questions on cider?

[drunktrutle]

being new here,I am from N.Y stste....I have tried my hand at making cider,but it always taste like a wine and I want that old home made taste with the fizzy taste to it..I have heard that I let it work too long and that it is possible to stop the fermentation by bringing it to a boil and then bottle it and cap it after it cools...This is the stop the bottles from blowing..I had this happen a year ago..I have a press and gallon jugs with the air locks,etc..Please help an old man out here..Thank you...I don't really care if it is high in alchol or not..Just to get a buzz is all..

 

[ong]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/5-day-sweet-country-cider-265986/

This kind of cider is sweet, cloudy, and tastes much more of juice than wine. Careful about pasteurizing, though -- if you make smaller batches, you can just keep it in the fridge until it's drunk.

 

[ong]

And for the really simple version, you can take a gallon plastic jug of cider, pour off a few cups to give you some headspace, add half a lb of brown sugar and some ale yeast, and stick an airlock into the cap. Let it sit out for 4-5 days, then pop it in the fridge and serve straight from the jug once the yeast has dropped down. It'll be sweet, fairly low alcohol, only slightly fizzy, but really pretty tasty. It's definitely a more old-school cider!

 

[gratus fermentatio]

You don't need to bottle pasteurize, just prime & bottle like you would for beer. It doesn't get any easier than this recipe:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

Now if you want your cider sweet & fizzy, you'll have to either backsweeten with a non-fermentable sweetener like Splenda & bottle like beer; OR you'll have to bottle pasteurize. Here's the procedure to do so:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/easy-stove-top-pasteurizing-pics-193295/

Hope that helps. Regards, GF.

 

[drunktrutle]

All replies are greatly appreciated..But,I just want to start out with making 1 gallon first if possible..I don't want to much alchol content..So after I get to the point where I like the taste,how long do you boil it to be sure it stops working so I can cap the bottle with out worry of the bottles exploding...That happened in the past a few years ago...:rockin:

 

[Yooper]

All replies are greatly appreciated..But,I just want to start out with making 1 gallon first if possible..I don't want to much alchol content..So after I get to the point where I like the taste,how long do you boil it to be sure it stops working so I can cap the bottle with out worry of the bottles exploding...That happened in the past a few years ago...:rockin:

Instead of trying to stop fermentation (almost impossible without pasteurizing), don't.

Take 1 gallon of apple cider. Add yeast. Let it ferment out. Then you won't have any bottle explosions. Adding sugar is what makes the ABV higher, and gives it that "winey" taste- so don't do that and you'll have a nice 5-7% ABV hard cider.

Carb it up if you like by adding a prescribed amount of priming sugar. Add some splenda or lactose or other non-fermentable sweetener if you want it sweetened.

 

[drunktrutle]

Instead of trying to stop fermentation (almost impossible without pasteurizing), don't.

Take 1 gallon of apple cider. Add yeast. Let it ferment out. Then you won't have any bottle explosions. Adding sugar is what makes the ABV higher, and gives it that "winey" taste- so don't do that and you'll have a nice 5-7% ABV hard cider.

Carb it up if you like by adding a prescribed amount of priming sugar. Add some splenda or lactose or other non-fermentable sweetener if you want it sweetened.

How does one know how much and what type of yeast to use for 1 gallon...

 

[Yooper]

How does one know how much and what type of yeast to use for 1 gallon...

If you're using wine yeast, one package is good for 1-6 gallons. So one package. I like Lalvin 71B-1122 for cider and apple wine. K1-1116 is good as well, and I've used EC-1118 with good results.

I don't use ale yeast in cider, so an online yeast pitching calculator would be handy for the amount.

 

[pmcint01]

coolr

 

[drunktrutle]

got to thinking about this.If I am using fresh apples and do my own pressing,which is my plan,there should be enough natural yeast in there anyway..and if I don't add sugar,it should still have a little alcohal anyway.
then I can bottle and cap it adding some splinda for sweetness and have no worry about the bottle bursting...Correct or not...??Thanks

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Yes, but without priming, it'll be still. If you want it sparkling, you'll need to prime it with sugar & then bottle, that will make it fizzy. Either way would be fine; it all depends on if you want bubbles or not.

If you do want it sparkling, have a look here for more details:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-4.html
The info is for beer, but it applies to cider too.
Regards, GF.

 

[FuzzBeckersHB]

If you're using wine yeast, one package is good for 1-6 gallons. So one package. I like Lalvin 71B-1122 for cider and apple wine. K1-1116 is good as well, and I've used EC-1118 with good results.

I don't use ale yeast in cider, so an online yeast pitching calculator would be handy for the amount.

What is your reason for not using ale yeast in cider? Doesn't it finish sweeter?
Thanks Yooper