Pappy`s Pub Cider - Award Winner!

[Ghunter0815]

Paps...this stuff is AMAZING!! Just popped open a bottle from my batch made last July! All I can say is...."I am not worthy! I am not woooorrrthy!!" Haha

 

[dwisby]

Does that look right? I would think it would be clearing by now.

As a matter of fact, I do. Check this out.

 

[Ghunter0815]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1458344831.809774.jpg

Mine was crystal clear by three weeks...and delicious on the rocks! Haha

 

[Haf-A-mil]

Let it ferment all in the primary for about 63 days, used Motts applejuice. Bottled it last Tuesday and super clear without and additives and I must say this is a damn good still cider!!! Came out at 13.39%

 

[Paps]

Does that look right? I would think it would be clearing by now.

Get some K.C.Super Kleer (keiseol-chitosan)
Follow the instructions it gives you.
You will have crystal clear cider within a day or 2.
You don't "need" it but if you are in a hurry theres nothing better.

 

[Paps]

pics!

 

[Paps]

1 - shirt i had made
2 - cider
3 - stamper
4 - cider with labels from said stamper
5 - the old wishkey barrel i age some of it in
6 - primary fermentation
7 - my brew buddy

 

[dwisby]

Get some K.C.Super Kleer (keiseol-chitosan)
Follow the instructions it gives you.
You will have crystal clear cider within a day or 2.
You don't "need" it but if you are in a hurry theres nothing better.

Thanks Paps. I appreciate your help. By the way, I pulled some of this off for "QA testing" and wow...

 

[Paps]

MOAR pics.

 

[litl-76]

So you don't boil or cook the sugar?

 

[Paps]

So you don't boil or cook the sugar?

Nope.
I'm not saying that "You cant"....just that "i don't"

There's a thread on here called something like
"20 lbs of sugar and some DAP"
that goes into the making of Belgian candy syrup (sugar)
and the differences that it can have on flavor/color.
I'm sure one could get some great and complex flavors from doing this.
Just i haven't done it myself yet.
2 jobs kinda cuts into homebrewing a wee bit.
However if you do this please post how it turns out and some pics please.

 

[litl-76]

Went ahead with just dumping everything in. Gonna try cooking the sugar next batch when apples come in.

Question tough I forgot to pick up yeast nutrient can I add something else now or just wait see? Fermentation seems to be going go slow. I.e. Not a lot of foam but I did just start it on Sunday at 10pm.

 

[Paps]

Cider doesn't `foam` as much as beer does.
It's normal and is nothing to worry about.
However, you DO want to get some yeast nutrient in there ASAP.
Besides the needed sugar, apple juice is severely lacking in the things yeast want and need to be healthy. Unhealthy yeast often produce off flavors.
Keep the temps under 65-F and get some yeast nutrient/energiser in there .

 

[litl-76]

Update but nutrient in Thursday bubbling like crazy now so much that liquid is moving at the top. Question though. Should the sugar have settled at the bottom and will the yeast be able to convert it without stirring? Oh and thanks for the help paps.

 

[Paps]

will the yeast be able to convert it without stirring?

Yes.
RDWHAHB

 

[Ghunter0815]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1461282432.949463.jpg

This ones for you Pappy!! Been sitting for about 8 months. Dang this is GOOOOOD!!

 

[Paps]

http://glintcap.org/results/noncommercial/year/2016-glintcap/

Yee-Haw!
Scroll down to specialty cider and Perry near the bottom.

 

[Ghunter0815]

http://glintcap.org/results/noncommercial/year/2016-glintcap/



Yee-Haw!

Scroll down to specialty cider and Perry near the bottom.

Sweet! Well done Paps!

 

[Alligator_Beer]

Any need to rehydrate the yeast before I toss it and the yeast nutrient into the juice? Or can I just toss everything in and call it a day? Really excited to try this

 

[Paps]

The world won't blow up if you don't but it is reccomended.
Really, just take a small dish of luke warm water and throw the yeast into it for 10 to 15 minutes. It's not hard to do.

 

[weizenguy]

I've not done cider before and thought I would start with this recipe. Very simple. Mixed everything into a sanitized 6 gallon carboy. Did not boil the sugar but did boil the tablespoon of yeast energizer (fermaid) since it's been sitting around for awhile. Rehydrated the EC-1118 yeast before adding. Currently sitting at 65 degrees. Not much going on yet except for a layer of bubbles at top. Will let you know when there is something else to report. Am hoping for a strong but slightly sweet appley-tasting cider. If this works, I may experiment with other yeasts, back-sweetening, etc.

 

[Ghunter0815]

I've not done cider before and thought I would start with this recipe. Very simple. Mixed everything into a sanitized 6 gallon carboy. Did not boil the sugar but did boil the tablespoon of yeast energizer (fermaid) since it's been sitting around for awhile. Rehydrated the EC-1118 yeast before adding. Currently sitting at 65 degrees. Not much going on yet except for a layer of bubbles at top. Will let you know when there is something else to report. Am hoping for a strong but slightly sweet appley-tasting cider. If this works, I may experiment with other yeasts, back-sweetening, etc.

If you followed the recipe...it'll be plenty sweet on its own. 10lbs of sugar is a hefty amount. Fair warning, it will need a while to mellow out. Mine is going on 8 months, and just now getting to the perfect balance of sweet/Apple/rocket fuel.

 

[weizenguy]

Ghunter, when did you bottle yours? 8 months is a long time to tie up a carboy. I was thinking 2 months in carboy at most and then into bottles (unprimed) for an indeterminate time after that ie. until they get good.

 

[Paps]

Like mentioned before, this cider is sweet.
Like dessert wine sweet without any backsweetening.
To avoid any `rocket fuel` flavors ferment this cool
like 62-F cool. Also, use a LOT of yeast nutrient/energiser.
It makes a big difference. Very worth it to do.
Seperately you would not want this to sit 8 months in primary.
2-3 months sure but not over 4 for reasons i don't want to get into atm.
2 months and it should be good to rack into secondary or into bottles.
Use Champagne bottles or Belgian Beer bottles ONLY.
Regular wine bottles are not made to hold CO2 pressure.
Don't use them.
I keg personally so i don't have any real advice as to when to bottle to get some carbonation in the cider but i think a few of the frequent posters on this thread have experience with doing just that.
I also suggest making at least 5 gallons at a go.
Ideally you WANT way more than you can drink as to set some off to age as it only gets better with time. Heck, i wish i had about 10 more ale pales so i could keep a better rotation on hand.
-Hope this helps.

 

[ReyRico69]

I've added a couple cinnamon sticks to a batch of cider and I got nothing. No difference in flavor.

 

[Paps]

When did you add the sticks?
How long wer they in the cider before you removed them?
How many sticks were added?
How big was the batch of cider?
More info please.

I personally add 3-5 sticks per a 5 gallon batch in secondary.
And leave them there for a month plus.
often i will transfer the sticks over into the corny keg and let it age on them whilst drinking the cider.
Use a quality namebrand.

 

[Ghunter0815]

Ghunter, when did you bottle yours? 8 months is a long time to tie up a carboy. I was thinking 2 months in carboy at most and then into bottles (unprimed) for an indeterminate time after that ie. until they get good.

I was only in my carboy for about 1.5 to 2 months. Then I racked 4 gallons back into the cleaned/sanitized 1 gallon AJ containers that the original juice came in. Put those in the back of my pantry closet to chill for a while. The last gallon I bottled (no priming so as not to create bombs) and used as a time check to see how the conditioning process was coming. Now that I'm almost out...it seems like time to make another batch!

 

[Alligator_Beer]

Brewed 4.5 gallons 2 weeks ago so starting to think about bottling in the next few weekends and I want to get that apple taste back since what Ive read is this yeast will strip a lot of the apple flavor out. My question is, can i add a half gallon of apple juice in the bottling bucket when I go to bottle it in a few weeks or will it create bombs?

 

[seabrew8]

Brewed 4.5 gallons 2 weeks ago so starting to think about bottling in the next few weekends and I want to get that apple taste back since what Ive read is this yeast will strip a lot of the apple flavor out. My question is, can i add a half gallon of apple juice in the bottling bucket when I go to bottle it in a few weeks or will it create bombs?

Its not recommended. I put this up a few times - i can't drink cider it seems, major heartburn - and has pappy said it will carb up without any added sugar, mine did. So i think you will be playing with fire. Unless you had a keg.

 

[Paps]

I don't bottle personally but IMHO if you bottle this at the 3 week mark you are `asking for bottle bombs`
I also do not recomend addding juice to backsweeten, it's plenty sweet at FG on its own.