Right type of sugar for a cider?

[mikeysab]

Since I'm on a Magner's kick lately, I've been dying to brew my own cider. I'm brewing a belgian quad sometime soon, and since I don't have a LHBS, and no way to pick up a quick batch of yeast, I'm going to use the yeast cake for the cider. The question I have is about fermentable sugar. I had a strange thought the other day about what type of sugar to use. I read an article on line about Belgian candi sugar being no different than regular table sugar, except that belgian candi hs invert and table sugar needs to be inverted by boiling. So my thought was, since I'm using APPLE juice, and APPLE concentrate, could I use APPLE Jolly Ranchers as fermentable sugar? If so, would I need to do anything besides dissolve them? or is this just another of my terrible ideas?

 

[david_42]

I've had Jolly Rancher mead, so I'm certain they are fermentable.
Not that I can think of.
You're not the first and I haven't heard of any deaths associated with JR.

 

[mikeysab]

Thanks for the response David. So if it is fermentable, then I shouldn't have a problem using it as my sugar instead of regular table sugar. Plus, it may add a nice flavor to the cider. Now I really can't wait to get this thing going. Thanks again.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I have one recipe for Cider that uses 7 POUNDS of regular table sugar...an it tastes great.

There's no reason you can't use any yourself.

 

[wreckinball9]

i was toying with the idea of doing a small batch with added Apple Puckers Liquer for the same effect. keep us updated

 

[rjschroed]

I realize you said you don't have a LHBS but maybe using sugar and ordering apple concentrate is a better idea, less innovative but probably safer. Plus this way you can try a little in a glass with a little of the concentrate and if you don't like it you haven't used it on the whole batch.

 

[vespa2t]

Apple juice concentrate is a good way to add an all natural sugar. The JR would probably work fine, but your then artificially flavoring...atleast to me I want the flavor to be all from apples and not a chemical compound from a lab. You can get intense apple flavors from just apples.

Table sugar works good. So does brown sugar. Personally, I like DME, adds a bit of body and malty-ness. Mmmm.

Also, if using your quad yeast cake, do a test with one gallon of cider first. I dont know what yeast strain your using for the quad. If its a true belgian, then you may get some oddball flavors from it. I had a cider that a freind made using some sort of Belgian yeast and it was truely bizarre. Not bad, but not within the normal flavors associated with cider. I personally like S04, it has good character without the yeast producing flavors that overpower the apples.

 

[warispeace]

Hey I just started my first batch of apfelwein a week ago and I was wondering about the sugar. I used cane sugar instead of corn sugar. I'm worried that it's going to come out tasting funny. How much of a difference does the type of sugar make?

 

[Emerald]

Hey I just started my first batch of apfelwein a week ago and I was wondering about the sugar. I used cane sugar instead of corn sugar. I'm worried that it's going to come out tasting funny. How much of a difference does the type of sugar make?

I made a one gallon trial batch with cane sugar and other than needing a bit more aging it is fine and really good so the second batch got just plain old white cane sugar and brown cane sugar 1/2 and 1/2. From all the reading of the HUGE Apfelwein threaddrunk, the only reason to corn sugar is it is easier to mix in and has no off flavors, where as cane sugar will leave a slightly "cidery" flavor-bad for beer but since this is apple wine anyway, I didn't notice any off flavors. Hope that helps.

 

[warispeace]

I made a one gallon trial batch with cane sugar and other than needing a bit more aging it is fine and really good so the second batch got just plain old white cane sugar and brown cane sugar 1/2 and 1/2. From all the reading of the HUGE Apfelwein threaddrunk, the only reason to corn sugar is it is easier to mix in and has no off flavors, where as cane sugar will leave a slightly "cidery" flavor-bad for beer but since this is apple wine anyway, I didn't notice any off flavors. Hope that helps.

OK, good, I'll stop worrying about it then.

 

[mikeysab]

I just read the Yeast Washing thread, so I'm going to try to wash and store the Belgian abbey II the kit came with. Even though It never swelled, I'm trying to figure out how to use it anyway, or get a new one. I just ordered a whole bunch of stuff from NB, one gallon jugs for test batches, a boatload of different yeasts, and some misc. stuff to try out. I also placed an ad on craigslist to buy used one gallon wine jugs for 2 dollars each. I figured instead of throwing them out, people would like to get money for them, but nobody answered. I really wanna get a bunch of one gallons and put a boatload of test batches together. We'll see how the first 2 one gallon batches go for now.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

I have one recipe for Cider that uses 7 POUNDS of regular table sugar...an it tastes great.

SEVEN POUNDS?
Boy have I been a lightweight.

 

[homebrewer_99]

SEVEN POUNDS?
Boy have I been a lightweight.

I got the recipe from Mr. Steve's HBS in York, PA. The club tried a number of recipes and the concensus was this one came out the best.

They used English Cider yeast.

If you want I can post the recipe after I get home tonight.