Brigalow Cider Results

[nuck_cup]

Just thought I'd let everyone know how a cider I made recently turned out (seeing as I actually took notes this time). Was a bit of a seat of my pants type recipe, so a few random additions.

Brigalow cider kit
275g raw sugar
1kg dextrose
2 pears, 1 granny smith apple, 1 red gala
300g ginger
4 cinnamon quills
few cloves
2.4 L apple juice
3 L apple/pear juice

Threw the apples, pears, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a processor. Added the can and hot water, then juice and the pulp. Made to 18L and pitched Lalvin champagne yeast (EC1118) at about 22 degrees. OG of 1059.
After 2 weeks, FG is 1000. Racked to secondary and added 500g of lactose with water to make the total back to 18L (I took A LOT of SG readings/tastes). Left in secondary for 2 days, primed with 130g of dextrose.
Waited 4 days and then gave in to temptation. Still very cloudy, but nicely carbonated. Dry as BONES and pretty thin mouthful. Really subtle ginger, I can hardly taste it but my mum reckons it's pretty strong. Hoping the flavours will mellow together a bit with some conditioning. Worked the strength out as about 8 or 9%. Next time will probably add more lactose so it's doesn't dry my mouth out as I drink it!

Very happy to hear any suggestions. Also any explanations as to why both my fermenters have a chemical/cidery smell to them that multiple sterilising and cleaning won't get rid of?

 

[manticle]

The amount of dex and raw sugar you have will add to the dryness. It's pretty hard to get sweet cider if you don't keg or want to add chemicals to your brew. The kit does contain some aspartame from memory. Next time I would drop the dex and raw sugar and get more fermentables from apple juice. Even cheap apple juice with no added preservatives will work fine - better than adding sugar and better than adding water. Use as much as you can afford - last juice based cider I did cost less than $20 a litre.

Wine yeast will also dry it out - try wyeast 4766 or sweet mead (forget the number) or even US05.

SG of 1000 is always going to be on the dry and thin side. If you want body, you can look at adding malt which makes it more of a graff (depending on how much you add).

I would suggest (not 100% sure though) that the addition of cloves is going to add to an already dry mouthfeel. I would also suggest next time adding less spice. If you think the results need more spice, then add next time - easier to add than to subtract.

Finally - wait. 4 days in cider land is like a blink of an eye.


And finally, finally - hot water (80 deg+) and napisan/oxygen bleach/oxyper/PBW/sodium percarbonate, soak overnight, rinse with clean water, chlorine bleach and cold water, rinse, rinse again with boiling water, rinse with sodium metabisulphite, rinse with clean water. If the smell remains after that buy another fermenter.

 

[Acasta]

hey mate i read on here its best to use bleach with cold water, as hot water neutralises it.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=18
Now im confused. I used to use hot water, but after reading that on the wiki i've been using cold water.
Thanks

 

[manticle]

Yes use bleach with cold water, then follow with a hot water rinse to get rid of residual chlorine.

Don't confuse oxygen bleach with chlorine bleach (and don't mix the two together)

Edited the above post for clarity.

 

[tavas]

+1 to what Manticle just added. Chlorine bleach is best used in cold water (hence why you boil water to remove the chlorine taste). Chlorine is driven off by heat. Oxygen bleach is different. Website explaining some facts about oxygen bleach http://oxygenbleach.homestead.com/files/

Rinse your fermenter with hot water to remove the chlorine smell.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Use as much as you can afford - last juice based cider I did cost less than $20 a litre.

@manticle, did I read this right? $20 per litre! Cheaper to get organic cider from dan's if that's what it cost.

 

[ekul]

probably per batch. The cheapest juice i've found has been around $1. But keep your eyes out for bargains, i've done one that was 80c a litre. I haven't really noticed a difference between juice brands.

 

[manticle]

Shit sorry -I got around 20 litres of cider for less than $20. Juice cost around $16 plus yeast and lactose (which I already had on hand).

So $1 per litre

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Shit sorry -I got around 20 litres of cider for less than $20. Juice cost around $16 plus yeast and lactose (which I already had on hand).

So $1 per litre

Sweet thanks. I bought a cheap brigalow for $5 (I feel so dirty), and was planning to use it as a base and top it up with another 20L or so of apple juice.

Thinking of using a champagne yeast - as I remember this older dude that made this fantastic champagne cider. When he moved to Tasmania (ironic, innit?) I acquired all the bottles that weren't going to travel. Fun times were had.