prune cider; vanilla

[user 272141]

I brewed a batch of prune cider, and it was easily the most delicious thing I've made. (Literally all prune juice. No apple juice. If this post belongs in a different subforum, I'll delete and repost it.) The flavor was rich and earthy and interesting, the texture was thick and bubbly. However, I feel that it's missing a little something.

I'd like to try two experiments next. One will be to rack it onto cocoa nibs when the primary is finished.

For my second experiment, I'd like to try to get some vanilla flavor in. I think it'd really compliment everything.

Whole vanilla beans are crazy expensive. Does anyone have good techniques for getting vanilla flavor into their batches cheaply? I'm already oaking using medium-toast oak chips. IDK if they're french or american.

Would vanilla extract work? Any idea how much/gallon would usually be necessary? I know the general technique is to start with an underdose, mix thoroughly, taste, and adjust from there. But a ballpark would be good.

 

[bmd2k1]

What was ur recipe?

I've used 1t vanilla extract per 1gal in some of my ciders [emoji106]

Cheers [emoji111]

 

[Pewkins]

As far as vanilla, I know in a lot of recipes I do for soda syrups use vanilla bean paste which might work if mixed in.

That being said, if you use whole vanilla bean and create your own extract it leaves you with years worth of very high quality extract. it's a high base cost but becomes extremely cheap across the use of the extract if you end up starting to use it more and more.

I have been doing liqueurs for years and it's pretty much like the same method as a liqueur if you want, o can give you what works well for me for it.

That being said, I definitely second the vanilla addition. I add vanilla to nearly anything I want to have a creamy flavor regardless of whether or not I want a vanilla flavor because vanilla scientifically gives food and drinks a smoother creamier flavor even if you can't taste the vanilla at all. There was a study where they put a bit of vanilla in milk and had people blind taste test it and although they didn't say it had a vanilla flavor all the subjects preferred the vanilla milk since they said it was richer and creamier.

Anywho, good luck. I think I might try this prune cider Next!

 

[user 272141]

Thank you both! I'll definitely investigate doing my own extract if I can nail the recipe down. if standard vanilla extract works for bmd2k1, I think I'll give that a go first next batch.

I finally figured out some of the flavor components: it has vaguely Dr. Pepper notes. But it's not a Dr. Pepper clone, it's its own thing. Sort of indescribable, like how you can't describe chocolate by comparing it to other things. It has a prune-juice aftertaste. Sort of.

Unfortunately, I broke the spreadsheet I use to keep recipes, and temporarily stopped recording the recipes as a result. So, I can't give you folks the exact recipe! But, I know what materials I have around the house, and I know my habits, so I can take a pretty good guess. And it's delicious enough that I will refine it, (and I started taking down my recipes on index cards, so I'll know for next time) so I'll post updates to the recipe as I figure out what I like best. I have two one-gallon jugs booked for continued experiments with this recipe. Hopefully, I'll be able to get them started this weekend or next weekend.

If you give it a try, definitely let me know what works and doesn't work for you.

1 gallon prune cider:
-------- ingredients, primary -----------
- 1 gallon store-bought prune juice. I had access to Safeway brand.
- sugar, 1/2C. It was probably plain white or brown sugar. I'd say it was brown sugar, but I was collaborating with someone else, who has different brewing habits, so I'm not sure.
- 1/2t yeast nutrient.
- (probably) 1/4 or 1/8t wine tannins. I won't be adding these next batch; the prune juice is strong enough to not need it.
- yeast. I either used nottingham ale yeast or lavlin D-47. Probably nottingham--I've noticed nottingham leaves a substantial yeast cake very quickly, which was consistent with the behavior of this batch.

-------- ingredients, secondary ---------
- medium-toast oak chips. I used "one ounce", or more accurately, "I threw some in and figured it would be fine". It was.

-------- ingredients, bottling ---------
- lactose
- 1/10 C bottling sugar (or to desired carbonation level)

Instructions, primary:
- clean, sterilize, pour juice and ingredients in, mix, pitch yeast, attach airlock or blowoff tube.
- wait until the fermentation stops, then wait another week or two so the yeast can settle to the bottom.

It. Will. Smell. Terrible. You will question why you ever did this bizarre thing. Take heart! It will end up tasting and smelling fine.

The fermentation will be fierce. I would recommend a blowoff tube. I don't own one, so I just have to change the airlock periodically.

I probably fermented between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. I'd like to get my temperatures down to 58, but don't have the resources to do so.​

Instructions, secondary:
- rack to another container, leaving the yeast cake behind.
- toss in some oak chips.
- let it sit for a while. Definitely wait until the terrible smell goes away. Racking it will help the smell significantly.

Instructions, bottling:
- rack to another container, leaving any settled yeast behind.
- sweeten to taste with lactose.
- add a bottling sugar.
- bottle
- wait two weeks
- enjoy

I thought the lactose significantly improved the body, so I would recommend lactose over other sweeteners or bottle pasteurization for this one.

I would also recommend erring on the side of too sweet--I thought I had added too much lactose, but I was too wrong. My current batch still needs a little more sweetness.

I would strongly recommend carbonating. Carbonating drastically improved the character.

I used honey as a priming sugar because it was convenient in the moment, but would recommend going with something less expensive. No honey character came through, because the yeast ate all the honey. Duh.​