Massive Strength Hard Cider

[BoomerCreek]

Tokay yeast is supposed to go higher than 18%. For very high sugar Russian wines? Not sure though because I have never used it. Vierka makes it.

 

[Jrod]

I know this keeps bouncing back up from the dead but I'm curious if it ever became drinkable...

 

[Jacob_Marley]

All of the ingredients from your "edited grocery list" combined ... my figures are ...
1.140 OG
17.9% ABV if fermented to 0.998

Total Volume ... 6.14 gallons

5 gallons juice at SG 1.050 ... 10% sugar content
8 lbs brown sugar (volume 73oz)... assuming 100% fermentability even with the molasses in it
5 lbs honey (volume 53oz) ... assuming 79%
2 lbs black molasses (volume 21oz)... assuming 50%

 

[bayern-kaiser]

if you really want to understand what it takes to get yeast up to the 20%+ level look at this article guy wrote about making a 120 min ipa with an OG of 1.200 http://www.homebrewchef.com/120minuteIPArecipe.html for a high octane yeast just look at WLP099 - super high gravity yeast. this stuff is touted to handle up to 25% alcohol. I've never used this yeast before but plan too soon. if it works that would make it more effective than even alcotec

 

[Leadgolem]

I did a hard cider that finished at 16%. Apple juice + table sugar, distillers yeast, and twice the recommended dosages of yeast nutrient and yeast energizer. It took about 4 months for it to be drinkable. Time to FG was only about 8 days. I don't have the gravity info anymore, just some cider bottles with the abv on it.

I also did a blueberry wine that ended up at 18.7%. 1 quart blueberry juice + table sugar to 1.160. It was a 1 gallon batch. Same distillers yeast, same nutrient additions. FG was 1.020. That batch went skunky, a couple of pennies and some degassing fixed that though. That took about 2 months to be drinkable. Fermentation time was 15 days to FG.

I don't have any temperature control equipment.

It seems to me this could end up drinkable.

EDIT: I did the cider in August and the wine in October. So the ambient temperature would have been around 85 for the cider, and 75 for the wine.

 

[HeritageHD]

Hey guys thought i would update this 1 year after the fact.

The cider finnished at 19% abv, at that point you cant call it cider at all. I call it "I hate myself". After nearly 8 months in champagne bottles with the corks wired down I un corked the first one on new years eve with a couple of buddies. It still tasted young and was firey as hell. After half a glass each we corked it and put it back in my firdge, one of my buddies saying it reminded him of what his dad used to do with apple wine and a chest freezer. I have another 11 bottles of the stuff and 2.5 gallon in a glass carboy. I plan on forgetting about the bottles for a few years and maybe getting a oak barrel for the unbottled stuff. The color is amazing though, and it smells like dried appels and honey.


Overall the stuff was a sucess, but dont plan on drinking it anytime soon. Fermentation took over 6 months, and even 3/4 of a year later it will still singe your nose hairs. I would sugest Ed's apfelwin, if your looking to beat your liver into submission for past wrongs with fermented fruit bevrage of your choice.

Drink them in good health

Resurrecting this thread out of curiosity of the outcome and if you're still part of the forums. According to the post this thing has been bottled for over 6 years - any updates on taste?

 

[adamtebbs]

Hey guys thought i would update this 1 year after the fact.

The cider finnished at 19% abv, at that point you cant call it cider at all. I call it "I hate myself". After nearly 8 months in champagne bottles with the corks wired down I un corked the first one on new years eve with a couple of buddies. It still tasted young and was firey as hell. After half a glass each we corked it and put it back in my firdge, one of my buddies saying it reminded him of what his dad used to do with apple wine and a chest freezer. I have another 11 bottles of the stuff and 2.5 gallon in a glass carboy. I plan on forgetting about the bottles for a few years and maybe getting a oak barrel for the unbottled stuff. The color is amazing though, and it smells like dried appels and honey.


Overall the stuff was a sucess, but dont plan on drinking it anytime soon. Fermentation took over 6 months, and even 3/4 of a year later it will still singe your nose hairs. I would sugest Ed's apfelwin, if your looking to beat your liver into submission for past wrongs with fermented fruit bevrage of your choice.

Drink them in good health

I know it has been years at this point but did this thing ever settle down. I really want to make an apple champagne and am now just putting my recipe together. What would you do if you did it all over again.

 

[TGFV]

If you're wanting a sweet tasting one, look up Paps recipe (is around 18% and semi sweet) or for a dryer one I would recommend Edworts Apfelwein and step feeding sugar until you hit your mark.