Post-Roast-Apples

[wwright]

Just finished my first cider(s). All of them came out tasting pretty unpleasant. I did four one gallon batches and, in true college fashion, used champagne yeast instead of something reasonable like Nottingham Ale yeast. Now I have four one gallon bottles of alcohol that are no longer reminiscent of the apple juice or sugar that were in them two weeks ago. My highest is around 13% alcohol. Starting gravities were about 1.09 and are now close to 1 (sorry, don't have numbers in front of me.) I'm not necessarily interested in backsweetening any of them. I boldly declare real men don't backsweeten! Here's my idiotic proposal: I cook the alcohol out! Has anyone else been foolish or discouraged enough with their cider to try this? Perhaps by cooking it I could open up some flavor and lower the alcohol content. Then, if all else fails, cheapen my already disgusting hardy apple wine with Motts.

 

[Yooper]

Or- wait. Put it aside and wait a year. You've made apple wine, not cider, due to the high OGs. It'll be better in a year, and excellent in two years.

 

[blizzard]

Or- wait. Put it aside and wait a year. You've made apple wine, not cider, due to the high OGs. It'll be better in a year, and excellent in two years.

This. It takes a long time for apple wine to mellow out and get those apple flavors back.

 

[wwright]

It's nice to know it's only purpose won't be cleaning scraped knees. Thanks!

 

[user 171019]

Ditto. I've got some 11 to 12 pct ciders (wine) going on 1 year and they are oh so good. Mellowed well.

Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[wwright]

Mellow them in a cool dark place with an airlock? Or wait for them to finish fermenting then cap them? Or I suppose I could stop the fermenting with sorbate.

 

[phug]

are they in glass bottles or plastic? the plastic ones would allow oxygen through during long term storage.

 

[Yooper]

Mellow them in a cool dark place with an airlock? Or wait for them to finish fermenting then cap them? Or I suppose I could stop the fermenting with sorbate.

Sorbate doesn't stop fermentation- it inhibits yeast reproduction. If your wine isn't at .990, it's not done.

If the wine isn't totally clear, like you can read a newspaper through it, don't bottle it.

Keep the wine in the 60s until it's at least 6 months old, then you can put it in a cooler place if you need to. Keep them in a dark place, to avoid being lightstruck.

Once you get thick lees on the bottom, siphon to a new sanitized container and re-airlock. That may be twice over the course of fermentation, depending on how fast they clear.