New Batch started today

[Crash21]

I just started my first batch of cider in the new house and my new "brew room".

Here's the recipe>
2 gal apple juice
3 gal Pineapple juice
6 lbs corn sugar
Lalvin 1118
Wyeast Yeast Nutrient
Pectic Enzyme
SG is 1.15

If it ferments out completely it will be somewhere in the 15 ABV range and I will backsweeten and bottle carb.
If it leaves any residual sugar I will just bottle and not try to carb.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

That sounds potent. I'm sure it's going to be extremely hot, I would probably do staggered nutrient additions like the mead makers do in order to keep the yeast happy.

 

[Crash21]

It will most likely be pretty stout stuff, but by the time I add in some FAJC it will cut the ABV some.
Also it is going to get some cinnamon sticks during secondary.
It will definitely need to mellow for a while..a couple of months probably.

 

[Crash21]

This is interesting.

It fermented out dry...under 1.00.
So I added another 3 lbs of corn sugar but after a week I have no new activity.
I tried adding more nutrient but nothing got restarted.
I think the yeast might have been at the point where it couldn't do any more as the ABV is 18.37 according to the online calculators.
So the extra 3 lbs of sugar isnt going to restart the fermentation when the yeast is already at its limit.
So now I have to check the gravity and see where it is so I have something to reference the sweetness off of in the future.
I am going to rack tomorrow and add cinnamon sticks and wait and see how it all works out.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

That's a lot quicker than I would've expected.

You'll ikely need to add some different yeast to bottle carb, due to the high abv. But I've never done anything this big so not sure what to expect.

 

[Crash21]

I probably wont try carbing at this point.
I know that I just added 3 lbs of corn sugar to 5 gallons and it didn't restart fermentation.
If anything it is going to be plenty sweet. No backsweetening required..lol
The Lalvin 1118 is pretty quick to ferment in my experience.
it fermented dry in 2 weeks and then I added the sugar and let it sit for a week longer

 

[Crash21]

Here's an update:

Here's what I have so far..

If you read the first post you will see the ingredients and sg.
It fermented to .999.
I added 3 lbs of sugar
Little to no activity in the airlock after 1 week.
I believe the yeast has done all it can do with the ABV

I took a new gravity reading and it is 1.05

I took a taste test and it is slightly sweet but not near as "rocket fuelie" as I expected. Especially for near 19%ABV.
It is still very young and hasnt been racked yet.
So far it is going very well and I feel with some aging and clearing it might turn out as my best batch yet.

 

[Yooper]

Wow- that's very very sweet, even for a dessert wine. I bet the sweetness balances out some of the alcohol, and that's why it doesn't taste hot.

 

[Crash21]

Hadn't considered the sweetness balancing out like that.. Makes sense though.

After thinking about it a bit I pretty much made a "Pappy's Pub Cider".

Edit.... The fg was 1.005...not the 1.05 as previously stated

 

[MindenMan]

1.005 in a cider will round out the flavor and mouth feel. Aging will do wonders for any cider, especially the high ABV ones; with that said, I have no experience with pineapple wines but I would guess a year at least would be a big help. Have you considered using 1 gallon of your cider to make a pine-apple jack? You could probably get two really solid 12 oz bottles, and a couple more that are not as high proof. These bottles I would definitely stash somewhere dark and cool for a year or so.

 

[Crash21]

To make a Pine-Apple Jack would be to freeze concentrate?