall berry sweet tart flavor. Tho I should follow a recipe to get then idea of ones true flavor approach. Enjoyable and I’ll let it sit a day on c02 at 30 to achieve that bubblyness. Honestly it reminds
Me of cranberry Mamosa

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Great idea. I need for find the cider next time I'm at Costco. In general in what section will I find the cider at Costco?

 

[Hoppy_Sanchez]

Great idea. I need for find the cider next time I'm at Costco. In general in what section will I find the cider at Costco?

In the bulk fruit juice section. It’ll be sold as 2 1 gallons for 7.99. May be less or more depending on your location

 

[z-bob]

That Kirkland juice works well. Aldi's apple juice (half gallon jugs, 6 to a case) is good too and even cheaper.

 

[z-bob]

I usually add a little sugar to my apple juice to boost the alcohol. But I started a batch a week ago with just apple juice (Aldi's), yeast nutrient (Fermax), and yeast (Cote des Blanc) to see what I get w/o any sugar. I put 3.5 gallons in a 4 gallon carboy and added the Fermax and shook it up. Then added the rehydrated packet of yeast. After a few days when I was sure it wasn't gonna foam over, I added another 1/2 gallon of juice. It kinda looks like milk right now

 

[AkTom]

I started a batch 2 days ago.
4 gallons Kirkland aj
2 1/2 gallon cans pineapple juice
2# mango purée
RC212 dry yeast, sprinkled on top

today happy yeast.

 

[applescrap]

Awesome, juice is the best. I have two killer cider recipes on the forum. Daddys Juice and daddys orchard. Hard cider backsweetened with organic blackcherry juice or pomegranate. It lowers the abv a pinch but is great stuff. Last batch I carbed dry and it is worth a try to. I heard it said the first sip is like eww, but then you fall in love with it. There is some truth in that. Best of luck.

Btw curious my cider has little krausen does belle saison krausen more?

So for a couple of years I’ve been wanting to experiment with fermenting apple juice. There’s so much apple juice out there I figured to give it a whirl. I picked up 6 gallons of Kirkland apple juice. Sanitized a carboy, poured in 5 gallons then pitched the dry belle saison yeast. I checked on the beer 14 hours later and the yeast was
Going to town. About 18 hrs in I realized I should have used a blow off. At 24 hrs it has calmed down still chugging. Figured at day 3 I’ll take a gravity reading. Figured to share my 24 hr experience. I’m planning on adding frozen mixed berries from Costco. I’m basically copying Brülosophys berry cider. Cheers!

 

[Hoppy_Sanchez]

Awesome, juice is the best. I have two killer cider recipes on the forum. Daddys Juice and daddys orchard. Hard cider backsweetened with organic blackcherry juice or pomegranate. It lowers the abv a pinch but is great stuff. Last batch I carbed dry and it is worth a try to. I heard it said the first sip is like eww, but then you fall in love with it. There is some truth in that. Best of luck.

Btw curious my cider has little krausen does belle saison krausen more?

Belle saison Krauses up a bit. No mess.

 

[chels]

That Kirkland juice works well. Aldi's apple juice (half gallon jugs, 6 to a case) is good too and even cheaper.

When you use juice do you do anything different for it?

 

[z-bob]

When you use juice do you do anything different for it?

Different, how? I add yeast nutrient (usually at half the recommended rate on the package) and yeast, and ordinarily I add 2 to 4 ounces of sugar per gallon but this time I'm making it without any sugar to see what I get (it won't be as alcoholic, obviously, but it might be more apple-y) Wine yeast works, and beer yeast works, and they are both good but different. I haven't tried bread yeast yet.

The one I didn't like was champagne yeast, but I may try that again without any yeast nutrient. That should calm it down a little and maybe it won't strip out all the apple flavor.