Cider Bad????

[TimmyR]

Thnx fellas....its pretty low alchohol since I just fermented the juice, but may just go ahead and add a little sugar or agave syrup to prime and slightly sweeten, then bottle in 750s I have.

This year, I intend to brew 2-5+ gallon batches but let one naturally ferment again and add some either brown sugar, honey or maybe agave syrup to bump the OG a bit.

[TimmyR]

Update on my cider adventure: First batch is in the keg now. I back-sweetened approximately 2.5 gallons of very sour/tart dry cider with 100ml of 100% apple juice concentrate. It is now carbonating and similar to an organic cider I tasted from Michigan, but a lot less sweet. I keep thinking it is too sour/tart, but have nothing to compare it to.

I like it...just wondering if REALLY tart is common/normal?

[Bugeater]

If you are going to back sweeten, you need to first treat the cider with some potassium sorbate. This will keep the fermentation from restarting when you add the additional sugars. If you don't do this, it will ferment back down to just as dry and tart as it was before.

Wayne

[TimmyR]

Thnx Bug. I backsweetened in the keg and figure it'll change a bit. I like it, but cannot get totally over the tartness. I know it's not acetobacter. It could be lactic, but am not sure. In any case, the 100ml to 2.5 gallons of 1.002 (or less) cider of 100% concentrate seems ok, but still a bit too tart. My wife says smells funky, but as I LOVE the funk...I think it's just normal ferment.

I am picking up 12 gal of cider pressed yesterday. I will pitch into 6 gallons Sat and freeze the other 6 for the next batch (will be specialty cider on the dregs). Then pitch a fresh batch on that for some New England Style.