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I think I've made one of the best batches of cider that I've ever made, so I thought I'd share the recipe... (why not!)
Ingredients:
5 gallons (10x 1/2 gallons) of Wal-Mart apple juice, no preservatives, made from concentrate. Only ingredients are apple juice concentrate, water and ascorbic acid.
Wyeast 1028 (vial from a previous beer batch - you can use a new pack)
1/2 tsp Potassium metabisulfite
2 1/2 tsp Potassium sorbate
I made a starter from 1 of the 1/2 gallons of juice, which I put on the stirplate with the Wyeast 1028 vial. I let the yeast start good and strong (2-3 days in my case).
Pour 4 gallons (8x 1/2-gallon) of the apple juice in a sanitized carboy, and add the yeast starter. Put airlock on top. [This reserves one 1/2 gallon for back sweetening]
Let it ferment around 72F (Wyeast 1028 generates some nice aromas/flavors around that temp). Fermentation time was approximately 2 weeks.
Rack over to secondary, and add the metabisulfite and the sorbate, and I gently rocked the carboy to mix it in. Secondary for about 4 weeks. The cider should clarify very nicely.
I then kegged the cider into a corny, adding the final remaining 1/2 gallon of apple juice to make it 5-gallons. Carbonate to around 2.8-3.0 volumes, chill and serve.
It is quite reminiscent of a woodchuck, but a tad less sweet. I consider woodchuck to be very sweet (call it "10/10 for sweetness"), my version is closer to a 7/10 for sweetness.
I'll post a picture shortly. It's got a light golden hue and a fabulous clarity. Very good aroma & taste of apples/juice.
MC
Ingredients:
5 gallons (10x 1/2 gallons) of Wal-Mart apple juice, no preservatives, made from concentrate. Only ingredients are apple juice concentrate, water and ascorbic acid.
Wyeast 1028 (vial from a previous beer batch - you can use a new pack)
1/2 tsp Potassium metabisulfite
2 1/2 tsp Potassium sorbate
I made a starter from 1 of the 1/2 gallons of juice, which I put on the stirplate with the Wyeast 1028 vial. I let the yeast start good and strong (2-3 days in my case).
Pour 4 gallons (8x 1/2-gallon) of the apple juice in a sanitized carboy, and add the yeast starter. Put airlock on top. [This reserves one 1/2 gallon for back sweetening]
Let it ferment around 72F (Wyeast 1028 generates some nice aromas/flavors around that temp). Fermentation time was approximately 2 weeks.
Rack over to secondary, and add the metabisulfite and the sorbate, and I gently rocked the carboy to mix it in. Secondary for about 4 weeks. The cider should clarify very nicely.
I then kegged the cider into a corny, adding the final remaining 1/2 gallon of apple juice to make it 5-gallons. Carbonate to around 2.8-3.0 volumes, chill and serve.
It is quite reminiscent of a woodchuck, but a tad less sweet. I consider woodchuck to be very sweet (call it "10/10 for sweetness"), my version is closer to a 7/10 for sweetness.
I'll post a picture shortly. It's got a light golden hue and a fabulous clarity. Very good aroma & taste of apples/juice.
MC