Making Mix berry cider first time. Advice?

[xenomaniac]

I'm making my first cider and I want to make a mixed berry cider (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries). My plan is to add 5 gallons of apple juice to fermenter, add yeast, ferment for 1 week, add about 5 lbs of mixed berries directly into fermenter, ferment for one more week, keg and force carb. Very basic, nothing fancy. I have frozen berries in the freezer right now (about 6 lbs worth). Any suggestions? Just go for it and see what happens?

 

[Texconsinite]

After you add the berries, the yeast will get excited again. Ive had a berry wheat beer explode out airlock in secondary after adding fruit. You may want more than a week to ferment out on berries, and let the flavor soak in. Depends on how sweet you want it, i guess. Are you backsweetening at all?

Also, adding 1-2 tsp yeast nutrient with the apple juice might be good to make sure yeast is happy

 

[xenomaniac]

I wasn't thinking about back sweeting. THis is actually my first attempt at making Cider. Going back and forth on what's a better idea. Also thought about soaking the fruits in a grain bag in a gallon of water at 165 for 15 minutes adding a cup of brown sugar. Than cool down to 80 F, add 4.5 gallons of apple juice, add yeast and let it ferment. Going to do it this weekend. Please provide suggestions or ideas if you wish.

 

[Texconsinite]

Heres how i would do it. Heat up some of the juice (not too hot as this may release tannins and stuff) hot enough to stir in sugar until it dissolves. Id rec 1-2lbs of sugar for 5 gallon batch.

Again, if you "steep" the whole fruit at high temps, you will release tannins and might lead to off-flavors. Another option is bag the fruit and put in fermenter, then pour the warm juice/sugar mix over it, followed by the rest of juice.
Just having the fruit floating in there will change color and taste significantly. If you want, you can squish fruit bag against inside of fermenter periodically to release more goodness.

Ive always used frozen, but even if you have fresh berries, I would freeze until brew day, for sanitary reasons and bc it'll break the capsules and cause more flavor in cider. (in the past ive used 2 lbs of mixed berries like this in 6 gallons of skeeter pee, and the berry flavor comes thru the lemon tartness, so in apple you should def taste the berry flavor)

Use beer yeast, Nottingham or s-04, because it will leave alot more fruit flavor and sweetness. Pitch and wait two weeks.

You should also think about if you want it carbonated or still, bottled or kegged?

 

[xenomaniac]

At the AHS I got a packet of Champagne yeast (EC-1118) that I'll be using. It sounds like putting the Apple Juice in the fermenter with an extra 1lb - 2lb of sugar, ferment for week, add 2 - 3 lbs of mixed berries into secondary fermenter for 2 more weeks is easier and will produce the same results (color and extra sweetness). Am I right?

 

[dallas996]

This is what I like to do, call it simple or call it lazy, but it works for me. I have the luxury of working with 5 gallon batches and kegging my cider. When I want to mix things up I will take finished cider and bottle it in growlers with the chosen berries. I currently have 2 growlers of cider that I started by adding 1.5 cups of frozen blueberries to the bottle and then topped with finished cider; I let them sit at moderate temp (60-70 degrees) for a few days or longer then throw them in the fridge. Super tasty and popular with the majority of my peeps.

 

[XnFM]

I've done a couple batches of mixed berry cider and I've never been unhappy with the results. I'll admit I'm generally a bit lazy, but I usually just add the puree to my juice base (1lb/1gal) right at the start of fermentation and let it go.

One thing to be aware of though, you're probably going to want to set up a blow-off tube when you add your berries. I normally work on a 1 gal system, and I have had an airlock get clogged up with solids because of the . . . krautzen-like mass that will form on top of your cider when you work with berries. It will fall and settle at the bottom, but during the first week or so after adding your berries there's probably going to be a mass of solids on top of your cider.

 

[xenomaniac]

I have custom made fermentors and pretty much always use blow off tube for space efficiency.

 

[Texconsinite]

Nice. Also realize that 1118 is crazy hungry, and even though you are adding berries, it will not add "extra sweetness" because that 1118 will eat ALL the sugar and take the mixture down below 1.000 in that timeframe, so the tartness of the berries and apple will be left, not sweetness. Be prepared to backsweeten if you want any sweetness at all. I use Old Orchard 100% juice Berry Blend Concentrate, tastes great and will give the flavor u are looking for at end.

Also be aware the yeast will not stop eating, so either sulphite before backsweetening and force carb, or bottle still (or stovetop pasteurize), but be aware this stuff works fast, so be careful adding any more sugar then bottling, or you could have bottle bombs very quickly

 

[xenomaniac]

Just checked the hydrometer today. It's down to exactly 1.020. I'm going to add the berries today. Once it's done fermenting, I'm going to transfer it directly to my keg and put it in the fridge for 24 hours then force carb it.

 

[xenomaniac]

Update! I kegged it about a week ago. When I check the FG it was exactly at 1.000 making my cider 7.3 ABV! Some strong stuff. I was hoping it would come out in a nice deep purple but it instead made it pink. I have a friend and his wife renewing their vows so I think they are going to love it.