# Mangrove Jack Cider



## Shadow Ironheart (22/4/12)

Any hints, corrections, or tips eagerly wanted. I want to do a either a mangrove Jack Cider or Black Rock Irish Cider. The wife likes a sweeter cider than is generally on the market. I though about only using up to 15 liters of water but using brown sugar. And was going to use Saaz hops. Any ideas on a good yeast? Can I use brown sugar? Or should I only use the glucose but also add molasses? And in what quantities? Not entirely new to home brewing; but new enough that i still use kits. Last kit was a Mangrove Jack Nut Brown Ale.


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## manticle (22/4/12)

Saaz hops in a cider? Any particular result you are hoping for? Hops are an unusual addition to cider.

For sweetness, the kits usually have some artificial sweetners in them as apple juice will usually ferment right out.

My favourite cider yeasts are wyeast sweet mead and wyeast cider but I like dry. US05 will supposedly leave a sweeter cider. Other sweetening methods include adding pear juice, adding lactose, adding stevia, backsweetening with fresh apple juice, bottle pasteurisation and keeving (not relevant to a kit cider).

You could also add some malt (graff) and some of the less refined sugars may leave a touch of sweetness and flavour compared with white cane sugar or dextrose.

If your wife likes a sweeter cider than mercury, strongbor or three oaks sweet then she might just need to add a spoon of sugar to each glass. Those are pretty damn sweet in cider terms. Even Magners and Bulmers have a reasonable hit of sweet. What about rekordelig (horrible and artificial tasting to my palate) or some of the perry/pear ciders around?


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## troopa (22/4/12)

10 x 2litre Aldi apple juice + US05 will be rather sweet. If u want it sweeter add some lactose if noone is intollarant orpear juice if u want more natural back sweetening 
No need for hops or sugar or anything else really


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## Shadow Ironheart (22/4/12)

manticle said:


> Saaz hops in a cider? Any particular result you are hoping for? Hops are an unusual addition to cider.
> 
> For sweetness, the kits usually have some artificial sweetners in them as apple juice will usually ferment right out.
> 
> ...




Thanks. The thought of adding hops is my idea, as I want more of an ale; Should I try the kit first without any additives other than the glucose, then try tweaking to my liking?


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## pete6 (22/4/12)

We did a blackrock cider not so long ago - loosely based around the Brewcraft 'strongbow' recipe

added 500g lactose for sweetness. Its turned out pleasantly sweet and palatable, but the dryness is still there on the back end!.


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## manticle (22/4/12)

Shadow Ironheart said:


> Thanks. The thought of adding hops is my idea, as I want more of an ale; Should I try the kit first without any additives other than the glucose, then try tweaking to my liking?



usually the best way if you are smart enough to work out what you like and don't like and how to improve AND patient enough to have another crack with those improvements in mind.

A kit cider will have some sweetness - If you did all juice or all fresh apple, you would need to start playing around more.

Hop bitterness will counteract the effect of any sweetness. Not sure how you were thinking of adding the hops but try it with a glass of apple juice and/or commercial cider before committing to a whole batch. Cider is not beer.


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