# Mrs wants a cider!



## mattyg8 (23/5/14)

Hey all well Im half way through my first keg I brewed of a coopers kit and the only way im going to be able to keep it up is if I make a keg of Cider for the Mrs... She likes a bulmers or a strongbow dry type of cider

Being new to this all and not knowing many brew shops in the area I was thinking of doing something like this

16L of preservative free apple juice
5L of Pear juice

Now I wonder what kind of yeast to use...ive read about people using beer yeast, cider or wine
what would help get a semi dry cider

thanks


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## spryzie (23/5/14)

S04 works for many people. Also easy to find at any shop.


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## mattyg8 (23/5/14)

cheers thanks for that


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## Phoney (23/5/14)

Ok firstly bummers and strongbow dry ain't dry ciders. Buy her a stubby of monteiths, if she likes that then you're good to go with what you've suggested and some s04, champagne yeast Or my favourite wwyeast 4766. Add in 1.5 tsp of yeast nutrient if you don't want it to smell like sulphur too.


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## spryzie (23/5/14)

oh, yeah, don't forget yeast nutrient. 1 teaspoon per 5L juice.
Goes by the name Diammonium Phosphate.


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## mattyg8 (23/5/14)

ohk Ive seen a few places mention wwyeast 4766 but only place seems to be craftbrewer and grain and grape and thats bit far away from me...Hallam or Mooroolbark Vic


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## Mutaneer (23/5/14)

Lavlin 71B is a good cider yeast from all reports
EC1118 or DV10 are champagne yeasts and will work very well (my fist three batches have been DV10 or 1118 with DV10 having a rounder flavour)


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## mattyg8 (23/5/14)

Ill have to check if I can get any of them locally...Is there a certain type of yeast nutrients I should look for


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## Bribie G (23/5/14)

I've been making hobo ciders for a year or more and tried a number of yeasts and a number of juices. After some good results and some meh results - including a messy frothover using ale yeast - I go back again and again to an easy and reliable recipe, not the cheapest but still works out at around a dollar a longneck. If you want to try cheaper for a subsequent brew you can save the yeast cake from the first brew and just go pure Aldi Apple juice for next brew that takes it down to 60c a longie.

Tin Blackrock Cider
10 L Aldi apple juice
500g dex or just white sugar
top up with tap water to desired level for a keg size brew
Use the kit yeast and save the yeast cake for the next brew.

Keg before it gets too dry, it should be clear as the yeast tends to cling to the bottom of the FV and work from there. Ale yeasts tend to rise to the top and it gets messy. The cider will continue to work slowly in the keg so when it's getting too dry, just drag the keg out and tip a further 2L of juice in. This will turn out a fair knockoff of Strongbow or Mercury. As it works in the keg it will keep nice and sparkly.

I found a brilliant yeast nutrient at my LHBS - Vintners Harvest from NZ in the 100g pack - it's basically Diammonium phosphate but other minerals and stuff in it, it smells a bit yeasty so probably some yeast hull in there as well. Heaped TSP.


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## mattyg8 (23/5/14)

cheers thanks for that


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## manticle (23/5/14)

> ohk Ive seen a few places mention wwyeast 4766 but only place seems to be craftbrewer and grain and grape and thats bit far away from me...Hallam or Mooroolbark Vic


Both will post. Postage on a pack of Wyeast is pretty minimal.


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## mattyg8 (23/5/14)

yeh true i guess was just trying to find somewhere local as shipping on one yeast is almost price of the yeast its self


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## Pilchard (23/5/14)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXbpZnYmo38

Funny cider commercial


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## mattyg8 (25/5/14)

Ok picked up 16 litres of Aldi apple juice... But where do people get pear juice?


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## pedleyr (25/5/14)

I've used Woolworths apple and pear juice in the past with good results - it's right next to the apple juice. 

Alternatively you could buy plain pear juice, it's usually in a tin, same aisle as the long life juices.


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## mattyg8 (25/5/14)

Oh Yeh didn't even think of that cheers


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## NealK (25/5/14)

I have used Berri Apple & pear juice with yeast slurry from the blackrock kit with good results. It is on offer at the moment in coles for $3.50 for 2.4 litres so I so I got 4 bottles and poured them into an old water cooler bottle, chucked some yeast in and it is fermenting away in my pantry. It really is the easiest stuff to make and tastes pretty good too!


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## FirkinFantastic (25/5/14)

I tried the sommerset gold recipe on here with Mangrove jacks cider yeast, boiled 4 darjeeling tea backs and other ingredients 30 mins. Used ww apple juice n berri pear juice. Came up a treat. Amate who brews a lot recommends one of either the blackrock pr mangrove jacks, I forget which one he said, sorry.


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## mattyg8 (25/5/14)

Yeh I saw that recipe might have to try it


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## mattyg8 (26/5/14)

ohk got all the ingredients except for a yeast... Will stop at my LHBS on way home and hopefully find a cider yeast


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## mattyg8 (27/5/14)

Ok went with the sommerset gold recipe last night but forgot the lemon juice...is it worth adding now?


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## mattyg8 (3/6/14)

ok just took another reading OG was 1.054 last reading was 1.010 which puts it at 5.91% alcohol this is day 9 and its starting to taste a little dry

my question is should I keg it now or wait a few more days to keg it and just add some juice to it if needed to sweeten it up? If it gets down to 1.000 it will be just over 7%


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## Airgead (4/6/14)

Wait till its done then keg and sweeten if needed. Backsweetning is much more predictable if its not still fermenting.

Cheers
Dave


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## Waltzing Matilda (7/6/14)

I'm gonna try this one with the black rock! Thanks best advice I've heard so far...


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## mattyg8 (8/6/14)

Just kegged it... It finished at 1.005 and I cold crashed it first

I'll let it gas for a week before I try it... People can add some juice if they find it do strong


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## leighaus (2/8/14)

How'd it come out Matty, gonna do the same for the Mrs


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## i-a-n (9/8/14)

Bribie G said:


> I've been making hobo ciders for a year or more and tried a number of yeasts and a number of juices. After some good results and some meh results - including a messy frothover using ale yeast - I go back again and again to an easy and reliable recipe, not the cheapest but still works out at around a dollar a longneck. If you want to try cheaper for a subsequent brew you can save the yeast cake from the first brew and just go pure Aldi Apple juice for next brew that takes it down to 60c a longie.
> 
> Tin Blackrock Cider
> 10 L Aldi apple juice
> ...





I've just started a 25litre version of that..
I did like the sound of it. 
We don't drink a great deal of cider so it'll mature nicely.


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## mattyg8 (9/8/14)

Came out a treat... Forgot to add the lemon... All my Cider mates love it


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## mattyg8 (9/8/14)

Came out a treat... Forgot to add the lemon... All my Cider mates love it


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## mattyg8 (18/8/14)

Going to make another batch of this but maybe drop some of the pear juice.... what are good ways to back sweeten this in the keg? add lactose? or add apple concentrate to the keg after fully fermented?


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## leighaus (22/8/14)

just adding apple juice normally works fine from what ive heard.


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## i-a-n (28/8/14)

i-a-n said:


> I've just started a 25litre version of that..
> I did like the sound of it.
> We don't drink a great deal of cider so it'll mature nicely.


After 12 days in the bottle I couldn't resist a taster. 

Sometimes I drink for that strange "dizzy" feeling in the head. This will definitely do the job. 

Very dry, slight fizz, very interesting flavour. I love it. 

I'll be keeping a bottle of Aldi apple juice on standby for sweetening etc in case guests can't cope. 

Finally a cider really worth drinking.


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## leighaus (12/9/14)

Kegged this at 4.7% (not to strong/dry for the missus)... It's a hit!

Sg- 1044
Fg 1008

No backsweetening required.. I'm a fan


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## Trevandjo (13/9/14)

leighaus said:


> Kegged this at 4.7% (not to strong/dry for the missus)... It's a hit!
> 
> Sg- 1044
> Fg 1008
> ...


G'day mate. Which recipe did you use in the end. 

Cheers
Trev


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