Beer Forum

So it is hard to avoid apples in fall here in MN and so now that my curiousity is peaked with cider, i thought i'd give it a go. Here is my two part question, i've only had woodchuck hard cider and that is pretty good (not really interested in making a champagny type) so how much stuff will I need to add to make a two gallon batch.

Part two, the sunday show currently isn't available in itunes so i can't search for the cider show. Anyone remember when it was so i don't have to dig in the archives for too long. I thought it was augustish.

thanks

polski wrote:Part two, the sunday show currently isn't available in itunes so i can't search for the cider show. Anyone remember when it was so i don't have to dig in the archives for too long.

5/21/06

no wonder i couldn't find it.

Now for part one...who's making killer cider?

polski wrote:no wonder i couldn't find it.

Now for part one...who's making killer cider?

I dunno how "killer," but I make a fair bit of cider. My wife is celiac so she can't drink my beer, which is a big bummer, but...

Cider is super-easy, if you've got a source of good juice. I personally have a local cider mill that I get non-pasteurized non-preservative-ized juice. 5-6 gallons of random juice, a pinch of yeast nutrient, a packet of champagne yeast, let it go for a couple weeks, rack it, age for a couple months, and then keg. That's my typical deal.

As for type of juice, I tend to get 3-4 gal of something sweet-ish, 1-2 gal of granny smith (i.e. sour), and 0-1 gal of something aromatic.

I've used the white labs cider yeast too, and it works. Beware that it will be extremely sulfury for a few weeks, I have poured one batch down the drain because it was just waaay too sulfurey, though I've since read that that is fairly typical.

Anyway, I can't say I'm a master cidermaker, but I've made multiple batches... any specific questions?

I have a friend who presses my juice (in return for 2 cases of cider) so I can't say what the juice mix actually is. The recipe is pretty simple and most (can't say all) of our friends say they like it.

5.25 gal apple juice
2 lbs honey
2 lbs brown sugar
1 pkg Lalvin 71B-1122 Narbonne dry yeast
1/4 tsp. Yeast nutrient

I make a yeast starter about 3 days in advance. Mix the juice, honey and brown sugar together. Oxygenate, pitch the yeast and nutrient around 68-70F. It will be pretty active for a couple of weeks. I usually pitch Oct. 1, bottle (using corn sugar like you would with beer) Nov. 1 and it's usually ready by Dec. 14th, in time for Christmas parties/break.

The juice I get is 75%-80% apple (red delicious, golden delicious, granny smith) and the rest is pear (bartlett and some tart chinese variety) and a little peach. Like I said, it comes from a friend after his family is done freezing, canning, etc the fruit they want, so the taste changes a little year-to-year. The honey is wild flower that I get from a retired guy on the edge of town that has his own hives.

Beware, this stuff will also knock you on your ass if you aren't careful. I've been making basicly the same recipe for 15+ years, before I was doing beer. The one (and only) time I did gravity readings it came out at around 12%. Plus this is not a "sweet" cider recipe, at least compared to the ciders you find in the liquor stores around here.

I'm going to be bottling my first attempt shortly. Is it crazy to think it would be drinkable by Thanksgiving or should i hold off? It has been fermenting for roughly two weeks.

Have no idea. But since you are bottling, you can always crack one open a couple of days before and try it. I just wouldn't "advertise" it until it's ready, make it a suprise if it is.

Would also recommend holding some back and trying it at different times so you will know when it's at its best. That's what I did with mine years ago and I know it's good to go after 4 weeks, though I wait 6 weeks.

How much should a Hard Cider be carbonated??? I just tapped my first one, and although it tastes pretty good, it seems like it needs much more carbonation that my beer. I usually carb my beer at around 9 psi. What pressure should I be using on Cider????