Plum & Apple Cider - results (so far)

[ozzmosiz]

I started off a plum & apple cider in August or so, it completed by beginning of September (I think) and I tried the first bottle on Saturday.
Result...... Rank!!!

It had good sparkle, but I added too much sugar (it was around 8%) and fermented fairly dry. It's quite tasteless - apart from alcohol. Tastes a bit better with added apple juice to sweeten it up and add some taste back.

As the bottle was still fairly cloudy, I wonder if I should cold crash it and let it age or let it continue aging in the garage....

opinions, thoughts, suggestions all welcomed

 

[barnaclebob]

What yeast did you use?

Did you add pectic enzyme? If not then you may not be able to get it to clear, I'm not sure if you can add it after the fact.

Have you racked it off the yeast? If not, racking and cold crashing can help.

Aside from letting it age there may not be much you can do at this point. I don't add sugar to my cider and only add enough to wines to get it to 10% abv to avoid sugar harshness.

 

[Nogud247]

I bet 6 months will make all the difference. Just my .02

 

[Roadie]

Sounds like next time you need to backsweeten before bottling.

 

[domingo]

Answers to any or all of the following would be helpful:

1. What type of yeast did you use?

2. What was your plum: cider ratio (lbs. or kilos per gallon or litre)?

3. Primary/secondary times?

4. Starting pH or ending pH? Sweetness of cider?

5. Type of plums used?

6. Do you know if you got a malolactic fermentation?

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Let it age a bit, 6 months to a year will improve it quite a bit.
Regards, GF.

 

[ozzmosiz]

I used Champagne yeast and no pectic enzyme. Ratio was about a quarter to a fifth of Plum juice to 3 quarters or 4 fifths of apple juice.
As soon as it finished fermenting I bottled it with a half teaspoon of sugar to get some fizz.

I don't ever check the PH. The plums I have no idea what type

I will leave the remaining bottles for at least 6 months - appreciate the suggestions.