Hard Apple Cider

Two years ago my wife bought me a great all-grain brewing system but she HATES beer. However, she loves ciders. Anyone know of a great and easy to follow cider recipe that I can brew for my bride?

The hard ciders I've made came out bone dry. As in pucker up. Next time I make it I plan to use some potassium sorbate after fermentation, then sweeten to taste.  Then I'll force carbonate in a keg.  Don't have any recipe suggestions for you though. Just warning you that it's gonna be dry.

I have made a bunch of ciders and yes they all come out very dry. If you want to get a sweet cider more like what you find in the store you will have to kill the yeast off with sulfites and add apple juice to sweeten. I prefer dry cider so I don't mess with that. As far as recipes go there is not much too it - take your apple juice and add yeast.

Most commonly cider is made from apple juice either fresh or concentrate - either way if MUST be pasteurised and cannot contain ANY preservatives with the exception of ascorbic acid. For some reason it is commonly recommended to use Champagne yeast, but it is highly attenuative and will result in an extremely dry cider. For best results use the White labs Cider yeast, but almost any good yeast can work. DO NOT BOIL! Just add the yeast to the cider and keep at normal fermentation temp - cider will ferment at higher temperatures than that without such dramatic off flavours that you get in beer ( I have fermented at 85F with no problems so good for summer brewing). Should start around 1.050 and finish around 1.000

Thank you guys so much. Out of curiosity, why not boil?

You don't boil because you are already using pasteurized juice and boiling will drive off aromas and impact flavours and cause cloudiness due to pectins.

Maine Homebrewer said:

The hard ciders I've made came out bone dry. As in pucker up. Next time I make it I plan to use some potassium sorbate after fermentation, then sweeten to taste.  Then I'll force carbonate in a keg.  Don't have any recipe suggestions for you though. Just warning you that it's gonna be dry.

Click to expand...

Potassium sorbate would be to prevent infection?  Or are you using it for something else?

TAHammerton said:

I have made a bunch of ciders and yes they all come out very dry.

Click to expand...

I heard somewhere else that cider needs a long time in fermenter and then again in the bottle.  What has been your experience?  Also, does it carbonate in the bottle like a beer would?

Thanks for your insight!

Ah, I forgot to mention I usually add a yeast nutrient which helps with a quick fermentation. I can't recall anything taking more than a couple of weeks, and usually it goes quicker. Yes you can carbonate in the bottle same as beer. I would have to search through my old notebooks, but I am pretty sure that the whole process to a ready to drink carbonated cider has not been more than 30 days. You can make high gravity ciders using concentrate which obviously will take longer just as a beer would.

The biggest risk for long fermentation times would be from using a juice that has a preservative in it which would inhibit the yeast.

The great thing about homebrewing is that you are not limited to ordinary cider. Try a Cyser which is a mead/cider hybrid. I also have a recipe for my Legendary H.A.P.P.Y brew (Honey, Apple, Pacific Pineapple, Yeast). Malt/cider hybrids are also becoming popular but I have yet to try one.

TA,

I have heard theres a huge difference between Costa Rican and Pacific Pineapple.  I guess you would know?  Have you ever compared the two? Ive been working on a pineapple mead and this last go round  am at 3 hits of 5 lb of c.r. pineapple at a time.  Still not enough for me.

you will have to kill the yeast off with sulfites

Click to expand...

Campden tablets (sulfites) stun or kill wild yeast, and are used in wine making to ensure that the wine yeast overwhelms any wild yeast that was on the fruit. "Domesticated" yeast can handle the sulfites.  So I don't think that would work.

Potassium sorbate would be to prevent infection?  Or are you using it for something else?

Click to expand...

Potassium sorbate stops yeast from reproducing. The purpose is to keep the added sweetener from restarting fermentation.

The last cider I made was a bit of an experiment. I purchased five gallons of cider from the orchard up the road, then used the last of my powdered extract to boost the gravity. Pitched a neutral ale yeast and fermented in the high 60s. Force carbonated it in a keg.  Wasn't bad.  I hoped that the extract would leave some residual sweetness, but it didn't. It was bone dry and somewhat astringent.  I ended up making some simple syrup. I'd put a tablespoon or so of syrup into a glass, and then pour the cider on top. The sweetness really brought out the flavor that was hidden by the dryness and tannins.  I figure a force carbonated, back-sweetened, home cider could be pretty good.  Just haven't done it yet.

I used to use the locally grown Maui Gold Pineapple which is known for being very sweet. Even so the pineapple flavours are very subtle. Since ML&P Pineapple production has shut down I can't get the juice anymore. The winery took over some of the fields and equipment to make their pineapple wine (don't bother it's not good) so you can still get whole Pineapples but not the juice. Anyway, I think there are significantly more sugars in the Maui Gold than the central American varieties. I have not tried it with anything else so can't make a recommendation.

TA, Do you know a source I can buy from and get it shipped?  Online I see like $15 per fruit. + shipping

I get them at Costco for $2.99.  They sell them direct from the farm including shipping for an $85 6 pack ($15 a piece) at http://www.pineapplemaui.com/pineappleshop/

How many do you want? Maybe I could get them for you from Costco.

After years and years of brewing nothing but beer a buddy turned me onto cider. He is an expert. I don't know much about it at all other than I learned from the best and it tastes good. I brew it a couple of times a year now and I love it. I will give you the easiest recipe there is and it is very good. It's just plain old cider. Nothing fancy but, you can add fruit or whatever you want much in the same way you would add it to beer.

5 gallons of apple juice. Use the cheap generic stuff. The brand name stuff has preservatives that screw things up. Don't know why. That's just what my buddy says.

2 lbs. plain white table sugar

1 packet of Montrachet Dry Wine Yeast

Mix the juice and sugar in a fermentation bucket or carboy. Don't boil or heat it. Do it all at room temp. including fermentation. I would not use your beer fermenter(s). Possible off flavors.

Add the yeast and keg or bottle just like you would with beer. Keep the carbonation on the high side.

That's it. It will ferment at about the same rate beer does. You can make it in an hour or less.

Give it a try.

This is how I mix my cider. Works great.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200939939994296