New to making cider

[Dracarus]

Hello! Just wanted to share my 1 gallon cider. This is my first batch brewing anything, so I am very excited with lots to learn! Some specs about the brew. Currently on day two of fermentation

Treetop apple juice
Nottingham ale yeast

And I plan on bottling with pineapple juice to help with flavor and add a nice little fizz. No idea if my theory will work, but I’m having a blast so far. I would love some feedback as a newbie please! Thank you!

 

[fluketamer]

welcome.
store bought juice lacks a few things that cider apples have. namely acid and tannin.

your cider will be much better if you add some lemon or lime juice and some tannin in the form of a cup of strong black tea. you could even do it post fermentation i think.

also apple juice lacks the nutrients that ale yeast need to make a good clean ferment.

temperature control is very important imo in all brewing. i dont necesarily mean digital or analog temp control with a fridge, a cool area is fine just dont let it get too hot. ( i find keeping it under 65 degrees really helps keep off flavors at bay. )

the problem i see with bottling with pineapple juice is that it will ferment out and leave no sweetness behind and possibly no pineapple flavor.

it is very hard IMO to make semi sweet cider in the bottle without artificial sweeteners.

if you do want to try the pineapple thing. i would prime with pineapple juice then let it sit warm for a few days to carb up and then chill it down very cold to stop the fermentaton and leave behind some residual sweetness .


good luck

 

[Dracarus]

Thank you very much fort the insight! I will definitely adjust the recipe moving forward.

 

[Chalkyt]

Pineapple juice has about the same SG/Brix (1.055/14) as apple juice. However much of the pleasant flavour in both comes from the sugar. Fully fermented cider is generally dry and tart because all the sugar is used up producing alcohol and C02. For a bit of fizz you will need to add enough sugar (or AJ or PJ) to bring the SG up from 1.000 to something like 1.005 then bottle it and let it ferment down in the bottle (i.e. the C02 produced can't escape and goes into solution to be released as bubbles when the bottle is opened). The sugar will convert into about 2.5 volumes of C02 (the "usual" carbonation for cider) but you will still be left without any sugar in the beverage. Retaining sugar/sweetness is another mission altogether. Use the search function at the top of the forum to get all sorts of views about it.

As a side issue, you might have a bit too much airspace in your carboy if you intend to leave it for an extended time.