To carb or not to carb.

[Bearpawbrew]

To carb or not to carb, that is the question.....

Opinions? I just made my first 2 gallon batch of cider, i only added 1 cinnamon stick, a bit of ground nutmeg and 1 cup of brown sugar. I'm gonna let it ferment for at least 2 weeks but i'm undecided if i should carb it up when i bottle it or not. What does everyone think.

thanks,
Jim

 

[FastAndy]

Personally I like a cider that is carbed kinda high. I've made it both ways and when I take a sip of still cider it seems like there is a disconnect between my mouth and brain and I feel duped. I've never made any with cinnamon and or spice so that make actually taste ok flat. Maybe split the batch and try it both ways then make more of the one you like most?

 

[watomlinson]

I personally like my cider carbonated as well. You can always taste your gravity sample and see if you think you'd like it better still or carbonated. It's really all preference. I had a cinnamon ginger cider I made and bottle carbonated then cold crashed, but it ended up still because I didn't let it condition long enough and it tastes quite fine still. Something about the added herbs and spices that make it taste good still. My favorite thing to do with still cider is to heat it on the stove, add a cinnamon stick to the mug, and enjoy on a cold night.

 

[UpstateMike]

I wouldn't drink a flat beer, why would I drink a flat cider?

 

[monel_funkawitz]

Bearpawbrew, you are probably not going to like your cider. Adding cinnamon in the fermentation stage causes some really bad off flavors most of the time.

You are better off racking and adding cinnamon right at bottling time.

 

[Bearpawbrew]

I hope it turns out alright if it does end up a bit fubar then I only wasted a bit of yeast, cidar and time. I've never made cidar before so it was a bit of a science experiment any how.......

 

[Pratzie]

Im working on my first batch thats a slight modification of upstatemike's caramel apple cider and I fully intend on carbing. I can't imagine drinking flat cider thats around 7-8%. U could always rack half the batch to ur bottling bucket and carb that, and then add camp tabs to the rest of the batch and let that sit for another 24 and then compare the still to the sparkling.

 

[cptkernow]

I'm from the southwest of the UK and grew up drinking flat cloudy cider. I think if it's clear and dry, then carb it up otherwise it tastes old. If it's cloudy, thick and not too dry then flat is lovely

 

[mcspanner]

I'm from the southwest of the UK and grew up drinking flat cloudy cider. I think if it's clear and dry, then carb it up otherwise it tastes old. If it's cloudy, thick and not too dry then flat is lovely

I agree, most of the quality farm produced scrumpys in the UK are cloudy and flat and it tends to be more the mass produced "lifestyle" ( for want of a better word) ciders that are carbonated. There are exceptions in both styles of cider but I'd almost always go for a high abv, flat, cloudy scrumpy over a fizzy one.

At the end of the day it's just another area to develop personal preference in. As it's a bit of a science experiment why not divide into two styles at bottling by priming half then see which you prefer?

 

[Bearpawbrew]

Thanks for the comments everyone. The cider is fermenting nicely right next to a nice german Krolsch and the bottles of witbier should be ready in another week or so. Gotta love the fall

 

[MarkKF]

The only non-carb cider I liked was a spiced apple wine served warm in the winter.