The Cider Making No Brainer

[Matt]

That sounds like a good idea what type of sugar do you use to get 11% alcohol?

 

[Matt]

Sounds like a great idea What type of sugar do you use to get to 11%

 

[Almfamily]

Going to whip this up as my wife doesn't like beer and has been asking me to make something she will drink! Quick question - what do you carbonate at?

 

[TokyoTerror]

This is my next project, thx.

 

[pursefinger]

Cider is one of my favorite things to make. As a displaced Texan in the PNW, sourcing apples from friends with apple trees (and a few with orchards) is still a wonderful novelty. After pressing as much juice as will fit in my bucket fermenter, I add a pound of honey, champagne yeast and alpha galactosidase and let it do its thing. The honey and the enzyme help achieve a bone dry taste and an abv of over 8%. There is a slight wild edge to it as well, and the batches I've made tend to be towards my favorite ciders. Over carbonation is all too easy and great care should be taken when priming, barely any priming sugar needed.

 

[Mishraile]

Yes, for bottling, treat it like a beer!

 

[Mishraile]

Sounds like I should spend some time at your house?

 

[Mishraile]

Peter, thank you for pointing these out. My thoughts:
1. While there IS a difference in the liquids, in fermenting, I haven't seen too much of a significant one.
2. Most of my hard cider (apfelwein) is made from store bought juice to be honest. Picking apples it awesome, but not needed.
3. completely agree, anything you buy in the store shouldn't have more than the vitamin C additive.
4. It is difficult to find great commercial hard cider, most tastes like candy...all the more reason to make your own!
5. I would bet someone has!
6. it CAN be done with work and diligence, but yah, use those for apple sauce!

 

[Mishraile]

kegging is always way easier. Sparkling is always tough in bottle.

 

[Mishraile]

this depends on how much brown sugar you are using... too much might do that.
Also, I would say perhaps lower your backsweetening a bit? throw one of those cans of concentrate in with the fermenting and only do one for backsweeting? That might improve the acidity. (could also look into water PH to lower acidity as well, though I don't have a ton of experience with that).

 

[Mishraile]

I am lazy and old fashioned, so I set my kegs at 11-12 psi, and let em sit for about 6-7 days to get fully carbonated. You could speed that up.

 

[Mishraile]

awesome! let us know how you liked it!

 

[Mishraile]

oh man, this sounds great, perhaps I need to come for a visit!

 

[Fablush1]

Ahh scrumpy. I used to live in England and real scrumpy jack is what it sounds like you're describing. They sell some junk in the cans now but the real stuff is pretty amazing. I've been chasing after a method for cider that captures that taste you could get in the pubs around Oxford. Dry is good. I think it can cause brain damage though - it's a creeper!

 

[Pdsskelly]

Hard cider sounded wo detcul and easy. I have 4 gallons in a carboy. I racked it about 3 weeks ago. All seemed ok until about 5 days,ago when i noticed little spots on top. Now those spots have lines connecting to each other. It definitely looks like a chemical equation in there. Not good, right?
Can this be saved? I'm going to get serious grief from my family if i have to dump this!

 

[Dave Doucette]

Post about it in Lambic Brewing area and see what they think. Lots of people just use the wild yeast in unpasteurized cider to make hard cider. You may be A-Ok

 

[Bruhrab]

Sounds like a pelicle forming and is not necessarily bad. I just rack it to new jug and leave it behind, taste a little. If it tastes good, keep going. Bad, pitch it. Try to reduce the size of the surface exposed to air by filling the jug to the neck. Then future pelicle can be picked up with a twisted paper towel. I keg as soon as it fermenters out, gas and refrigerate, and begin taste testing. I've had ciders with pelicles end up great. Ciders always seem best after about a year or two. I make enough volume to have enough on hand where that happens as a matter of course. I like dry and flirty and don't backsweeten. I made 65 gallons this year...