Cider recipe

[imabeerpig]

Hi to all and thanks for this oppertunity to post.

After scratching around in here for a while I have put this Cider recipe together and would like some advice on it before I spend my hard earned.

Into first fermenter..

20 litres apple juice
3 litres pear juice
50 gms Maple syrup
US-05 Mead yeast 12/15 gms
into temp controlled fridge at 16/17 deg for 2 weeks.

Racked into 2nd fermenter

Add 40 to 50 gms Galaxy hops (dry).
2 large table spoons honey.

Add after tasting if necessary.
1 table spoon Mallic acid
and up to 500 gms Lactose.

back into fridge for a further 2 weeks

 

[indica86]

Why US-05?

 

[Phoney]

I very much doubt you'll taste 2 large table spoons honey in that mix.

 

[Airgead]

Likewise 50gm of maple syrup...

 

[imabeerpig]

Hi, thanks for the replys.
I have made a mix very close to this 6 months ago and apart from being a little dry for my taste it was not too bad.
The amounts of Maple and or Honey is just a guess, people with your knowledge are who, I was hoping would reply.
Some advice to help sweeten without making it taste like a sweet commercial brew would be great.
I did use Stevia in the last brew but I found out if you use to much it is not nice.
I bottled the last brew but will keg the next one.
I also now add a small amount of lemonade to each glass of my first batch and it is all good like this.
Am hoping to make something that you can drink straignt out of the keg without adding anything to it.
As for the US-05 it was what I used last time (only reason).
Could you suggest and name a cider yeast you might use.
I am new to all this and after months of looking around in here and lots of other sites I have noticed that most information seems to be written with the presumption that everyone knows what you are talking about.
Just a reminder that there are many people out here that are just itching to get into home brewing but seem put off with the lack of follow up information.
Thanks again for the chance to use this site.

 

[Airgead]

Ahhh.... sweet cider. That my friend is the real challenge in cider making.

Apple juice is all simple sugars. Any yeast you want to name will chew right through it and leave it dry. You really have 3 options -

1 - kill the yeast early either with chemicals or heat or something to leave things sweet.
2 - Add some non fermentable sugars. Stevia is one but as you say it can taste nasty. Lactose is a common one. Sorbitol is another (beware its a laxative as well)
3 - let it ferment dry then either inhibit the yeast with chemicals (like sorbistat) or temperature then add something to back sweeten.

1 and 3 assume you are force carbonating. They stop the yeast and will prevent it naturally carbonating. Inly 2 will let you naturally carbonate.

or you can do as many do and add a slug of apple juice to the glass when you serve...

Cheers
dave

Edit: P.S... lots of discussion on this over in the non beer brewing section. Come... join us...

 

[indica86]

Wine yeasts work well.
I have recently used Vintner's Harvest SN9 and CY17 with good results.
Both have held over a lot of apple flavour.

 

[imabeerpig]

Many thanks for the replys.
I have taken Dave's advice and have gone over to Non beer brewing section.
I did place a message on a line there called Advice sought.