Pappy`s Pub Cider - Award Winner!

[RedF]

I currently have 3 empty carboys, so that won't be an issue. I really need to get my keezer finished up, and get some stuff brewed up to keg!

 

[choosybeggar]

Don't you worry adding that much table sugar will make it taste cidery?

:ducks for cover:

 

[graydragon2]

Finally got my cider bottled. Already finished off one bottle. Great taste to it.

 

[kstone803]

Started mine 16 November and it is still bubbling away rapidly. I'm hoping to move to secondary next weekend with some clearing agent then bottle after 48 hours. Planning on giving some away as christmas gifts so hopefully it turns out well. Even if it doesn't, I wont be the one drinking it!!!

 

[Paps]

You might want to wait a little longer in primary.
There is a LOT of sugar in this recipe and fermentation can go on for some time after the airlock slows/stops.
You don't want to make bottle bombs.
(I keg personally and fill any bottles from tap well after fermentation is stopped)

 

[kstone803]

You might want to wait a little longer in primary.
There is a LOT of sugar in this recipe and fermentation can go on for some time after the airlock slows/stops.
You don't want to make bottle bombs.
(I keg personally and fill any bottles from tap well after fermentation is stopped)

OK. I'll start checking FG next weekend and see where it goes. I have a Peach Honey cider I can bottle if this is not done in time. I was also worried this might be kind of hot since it would be young. Have you had any problems with that or is it usually drinkable while young?

 

[Paps]

It can be pretty hot/rocket fuely when it's young.
I now personally let everything i make sit for no less than a month in primary.
Secondary for this cider depends on if you add cinnamon or coco-nibs/vanilla beans.
If adding those items i'd let it sit in secondary for 3-4 weeks.
If not adding items then i only let it go long enough to clear the cider.
This usually is a very short time as i use KC Super-Kleer (great stuff)
However i will often increase primary for 3 weeks often if doing that.(that's on top of the 4 weeks)
(how close to empty my kegs are influences this heavily)
Your best option is to drink a bottle of it just before your shipping date.
If it tastes `ready` then you are good to ship.
I personally think this cider improves with age but at the same time i've not had the patience to let anything age beyond 4 months (from yeast pitching to crying over how my keg of it is now empty)
Hope this helps.
-Paps

 

[graydragon2]

I'm like you Paps. I had mine in primary for a month and then in secondary for about 3 months and that was without any cinnamon or anything added. I've had several people try it and they like it but to me I say its still about 60/40 to the alcohol side of the taste even sitting that long.

 

[OzzyBrew]

I tried to reply a bit ago, hopefully I don't double post. Anyways, GD2, what an awesome label!

New to corny kegging, but after 60 days in primary and secondary, will this carb up sitting in a corny at room temp for a few weeks? I run one regulator, so I can't force carb. Should I add a bit more sugar/aj concentrate at kegging?

 

[Paps]

Just plug your keg in at serving pressure and let it sit for a week before drinking it.
(that's let it sit still plugged into your co2 tank)
No need to add more sugar or apple juice concentrate.
Even at serving pressure its `still` a type of force carbing.
Just not the blast it at 30-psi and drink in a day.
I carb at 30-psi but i personally run a nitro-beergas tank.
Which is a different animal than straight co2.
Picture guinness like pours on a hard cider.

 

[MindenMan]

I have made a few batches of cider, and have found out if the fermentation temperatures aren't closely watched, the "hot" alcohol flavor pushing the nail polish remover smell, is hard to avoid. When I first started making cider, I didn't know to treat it like I was brewing beer, all I did was keep the light off it. I now use ESB 1968 London ale yeast to make my ciders, and am quite happy with the results I have been getting.

EDIT: In response to an earlier post, aging is required if you really want smooth drinkable cider. I made a batch 6 or so months ago, and thought it needed some time to get nice, because at one month it wasn't really drinkable. I mean I did drink one, but I waited another month and drank another, and it was really better, not great, but better. At that point, I put all of my bottled ciders in the back/bottom of a closet. I opened one last week, and I was really surprised at how great it was. That particular batch was pasteurized in the dishwasher, and all those months later I had carbonation w/o bottle bombs. I learned the hard way about not trusting my instincts, I used a soda bottle to check on carbonation levels, and I chickened out. I was so afraid of making bottle bombs, I jumped the gun on pasteurizing and had no where near the carbonation I had hoped for. Live and learn, I guess. I did have one blow out in the dishwasher, and i can still hear the little pieces of glass moving around. Next time I pasteurize I will use one of my pots with a weight on the lid, to keep the glass if any controlled.

 

[CavemanDom]

I threw together a variation on this tonight. Used 1 gallon of McCutcheon's unfiltered apple juice (OG 1.044) poured it into a stock pot. Added what I guess to be a little over 2# of domino light brown sugar (repurposed from wife's cookie making stockpile) boiled it down to the 1 gallon mark, tossed in half of a cinnamon stick at flame out. I poured it back into the glass jug it was sold in. Chilled it with frozen bottled water in my 5 gallon pot. Then I pitched a full packet of red star champagne yeast.

OG is 1.138. I will check in from time to time with updates.

 

[acarr160]

I threw together a variation on this tonight. Used 1 gallon of McCutcheon's unfiltered apple juice (OG 1.044) poured it into a stock pot. Added what I guess to be a little over 2# of domino light brown sugar (repurposed from wife's cookie making stockpile) boiled it down to the 1 gallon mark, tossed in half of a cinnamon stick at flame out. I poured it back into the glass jug it was sold in. Chilled it with frozen bottled water in my 5 gallon pot. Then I pitched a full packet of red star champagne yeast.

OG is 1.138. I will check in from time to time with updates.

Not bad stuff from McCutcheon's. I love the fact that you can snag a 1 gallon jug for the same price as Wally Mart sells a gallon of overseas juice. Plus your supporting local business.

 

[CavemanDom]

Not bad stuff from McCutcheon's. I love the fact that you can snag a 1 gallon jug for the same price as Wally Mart sells a gallon of overseas juice. Plus your supporting local business.

I also price checked my LHBS, I'll be darned if they aren't the SAME glass jugs as the juice. And with the price difference, I'm getting a gallon of juice for 60 cents!

 

[dlester]

I calculated an ABV of 16-18% depending on the viability of the yeast!! Try freezing the water out and see what you get. I assume you have to keep the temp down, otherwise you would get some pretty harsh flavors from the yeast?


Cheers

 

[CavemanDom]

Checked on mine this morning, was started 13 days ago. The airlock has settled down, but I can still see bubbles in the liquid coming up. Looks like my work schedule will let me re-rack next Sunday night.
The version with ginger syrup is in about the same spot, although it was done with T-58.

I think the timing should work out. My anniversary is feb 7th, and it just may be drinkable by then.

 

[berninga87]

Well it's been about 2.5 months since I started this cider. I let it ferment out until the yeast couldn't go any more. Had to add some concentrate to get some apple flavor back, the yeast stripped most of the apple flavor out. I have a gallon of each; blackberry, cranberry, cinnamon, plain apple and a black/cran combo. So far I've been drinking the cinnamon and it's great, very potent too. It's pretty good still but if I get the stuff to force carb before it's gone I'd like to see how it is carbed. One more note- at one month it was done fermenting but still lots of yeast in suspension and very yeasty taste in the cider. After little time that taste is pretty much gone.

 

[Paps]

It's pretty good still but if I get the stuff to force carb before it's gone I'd like to see how it is carbed.

Yeah...it's not easy staying away from it once you start drinking it.
I find it better when carbed but that's just my own personal prefference.
I'm bringing a corny full to the company x-mas party tonight so i'll get to see what the `bud-light` drinkers think of it.

 

[berninga87]

Good luck with that!

 

[CavemanDom]

Racked the ginger version to secondary this evening. Hydro said 1.038... OG was 1.124. Work called me in so I couldn't rack the cinnamon. I will do that tomorrow, hopefully.

Tasted it too. Ginger version certainly is gingery. Rather sweet, but has a slightly sulfury smell to it, although it isn't very noticeable in taste. Hopefully the smell will mellow...go away...

Will check in as things happen.

 

[Paps]

has a slightly sulfury smell to it.

Did it get dilluted with well water?
Sometimes there are wells contaminated with sulfur.
Highly unusual i must say.

 

[CavemanDom]

No water at all. Just the juice (drank its initial hydro reading, that was fine). Could it be I've stressed the yeast by high ABV? I don't have my calculations handy, but it's around where that yeast stops.

 

[kstone803]

So mine will hit 2 months next week and I am going to rack into the secondary, hit it with some clearing agent and bottle in a week. I think it will need to mellow in the bottles for a bit.

 

[RedF]

I started a batch about six weeks ago. I think it's done fermenting now, in about two weeks I would like to run it through a Bon Vino wine filter before kegging. Good idea? Bad idea? Input?

 

[Paps]

It can't hurt but i don't filter mine personally.
I find that leaving it unfiltered leaves some yeast present which
just so happen to be high in B-Vitamins.
These vitamins help lessen the effects of over indulgence.
(read helps you NOT get a hang over)
Just hit it with a gelatin clearer like K.C.Super Kleer if you want it clear.

 

[RedF]

Thanks!

 

[twofocused]

Has anyone back sweetened with apple concentrate and brown sugar and stove top pasteurized? Sounds Delicious and deadly!

 

[Paps]

Back sweetening is not needed for this recipe.
There is 2 whole pounds of sugar per gallon here.
The yeast cannot convert all of that to alcohol.
So there is plenty of sugar left over for anyones sweet tooth.
Cinamon in the secondary is absolutely amazing.

 

[twofocused]

Thanks, I'm going to give it a go.

 

[TripleJBrewery]

So i have 10 gallons of this going in two fermentation buckets. The first is fermenting like crazy, bubbles every 2 seconds. The second one there is no bubbles coming from the air lock.

I'm wondering if...the first bucket is a 30L and the second is much smaller, 6 gallons max. So it's close to the top. Any recommendations?

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