10% Cider

[dunc]

hi
im pretty new to brewing.
im looking to make a cider of approximately 8-10% Alcohol.
any advice how to make a cider this strong?

cheers dunc

 

[Batz]

I you just want a kit dunc , some years ago I made a kit cider, it was called "Explosive Cider".

I think that was up around the % you are looking for , it was an English kit and very nice as well , I had a bit of a night on it with a mate and was banded from ever brewing it again ! :huh:

I bought it on a trip to Adelaide at the HBS on Henley Beach Rd , I don't know if you can still buy it or not.

Batz

 

[nonicman]

If you are not doing a kit, and are refering to English/Irish cider, here is a link to start you off, some good information on cider brewed from apples.

http://www.camra.org.uk/SHWebClass.ASP?WCI=ShowDoc&DocID=759

this link is from a homebrewing cider maker, he has his own orchard, and good insturctions.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/a...ea/frameset.htm

Batz, what was the kit cider like? Would you do it again?

 

[Batz]

I not a cider person , I made it for my wife , who got a little scared off by the strength of it.
Any cider drinker that tried it said they liked it , several ordered the kits

 

[GMK]

Use a cider kit and swap at least 6ltrs of water for preservative free apple juice use a liquid cider yeast.....add some yeast nutrients.

 

[barfridge]

Go to the recipie section and have a gander at pr1me's black death scrumpy. I made a cider based on this, and called it sewercider. It came out very very dry due to the champagne yeast (FG 0.996), and about 12% alcohol. My recipie was:

- 15 liters of apple juice (preservative free, ie. berri stuff in 3 litre bottles at the supermarket)
- 3 litres of dark grape juice (as above)
- 100 - 200ml of lemon juice (berri lemon squeeze is fine, to lower the pH a bit)
- 1 bottle of blackberry or blueberry puree(available at coles and woolies)
- 1kg of granny smith apples (just peel, then core and chop into pieces)
- 500g of red delicious or johnnies
- 2kg of dark brown sugar
- 750g pure honey
- champagne yeast

One tip: this needs to be filtered very well going from primary to secondary, to make sure you dont transfer over any of the fruit, as the protiens in it will eventually rot and make it skanky. I use GMK's wonderful inline filter, details of that are on here too if you search.
Mine underwent a malolactic ferment in secondary, which is apparently common for ciders. It became cloudy and gave off an unpleasant sour milk smell. But this cleared up after about a month in secondary, and the end result is beautiful.
Jest remember that each bottle of this stuff is about 7 standard drinks, so think of it as a like wine, not beer when it comes to drinking time, otherwise you'll be on your arse in a hurry.

 

[Jazman]

or use gmk zinfadel yeat