Raspberry cider

[yeastluvr]

Just started a new cider tonight. I'm looking for something low abv this time, hopefully a nice summer quencher! I just hope its not tart. Recipe is:

1 1/2 gallons apple juice "great value Walmart".....hey it works for me!
2 cans Old Orchard Apple/Raspberry juice concentrate"from Walmart"
1 Packet Nottinghams ale yeast

I mixed the Old Orchard to its normal re-constitution which made a little over 3 quarts. Total I'm at 2 1/2 gallons. The Old Orchard has a definite rasberry taste however the ingredients in the juice are as follows: Apple juice, Pear juice, Grape juice and Raspberry juice.
I dont taste any grape but do taste the raspberry. I hope it doesn't come out to tart but I'm trying an ale yeast "first time" in an attempt to hold onto a bit of the sugar at the end. I did not add any sugar to this...

hydrometer was 1.044 PA around 5.8% but with the ale yeast will hopefully be a bit less. Plan is to let it go for 3 weeks or more and bottle carb it...

 

[Shooter]

Were you thinking of adding any vodka to this?!?!?

Okay, I'll stop now.

 

[Tusch]

I'd say you're in the right direction. The ale yeast still might take that to complete dryness 1.000 (or less), but you could always backsweeten a little bit if it fits the taste. I think this sounds like a great brew.

 

[bob1852]

looks good as well - I've been looking for a nice raspberry cider...keep us posted

 

[yeastluvr]

Shooter.... what makes you think I didn't add a little vodka to some left over must. It was a real treat!

 

[HOP-HEAD]

Well....... how'd it turn out? Looking to brew something similar for the little lady...

 

[jkarp]

I use the same ingredients for my raspberry cider, but I ferment the apple juice alone with champagne yeast, nuke it with sorbate and back-sweeten with the Old Orchard Apple/Raspberry juice when I keg. Everyone loves it.

 

[HOP-HEAD]

I use the same ingredients for my raspberry cider, but I ferment the apple juice alone with champagne yeast, nuke it with sorbate and back-sweeten with the Old Orchard Apple/Raspberry juice when I keg. Everyone loves it.

Can you break that down into baby talk for a beer brewer that's never made cider? What's nuking with sorbate? And how do I go about back sweetening with the juice? I apologize in advance for probably very elementary questions.

 

[Yan]

Potassium sorbate when used with a sulfite will stabilize the cider, so you can back sweeten, or sweeten after the cider has fermented dry if you're going to force-carbonate in a keg. Otherwise, it could come back to life and over-carbonate.

 

[jkarp]

You have to kill the yeast (or filter it out) to back-sweeten or they'll just reactivate and eat the new sugar.

Obviously, with no yeast at this point, the only way to carbonate is via kegging.