Cider Recipe

[buttersd70]

I'm doing a cider at the moment. Do you think its important or is a good improvement to use cinnamon sticks?

'orses fer courses imo, but.....have a bit of a think about apple recipes in cooking (particularly in english/ french)......cinmamon is a common partner with apple.....why? cos it works. Does it improve it? well, thats opinion. My personal opinion is that cinnamon, used sparingly, and subtley, improves apple flavour in almost everything. If, however, the cinnamon dominates, it turns what could have been good into something bad......


So, subtlety is the key, IMHO.

2c only.

eDIttt:"'; sPEAULuing feeerr fat FINGuazz.

 

[manticle]

Good to see a knowledgeable and helpful brewer such as yourself posting again.

 

[Verbyla]

OK well if i were to use cinnamon and only wanted it to have a subtle presence in a cider how much would i used in a 25L batch that was made from juice and what is the best way to add it to the brew?

 

[cdbrown]

I've seen on other forums (mainly UK ones) that chucking 2 sticks into the fermenter gives a subtle flavour.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/apple-cinnamon-cider-84322/

 

[Mcstretch]

Here is my tried and tested cider recipe that has cider drinkers quaffing for more

12 Litres 100% Apple juice no added flavours or preservatives (Bought from Aldi)
8 Litres Apple & Pear juice no added flavours or preservatives (Woolworths)
250-300 grams LDME (light dried powdered malt)
3-4 Apples granny smiths or Pink ladys cut into quarters added to fermenter
Wyeast 4766 Cider Yeast (this is imperative)

Ferment for 8-12 days then chill for 2 weeks at 2-3 degrees or cold filter
Keg and enjoy


Franko

Hi all, This is only my second post, and I've sucessfully bottled my first European Larger.

Im going to try making this Cider for my other half, and was wondering what flavour difference would be if I didn't use the apples cut into quarters. I was discussing this mix today and was wondering would the raw apple infect the brew?

I am also going to be looking at adding some cinnamon sticks into the mix at the start with the malt extract and sugar before I add the juice. I figure that if i boil the cinnamon at the start it would reduce the chance of infection at a later stage?

Once fermentation is complete I will refridgerate for a few weeks and then add the priming sugar into a second fermenter, mix with a small amount of Boiling water and then drain the cider into the second fermenter. I will let it sit for a while and then bottle. eliminating the need for carbonation drops or individually priming bottles.

I have to wait for the Wyeast 4766 to come into stock but will let you know how it turns out.

Cheers,

Mcstretch

 

[Phoney]

G'day Mcstretch, im planning to make up Franko's recipe too pretty soon.

I wouldnt boil the extract though I dont see any point, nor would I add sugar into it. Adding the cinnamon sticks into the fermenter should be fine so long as you pull them out of the packet with clean fingers and put them straight in. As for the apples, so long as they're washed (with steralize solution if you want to be extra careful) they should be sterile on the inside.

Let me us know how it turns out!

 

[The Big Burper]

Franko,

Thanks for that cider recipe, looks good, will give it a try.

cheers
Dave

 

[vanceonbeach]

I've currently brewing an apple flavoured rocket fuel by accident.

I bought the 'Irish Cider' kit from Brewcraft which has a Black Rock Cider tin, a Kg of brew enhancer and a tiny little bottle of apple schnapps flavouring. The wife pointed out my mate who requested I make a cider has coeliac disease (i.e. needs a gluten free diet) so I substituted a Kg of Dex for the brew enhancer. But then I was worried it would be too thin and flavourless, so I chucked in 6L of apple juice as well.

Long story short SG 1.050 and after 4 weeks it is 0.998 and still going. Which means it must be 7%+ alcohol at the moment :beerbang:

 

[manticle]

Check the black rock tin. It may contain malt already in which case your mate can't have any. Some cider kits do.

Make one with all juice/all apple and yeast and he'll be happy.

 

[vanceonbeach]

Check the black rock tin. It may contain malt already in which case your mate can't have any. Some cider kits do.

Thanks for the tip I checked the label but it reckons it's just apple juice concentrate and yeast so he should be OK.

Any idea why it is fermenting down so low? The kit says it should stop bubbling at 1.006 but then again it doesn't say to add litres of apple juice and bright green schnapps essence either.

 

[manticle]

Is the schnapps essence alcoholic and does the apple juice contain preservatives?

Both could affect fermentation although they'd likely stall it (keep it too high) rather than drop it so low.

Check your hydrometer (should read around 1000 in tap water).

I'm not entirely sure but it can't have far to go. Just leave it till it's stable or crash chill it for a week to drop the yeast out. Sounds like it will be very, very dry but the schapps might give it an interesting flavour.

 

[Mcstretch]

G'day Mcstretch, im planning to make up Franko's recipe too pretty soon.

I wouldnt boil the extract though I dont see any point, nor would I add sugar into it. Adding the cinnamon sticks into the fermenter should be fine so long as you pull them out of the packet with clean fingers and put them straight in. As for the apples, so long as they're washed (with steralize solution if you want to be extra careful) they should be sterile on the inside.

Let me us know how it turns out!

Hi,

I ended up using Franko's method slightly modified

10L Apple Juice
9L Apple Pear Juice
250gms LDME
3 cinnamon sticks
Wyeast 4766

OG 1.046

Started bubbling after about 12 hours

Im fermenting at about 22 degrees and so far it smells insanely nice if you know what I mean.

Cheers

 

[Mcstretch]

Hi,

I ended up using Franko's method slightly modified

10L Apple Juice
9L Apple Pear Juice
250gms LDME
3 cinnamon sticks
Wyeast 4766

OG 1.046
FG 1.002
Cheers

After about 10 days in the fridge and being racked twice the cider is starting to dry out almost like a white wine. Is there anything that I can do at this stage to reduce the dryness and possibly sweeten it up a bit. Perhaps throw in a litre of fresh juice or some other flavouring or even sugar?

I'm looking at bottling this within the week.

Cheers

 

[iScarlet]

After about 10 days in the fridge and being racked twice the cider is starting to dry out almost like a white wine. Is there anything that I can do at this stage to reduce the dryness and possibly sweeten it up a bit. Perhaps throw in a litre of fresh juice or some other flavouring or even sugar?

I'm looking at bottling this within the week.

Cheers

I've got the same problem. It's dry, but it's not unpleasant, so we're just going to mull some of it with cinnamon, cloves and possibly some sugar.

I did end up using white wine yeast seeing as that's the best my closest HBS has, so I reckon if I go the white wine yeast next time I do this one I might add a bit of lactose to counter the dryness.

Otherwise, lovely.

 

[Verbyla]

The answer to sweetening up a dry cider is to use lactose as it is a non-fermentable sugar.

For a 23L batch use 200-250grams for medium sweetening and 500grams for a sweet cider

 

[Mcstretch]

The answer to sweetening up a dry cider is to use lactose as it is a non-fermentable sugar.

For a 23L batch use 200-250grams for medium sweetening and 500grams for a sweet cider

Can I drain off some of the cider, heat it and add the lactose, then mix it back into the cube in the fridge as is or is it something you really need to add at the start

Cheers,

 

[manticle]

@mcstretch: You can add lactose at the start or after primary. Being unfermentable it doesn't matter which point. If you heat the cider and add it back though it will change your flavour profile and not in a good way.

Use a new packet which has been stored in the fridge, add it in dry and leave it for 24 hours. It should be sterile enough. I dissolved some in boiling water for a recently made stout but it occurs to me that boiling milk sugar may be a bad thing. I'm still not sure either way although the stout tastes great in hydro samples so far.

If you add apple juice or sugar you may kick off fermentation again. If you bottle straight afterwards you're looking at making the bottles explode.

 

[Mcstretch]

@mcstretch: You can add lactose at the start or after primary. Being unfermentable it doesn't matter which point. If you heat the cider and add it back though it will change your flavour profile and not in a good way.

Use a new packet which has been stored in the fridge, add it in dry and leave it for 24 hours. It should be sterile enough. I dissolved some in boiling water for a recently made stout but it occurs to me that boiling milk sugar may be a bad thing. I'm still not sure either way although the stout tastes great in hydro samples so far.

If you add apple juice or sugar you may kick off fermentation again. If you bottle straight afterwards you're looking at making the bottles explode.

I guess the main concern as well is that some people that may want to drink this cider may be lactose intolerant. I've done a bit of research and found that some people also like to add honey. I may go with the honey option and see what happens.

Trial and error, eventually I'll get it right but at least I'll have fun trying.

Cheers,

 

[manticle]

Honey is fermentable though. If you add fermentable sugar to a finished brew it will start fermenting again. If it ferments again and you bottle it it may be either gassy or explode. You could do that if you were kegging.

If it makes you feel any better, some people are intolerant to honey (fructose intolerance).

 

[andrewl378]

Here is my tried and tested cider recipe that has cider drinkers quaffing for more

12 Litres 100% Apple juice no added flavours or preservatives (Bought from Aldi)
8 Litres Apple & Pear juice no added flavours or preservatives (Woolworths)
250-300 grams LDME (light dried powdered malt)
3-4 Apples granny smiths or Pink ladys cut into quarters added to fermenter
Wyeast 4766 Cider Yeast (this is imperative)

Ferment for 8-12 days then chill for 2 weeks at 2-3 degrees or cold filter
Keg and enjoy


Franko

Hey Franko, your recipe looks great. Being new to cider and in particular Wyeast, I have what may be a very basic question. Do you need to increase the cell count of your yeast by using a starter? I keep reading that cell count is important and all that, and it has me a little spooked about starting without doing it right.