Apple juice reduction cider

[jivesucka]

Okay, so in cooking circles the thing to do these days is to make an apple reduction, which involves boiling the shit out of apple juice to make it a goopy sauce. This isn't quite the extreme levels of reduction one needs for cider.
Let's start by buying a shitload of 3 litre homebrand apple juices from woolies, those buggers cost $3 a pop and it will be an expensive process that will have you questioning your sanity.
You need to put them in a big-ass pot and boil it. You better watch that shit because it's pretty lethal unattended. Try two bottles at a time and aim to get them reduced to 1 bottle.
So 90 minutes later you have half the liquid you started with reduced to half its original volume, ain't science cool?
Anyways keep doing that shit until you have at least 18 litres, (that equates to 36 litres of raw apple juice and the people at woolies will think you are weird).
Okay, after weeks of some major OCD issues you can dump it in your primary minus sugar and water, i dunno maybe add a few litres, if that's your thing, believe me there is more than enough sugar there but the water thing is up for debate.
Use a cider yeast! Hey and champagne yeast is cool as well. Yeast nutrient is a waste too, but low-carb enzyme is also optional, but desirable.
Rack it! The gunk you get is awful.
When bottling do the same thing as beer and holy shitballs jesus christ enjoy that sweet apple nectar.
Peace out.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Yeast nutrient is a waste?

 

[Kodos]

Interesting - how strong does this make your cider? Do you know your original and final gravities?

I'm not much of a cider fan generally, but most of the homebrewed examples I've come across use straight juice - without concentrating or boiling it.

What colour does it turn out?

 

[wynnum1]

Where can apple concentrate be purchased that is what the juice is made from with water added.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I think I read on here that a lot of cider kits are concentrate not dissimilar from the juice type.

You raise a good point - why undo what the manufacterer has done when you can get it concentrated yourself. Of course, we know that boiling beer does more than concentrate sugars - maillard reactions and what not. I reckon doing this with freshly squeezed juice, treating it properly (big pitches, yeast nutrient, oxygen etc) could yield a very complex and interesting cider.

 

[TimT]

I reckon it's an awful idea, boiling apple juice and cooking off all that lovely freshness, but this was an entertaining rant, so - :kooi: thumbs up!

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I reckon it's an awful idea, boiling apple juice and cooking off all that lovely freshness, but this was an entertaining rant, so - :kooi: thumbs up!

I can't decide if I agree or disagree with you (apart from the rant, yes that was tres entertaining). I realise we generally avoid boiling fragile flavours - honey and apple juice come to mind. I saw the effect first hand last year on a club trip to batlow when we tried apple juice pre and post pasteurisation. The difference was stark and dissapointing. We all chose to buy cubes of unpasteurised juice and all had fermenting cubes when we got home the next day.

On the other hand, I've made reductions of beer, fruit, tea, and other things and seen what flavour intensifications one can get. Try making an IPA reduction and you will know the meaning of the word bitter.

So how does one know if the desired flavours are volatile and likely to be boiled off, or stable and likely to intensify in the moisture that remains? I don't know the answer.

 

[Kodos]

Apart from yielding a OG, I imagine some of the flavour difference could be similar to that between a fresh apple and one cooked in a pie.

Could be another way to create a "sweet" cider.

 

[Airgead]

Won't create a sweet cider unless you can get the ABV above the tolerance of the yeast. That means in practice at least 15%. Probably 19% if you use a champagne yeast.

Basic juice will get you about 6-8% depending on the juice so a 50% reduction will be 12-16%. Strong. Probably some caramel notes from the reduction. Could be interesting. Could be a bit like a cider Bouchet....

Edit... wish I could frickin spell.