For anybody who has done this before , I am in process of fermenting about 4 gallons of cider. I am thinking of backsweetening with the little cans of frozen concentrate and then doing the stovetop pasteurization process once they reach the right carbonation. Im looking to end up with a mildly sweet sparkling cider but overly sweet like some of the storebought types ( some of that stuff is just TOO sweet ). I am confused about how much of the frozen concentrate I should add. Anyone with experience doing this and can shed a little light on maybe a basic amount of the concentrate I might need ? Thanks
Sweetening with frozen concentrate
- Thread starter ohiochris
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gratus fermentatio
Well-Known Member
The label should tell you how many grams of sugar per serving & the serving size; you'll have to do the math as those numbers are for reconstituted juice. I'd do a taste test with a measured amount of your cider, say, a pint & add measured increments of concentrate say, a tablespoon & taste after every addition. Keep adding till it's at the sweetness you want; then do the math & backsweeten accordingly.
Regards, GF.
Regards, GF.
Kashue
Well-Known Member
I do this!
2-3 cans should give you a mildly sweet cider. More and you will wind up with a strong sour-apple candy taste. The REAL TRICK, IMO, is distributing the back-sweetening evenly; even adding it slowly as I rack my cider into the bottling bucket still produces rather uneven results bottle to bottle, so add it to each bottle or mix REALLY well.
Also keep in mind that your cider will not carb up very fast from concentrate; you should expect times about double what they are for straight sugar. The delay before it "gets good" will likewise increase since the concentrate will do little to cover the sour taste and fusels of a young cider.
2-3 cans should give you a mildly sweet cider. More and you will wind up with a strong sour-apple candy taste. The REAL TRICK, IMO, is distributing the back-sweetening evenly; even adding it slowly as I rack my cider into the bottling bucket still produces rather uneven results bottle to bottle, so add it to each bottle or mix REALLY well.
Also keep in mind that your cider will not carb up very fast from concentrate; you should expect times about double what they are for straight sugar. The delay before it "gets good" will likewise increase since the concentrate will do little to cover the sour taste and fusels of a young cider.
ohiochris
Well-Known Member
"
I do this!
2-3 cans should give you a mildly sweet cider. More and you will wind up with a strong sour-apple candy taste. The REAL TRICK, IMO, is distributing the back-sweetening evenly; even adding it slowly as I rack my cider into the bottling bucket still produces rather uneven results bottle to bottle, so add it to each bottle or mix REALLY well.
Also keep in mind that your cider will not carb up very fast from concentrate; you should expect times about double what they are for straight sugar. The delay before it "gets good" will likewise increase since the concentrate will do little to cover the sour taste and fusels of a young cider."
Well I went ahead and backsweetened with 3 cans of frozen concentrate. I actually had good carbonization in 3 days , so I pasteurized the bottles at that point and it worked really well. Since I pasteurized it and got rid of the yeast it may not "get better with age" , but the end result tastes nearly as good as the angry orchard cider I have in my frige and though I never did test the gravity I can tell its a little more potent than the average beer or storebought cider just from its effect when drinking it. There is a hint of the sour taste and fussels you mention though , but its good anyway. Next batch I will have to give more time in secondary and work on getting it to clear. I have to pace myself or it could all be gone in no time
I do this!
2-3 cans should give you a mildly sweet cider. More and you will wind up with a strong sour-apple candy taste. The REAL TRICK, IMO, is distributing the back-sweetening evenly; even adding it slowly as I rack my cider into the bottling bucket still produces rather uneven results bottle to bottle, so add it to each bottle or mix REALLY well.
Also keep in mind that your cider will not carb up very fast from concentrate; you should expect times about double what they are for straight sugar. The delay before it "gets good" will likewise increase since the concentrate will do little to cover the sour taste and fusels of a young cider."
Well I went ahead and backsweetened with 3 cans of frozen concentrate. I actually had good carbonization in 3 days , so I pasteurized the bottles at that point and it worked really well. Since I pasteurized it and got rid of the yeast it may not "get better with age" , but the end result tastes nearly as good as the angry orchard cider I have in my frige and though I never did test the gravity I can tell its a little more potent than the average beer or storebought cider just from its effect when drinking it. There is a hint of the sour taste and fussels you mention though , but its good anyway. Next batch I will have to give more time in secondary and work on getting it to clear. I have to pace myself or it could all be gone in no time
