Pappy`s Pub Cider - Award Winner!

[ChipWaState]

You can't kill yeast, only inhibit it's growth. So after stabilizing, I add the concentrate and I see no activity at all, and what little there might be is covered up by the fact that I carb my cider. And it's as clear as a plate glass window!

The reason I ask about the yeast is I am planning on bottle carbing and I have seen reviews online which indicates that KC causes the yeast to "settle out of the liquid". I would rather have a cloudy carbed cider than a clear still cider. Sorry for the rookie questions.

 

[JDWebb]

The reason I ask about the yeast is I am planning on bottle carbing and I have seen reviews online which indicates that KC causes the yeast to "settle out of the liquid". I would rather have a cloudy carbed cider than a clear still cider. Sorry for the rookie questions.

Yep, then you certainly don't want to stabilize. You can use some concentrate for your sugar, just make sure and do the math. Personally, "cloudy" doesn't change the flavor, just the looks of it. Hell, I'd drink it cloudy!

 

[umphorever]

This is my first venture into cider making! I just started a 1 gallon batch. I used Indian Summer juice. This patience thing is going to be hard!!

 

[James0816]

Finally getting ready to fire up a batch of this. Quick question (i still have a few more pages to read) concerning the ABV. 14-18% might be a bit high for our standards. We absolutely love a good cider but don't wanna be tipsy after one drink.. =)

Can you tone this down any or that's just how this recipe come out?

Thanks

 

[globell]

The batch I made a few months ago has an odd banana taste to it. I thought it would go away a few weeks after bottling, but it's not. It's still drinkable, but not all that good. It has surprisingly more body to it than I expected (that's probably good)

I think I'll back-off the sugar next time, and go back to using regular wine yeast (maybe Vintner's Harvest AW4) instead of champagne yeast.

Sugar gives body!

 

[globell]

Finally getting ready to fire up a batch of this. Quick question (i still have a few more pages to read) concerning the ABV. 14-18% might be a bit high for our standards. We absolutely love a good cider but don't wanna be tipsy after one drink.. =)

Can you tone this down any or that's just how this recipe come out?

Thanks

I hope pappy rings in on this but he recipe and abv is what really makes this cider what it is. You can use less sugar but I doubt it will be the same. Perhaps similar but it will dry out and not have the body this cider does.
If it’s too much you can always cut it with soda water just a thought.

I’d played with the recipe but the original really is the best

 

[globell]

And if you make other cider you can always post blend and some of the flavour will cross over to the blend. I do this often.

Enjoy!

 

[TGFV]

You can tone down the recipie but if you use the same yeast it will be much drier (or completely dry) since the sweetness comes from the yeast not being ablr to eat any more sugar.

Try finding a lower abv neutral wine yeast and it should potentially work.

 

[James0816]

I went ahead and used the original recipe for one gallon test batches. With the second batch, I did reduce the sugar to 1.5lbs as i'm not using exactly one gallon of apple juice since of course one gallon carboys won't hold it with two pounds of sugar. =)

Activated the yeast and all mixed up last night. Got up this morning and both bottles were exploding with activity! Literally took off. I did try to get a hydro reading and if I read it correctly, the 1.5 sugar read at 1.120(ish). Funny as the hydro lists this in the Dessert Wine range. I forgot to get the reading for the first batch (2#) before adding the yeast but measured right after at 1.102(ish).

The plan is for the 2# being with cinnamon and the 1.5# with blackberry. We'll see how they go.

 

[James0816]

So much for head space! These guys have gone mad. They are foaming through the airlocks now. I'm using the double airlocks so not sure how I can rig up a blow off. hmmmmm

 

[James0816]

Checked the bottles today one has stopped bubbling and the other has drastically slowed. Is this typical for 10 days fermenting?

For the bottle that stopped, i'll let it sit a week and then rack to the secondary and add blackberries.

 

[James0816]

So here's my update. First bottle racked into secondary w/ 1lb blackberries. Came in at .994 before berries. Think that comes around 16.5%. Hope the flavor will be there.

See you next week.

 

[NCBeerMedic]

So I poured 5 gallons of apple juice into my carboy, added the 10lbs of sugar and shook.... and shook... and shook. For over an hour. I couldn't get all the sugar to dissolve. Will this be a problem?

 

[NCBeerMedic]

Well, it's bubbling away.... we'll see how it turns out.

 

[kimarj]

Mines won't even ferment room temp was 74 so I put it down the basement where it's cooler...sigh

 

[globell]

add more yeast - perhaps the batch of yeast wasn't good

 

[globell]

So here's my update. First bottle racked into secondary w/ 1lb blackberries. Came in at .994 before berries. Think that comes around 16.5%. Hope the flavor will be there.

See you next week.

and - how is it?

 

[MikeTodd]

I read through this entire thread and didn't find this question so I will ask it now. Can I treat the final product with K-Meta and bottle it still in wine bottles? I am debating on either making this recipe vs Edworts and want to bottle it still.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Can I treat the final product with K-Meta and bottle it still in wine bottles?

Yes.

 

[James0816]

and - how is it?

I just bottled both last night. No tasting yet. I'm reserving that for next week when we go visit friends. But, they smell great! I may have added a bit too many blackberries for that batch but as long as the flavor profile is there. Will only use a few oz's for next batch and see how that goes.

As for the cinnamon, the o.m.g aroma is out of this world! And it's hot. I hope it smooths out a bit with age.

 

[James0816]

In looking back to prepare for my next batch, I missed two elements in the directions:

"I used "super-kleer K.C."{kieselsol-chitosan} in 2ndary (optional) to clear the cider and the stuff is amazing.Coldcrash in the freezer for an hour and bottle."

I don't think I needed the super-kleer. It's fairly clear as is. Annnnd....i didn't cold crash in the freezer before bottling. With that be an issue and if so, can i just stick the bottles in the freeze for an hour and all will be well once again?

 

[XPLSV]

Finished another batch about two months ago. The first batch I had used cider from a local apple orchard and added cinnamon sticks to the secondary. Cinnamon flavor was very strong, but that batch still medaled. This last batch, I used Costo’s Kirkland brand organic apple juice. Kind of got covered up and buried in the basement and spent about a year in the primary. Oops. I am really a secondary guy when it comes to aging after 30 days in the primary. Anyway, moved to secondary and added some cinnamon sticks and some vanilla beans, but only for five days, as I wanted to carb it and bottle some entries for the Colorado State Fair. The cinnamon flavor was not overpowering this time..could have gone a bit longer. Vanilla Beans definitely needed to be in there longer, as the taste is very subtle. Half the people will not identify the vanilla without a prompt. Next batch I will not rush and probably add and monitor the flavor additions separately. My big surprise, though, was a much stronger apple flavor from the Kirkland apple juice than what I had with the local orchard cider. At first, I wondered if I had only fermented the added sugar—I went back to Costco to verify there were no preservatives in the apple juice—and there were none. Had some friends sample four or five ciders and they all liked this last one, despite not getting a carved version (had extra that did not fit into the keg, so it went into a large mason jar). It is cider time at the orchard and rather than pay $6.50 a half gallon, I think I am just going to stick with the Kirkland organic apple juice. Also, it was the top cider at the fair

 

[rdback]

...i didn't cold crash in the freezer before bottling. With that be an issue and if so, can i just stick the bottles in the freeze for an hour and all will be well once again?

Cold crashing is usually done prior to bottling/kegging to help clarify. Typically refrigerate at 35F for 3-7 days, which causes particles, including yeast, to fall from suspension to the bottom of the fermenter. Then, you rack or bottle/keg immediately. I don't think it will do you any good to freeze your bottles now.

 

[DaveBaker]

So once the hydrometer reads . 999 am I good to add the sorbates and super kleer then bottle the next day? Its only been two weeks but its fully fermented, should I wait the full month or go ahead now that its done? I've also been degassing throughout the brew, not sure if that matters

 

[USCG1986]

SOS... So, I made this in a 6 gallon batch in a fermentasaurus, 6 gallons pasteurized cider (no preservatives), 10lbs store brand sugar, 2lbs honey, and I tried for the banana trick instead of yeast nutrient. While setting up the airlock I used vodka instead of a sanitizing solution, and some of it got sucked in directly onto where I had poured the yeast, should I mix it then pitch new yeast? I am also wondering if I should have mixed the sugar in, I just followed Pap's recipe and literally dumped everything into the tank.

 

[DaveBaker]

SOS... So, I made this in a 6 gallon batch in a fermentasaurus, 6 gallons pasteurized cider (no preservatives), 10lbs store brand sugar, 2lbs honey, and I tried for the banana trick instead of yeast nutrient. While setting up the airlock I used vodka instead of a sanitizing solution, and some of it got sucked in directly onto where I had poured the yeast, should I mix it then pitch new yeast? I am also wondering if I should have mixed the sugar in, I just followed Pap's recipe and literally dumped everything into the tank.

Mix the sugar for sure, the yeast will prob be okay but if you don't see activity after a a day or two pitch new yeast

 

[USCG1986]

Good news, 36 hours after mixing everything up it's bubbling away about every second.

 

[NCBeerMedic]

Ok, so. It’s been sitting for two months now and it’s STILL like rocket fuel. How do I mellow this out some?

 

[TGFV]

It takes a bit longer than 2 months for a lot of ciders to really shine. Whenever I make Pappy it really shines at 6+

 

[dmtaylor]

Ok, so. It’s been sitting for two months now and it’s STILL like rocket fuel. How do I mellow this out some?

Sorry if it's no consolation, but... told you so. You could maybe pour it down the drain and make some real cider.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/pappy-s-pub-cider-award-winner.408610/page-6#post-7170564