New guy needs help with cider

smrogers · Oct 20, 2012

I started my first batch of cider about one year ago, used dark brown sugar and raisons so the color is similar to gasoline only with a slight haze. It smells like hard whisky and taste harder with a bitter bite. I have close to 6 gallons and would hate to lose it all. Does anyone have any ideas or remedies to give it some taste and make it an ease on the pallet; as well as having people actually want to drink it.

FYI first post

Pappers_ · Oct 20, 2012

Hi and welcome. Other than age and time, I'm not sure what else to suggest for you. You could try to backsweeten it to make it more palatable. Here's info on that www.makinghardcider.com

Also, in the cider forum here at hbt you'll find lots of info. I've moved your post there, take a look around. Also, in the cider forum other cidermakers will find it and perhaps chime in.

UpstateMike · Oct 20, 2012

smrogers said:
I started my first batch of cider about one year ago, used dark brown sugar and raisons so the color is similar to gasoline only with a slight haze. It smells like hard whisky and taste harder with a bitter bite. I have close to 6 gallons and would hate to lose it all. Does anyone have any ideas or remedies to give it some taste and make it an ease on the pallet; as well as having people actually want to drink it. FYI first post

What was your starting gravity and final gravity? How much sugar did you use? What yeast did you use?

gratus fermentatio · Oct 21, 2012

And did you use yeast nutrient? Has the cider been under airlock the whole year? Did ever rack, or has it been sitting on the lees all this time? What kind of juice? Knowing your recipe & process will really help us to help you.
Regards, GF.

gcastrat · Oct 21, 2012

This seems a bit strange. Even the higher ciders I've brewed, with 3-5 lbs of honey added an a vigorous yeast have still tasted great after a year. Something tells me you are using a bad yeast and fermenting way to high to produce that amount of fusels. It's almost impossible to guess wihtout the specifics of your recipe and general fermentation temperatures. If it is in fact gasoline, I'll pay around $4/gallon for it. Oh wait, maybe $3/gal since the election is coming.

smrogers · Oct 21, 2012

I used 118 campaign yeast starter and the juice was fresh cider from a press. I do not recall the grav. I do other than the finished was very close to 0, as for the rest it was racked x3 and kept sealed with an air lock covered at room temp. Sugar was combination dark brown and white cane, raisons were added also. I hope this helps it was a last min thing where we had access to the juice after a fire company function (Oct Fest) and 3 of us did not want it to go to waste.

gratus fermentatio · Oct 23, 2012

MacIntosh juice can be a little bitter after fermentation. You might backsweeten & maybe add a bit of malic acid to get it a bit more balanced. Regards, GF.