# First Cider Brew



## Spektre (25/2/13)

Hi all,
Looking for some tips with my first cider brews.

Ive got 2 brews fermenting away at the moment. A 25L Apple and a 30L Apple & Pear

Im just using Aldi Apple juice in both, and in the 30L Ive got 5 x 850mL cans Goulburn Valley 100% Pear Juice

Im using an All purpose wine yeast and threw in 500gms of glucose to each batch for good measure. 

How sweet do you think each batch will be? What can I add to sweeten them up and roughly how much should I add?

As far as secondary fermentation goes, will throwing in a couple carbonation drops in each bottle be enough? And what do I add to stop the fermenting?

Sorry if some of these topics have been covered in other posts. I have read alot of diferent posts/opinions. Just a little overwhelmed at the moment

Thanks


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## Deep End (26/2/13)

They wont be particularly sweet, thats the way of the home brew cider. 

The apple pear cider will be sweeter than the other as pear juice has some unfermentables in it. 

Lactose is a common sweetener, as it is also an unfermentable, generally added at the start of a brew I believe. Otherwise it can be sweetened post ferment with artificial sweetener. 

Will probably be around 6 or 7% alcohol with the added glucose, plain juice usually ferments out around 5%. Dont add anything to stop it fermenting or it wont carbonate in the bottle. Just let it ferment out, should get down to around 1.000 on a hydrometer, taking around 10 days or so. Once you have a few matching hydrometer readings over consecutive days, for example 1.001 monday, 1.001 tuesday, 1.001 wednesday its safe to bottle and add carb drops. 

Think that answers most of your questions. 

Just out of interest Pottasium Sorbate is used to cease a fermentation, however you wont be able to bottle carb it and it will turn out a still cider/flat cider however you perceive it.


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## Spektre (26/2/13)

Cheers


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## New_guy (2/3/13)

Hi Mate,

I am doing a 10.5lt applie juice batch - keen to hear about your apple / pear and how it tastes
This is my first cider batch - lots of info on here!


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## Camo1234 (2/3/13)

If it is too dry when you finish just put some normal apple juice in a glass an pour the cider on top... That will allow you to play with different levels of sweetness to see what you like and then from there work out what you need to do to get that sweetness.


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## New_guy (2/3/13)

I like that idea re adding juice to glass


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## Bludger (2/3/13)

I think that Deep End pretty much covered everything.
A thought on sweetness.
In a 23l batch I add 1 Kg Sugar to the Juice. I am not sure what ABV I end up with, but it has a good kick.
7 g of sugar in a 740ml (plastic) bottle when I bottle it. The end product is lightly carbonated which makes it too easy to drink, no gassy stomach. I have not had any bottle bombs yet.
The finished cider comes out clean with little sediment. It is certainly dry. As I don't like sweet cider I find it very drinkable straight from the bottle with no need to add apple juice or any other sweetners. I suggest that you try yours first.

As others will point out Ciders like a long slow ferment, I normally bottle mine around the 10 or 11 daymark. And don't be surprised if the FG goes below 1000, my last brew was 997

Next batch you could try a Champagne yeast, this is a very popular yeast for Ciders.


I have made some small scale test with apple juices. Make sure that you get the juices without preservatives. The following all had potential for a full scale brew.

Aldi Apple Juice, Westclip, 2 litre, $1.99 - gave a good light cider
Nudie Juice 2 Litre $5.99 - Gives a cloudy cider - think Dirty Granny. Worth using if you can get it cheaply.
WOW Select Juice Apple 1.5 litre $3.00 - gave a good light cider

I currently am waiting to sample a brew of Woolworths Home Brand Apple Juice, which I paid $3 for 3litres ( i used 8 bottles to get 24 L)


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## New_guy (2/3/13)

Nudie Juice 2 Litre $5.99 - Gives a cloudy cider - think Dirty Granny. Worth using if you can get it cheaply.

If it helps check out my post in bulk buy re nudie juice - you can contact them directly and get the juice delivered (I was quoted for metro Melbourne but presume same elsewhere) for free if u spend $50 - it's $4.74 / 2lt bottle


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## Bludger (2/3/13)

Good idea on the Nudie. I will look into it for next time. Hoping to get some "real" fresh apple juice from the orchards for the next brew.


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## MartsHomeBrew (3/3/13)

I have a 20 litre batch of cider, my first, now in the fermenter. It started about 1078 and seems like it is done now sitting just under 1000, all within a week. Some bits I am unsure of.

Used Black Rock cider can, and topped to 20 litres with woolworths apple juice & woolworths apple blackcurrant juice. Seems like it will need some sweetening, and I have lactose powder but have not added any as yet. 

Can I add it now before bottling dissolved in hot water & add when room temp, and if so, how much can i add without overdoing it? I was thinking about 200gm. I want it on the dry side, but currently is too much so, certainly do mot want overly sweet. Should it be left for longer in the fermenter as well, even though fermentation has finished? Would not have thought so.

Also, when bulk priming my beer, I use a standard rate of 6 gm per litre of beer, so 120gm per 20 litre batch. If I use the same ratio in cider, will it produce a similar level of carbonation, or is it different with cider? Any advice appreciated


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## bum (3/3/13)

You can add your lactose when you add your priming sugar.

What yeast did you use? I'm pretty sure OG 1078 down to FG 1000 would have most ale yeast at the extreme end of their alc tolerance. You _may_ have difficulty carbing her up at all.

Putting the above to the side for a moment, the priming rate should be roughly the same as for your other brews. With the cider being thinner you may get some mouthfeel difference maybe but actual CO2 volume should be the about the same. It all depends how fizzy you want it.

Just curious, what was the thinking behind making an all juice cider then throwing a kit in on top?


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## MartsHomeBrew (5/3/13)

Gday bum

Re yeast, i used the cider kit yeast as well as a kit yeast from a can of tooheys lager. (Yes, criminal negligence)
Re your last question, it was the other way around. I bought the can of goo to give a friend as a gift, which never eventuated.
That left me with the goo, which led me to deciding to buy juice too add to it. 
Hope it turns out ok. Would you say +/- 200gm lactose, or not sure?


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## manticle (5/3/13)

Lactose isn't actually that sweet. Your tastes prevail obviously but 250 as a starting point to calibrate your palate would be a good spot.

When I used it, I would go 500g in a 20 L batch (juice based) without finding it overly sweet and I prefer cider on the dry side. Any more and I reckon you can taste it. Milk and apples is an OK combo though.


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## bum (5/3/13)

That's probably a good amount to use for the first go. I don't think it'll make it super-sweet if that's what you're chasing but you can't really take it out once it is in there. If it's not enough just use a little bit more next time.

Somone else who has made such a big version of this kit might have a better idea for you though.


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