# cider - my way



## leighaus (23/8/14)

So i'm doing a quick cider for the missus (to keep the keezer costs happy).

20L of Aldi apple juice.
US04
2x 4gr sachets of yeast nutrient.

SG: 1.044

day 2:
add 1 cinnamon stick.
add 2 vanilla bean pods.


ferment out then keg. Add fresh juice if needed to sweeten.


Ive just put this one down, do you guys think the amount of cinnamon and vanilla is enough for 20L ?
I dont want the cinnamon or vanilla to take over, but dont want it to be lost either...


Cheers


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## troopa (23/8/14)

Sounds great.
For me, my go to is Aldi juice and bread yeast (worked out so great in my JAO i thought id use it) now done at least 20 of these and found it has more body then ale yeasts.

2 weeks to crystal clear in primary, Keg (if you could be bothered)
I dont bother with carbing just connect and pour when i do keg them.


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## Airgead (23/8/14)

Troopa said:


> Sounds great.
> For me, my go to is Aldi juice and bread yeast


I just died a little inside.


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## leighaus (23/8/14)

ahahha


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## troopa (24/8/14)

Airgead said:


> I just died a little inside.


HAHAH I can understand your feelings. But dont knock it till you give it a go.
I also press my own juice from a friends small orchard with that its totally different but when using a cheap tastless juice just to make something 4-5% with some sulphur/cider tones bread yeast does the trick(Dont ferment above 16-18 deg though lower the better


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## TimT (24/8/14)

I'd question using something like vanilla in a cider - the taste combo just doesn't quite work for me. Even so, if you're going to use it, I wonder if it mightn't be wiser to add it after the primary fermentation has died down, not while it's really gunning up? That way you'd preserve the spicey flavour better. Or maybe the point is to dull the vanillay-ness?


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## calobes (24/8/14)

I used vanilla and cinnamon in cider 2 xmas' ago. Cant remember exactly the recipe but I wanted them to shine through. I think I may have used 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 vanilla pods cut in half and de-seeded. Seeds and pods. 

The one thing I do remember is that mine tastes like shit. Mostly because I had no idea how to brew and it fermented at Brisbane summer temps. 

I would definitely try again now though, it had potential


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## Airgead (25/8/14)

Troopa said:


> HAHAH I can understand your feelings. But dont knock it till you give it a go.


I don't even use bread yeast for making bread ;-) A $3 investment in some good wine yeast (or just ask me... I'll send you some.. i buy it by the kilo) will make a big difference. You can also ferment in small batches and keep decanting finished cider and pitching back onto the yeast so one pack of yeast will last a long time...

On the whole vanilla thing, it is a flavour that can work with apple but its really easy to overdo.I'd add in secondary rather than primary. First because the active fermentation will scrub out a lot of the vanilla flavours and second because you can leave it in there and taste every day then pull it out when there is enough. With the primary because the taste is changing all the time its much harder to judge the amount.

Cheers
Dave


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## TimT (25/8/14)

Ever used wine or beer yeast for making bread, though? That's something I've been thinking about lately. The results could be interesting.


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## Airgead (25/8/14)

Actually, the yeast used for bread makes very little difference to the end product. The fermentation time is too short for any flavours to develop. All you are using the yeast for is as a source of co2 for the rise. Bread yeasts are bread (haha) for fast metabolism and therefore fast co2 production. No consideration is given to what flavours they produce (which is why they make bad brewing yeasts). Bread ferments also don't proceed to anywhere near completion so attenuation is something that bread yeasts also aren't bread for.

If you want interesting flavours in bread, you need to retard fermentation by keeping the dough cold through the rise time. That lets some stuff develop. I do that through a sourdough culture which has a very slow rise time (12-24 hours) and also has the lacto cultures for more flavour.

But now we are drifting very much :icon_offtopic:
Cheers
Dave


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## leighaus (26/8/14)

Chucked in two vanilla pod and two cinnamon sticks on day 3.. Will late hop if flavor falls off too much


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## leighaus (1/9/14)

Flavor is there, but quite gentle from the hydro reading taste. Will add another sick of both 3 days before keg


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## manticle (1/9/14)

> Flavor is there, but quite gentle from the hydro reading taste. Will add another sick of both 3 days before keg


Don't add sick to your brew mate.


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## leighaus (2/9/14)

Hahaha... Phone auto correct. ... Point taken !


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## Grott (3/9/14)

I thought you made cider to taste "cider", or is it a vanilla cinnamon bun that gets you drunk?  :blink:


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## leighaus (3/9/14)

Its the missus request... Gotta keep the wife happy. Don't mind playing around with additions


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