First Cider Brew

[hsb]

@practicalfool - thanks. I sealed it up after 4 days, fridge door and 24 hours later, bottle was rock solid exactly as predicted. Cracked and poured a glass - yum! Nice sparkle, and lovely dry but not bone dry cider - too easy! I added Lactose so that might have helped. No ABV numbers, didn't use the hyrdo on this one.

Recapped and 24 hours later, bottle is nice and firm again, ready for another refreshing hit shortly.

Cider is too easy! A hit with the SWMBO as well, even interested to follow what was happening. Apple Juice has gone on the weekly shopping list, will drop this in my 9L Party Keg I think as a regular serving.

@shan0066 - If it has fermented out properly, then yes, same principles apply. Just be careful it has completely finished fermenting and you might find advice somewhere on here to use a little less priming sugar?

@nuggetron - how's your cider coming along?

 

[manticle]

When bottling the cider do you need to use priming sugar, like beer? First time i've made cider.

Same principles as beer.

Allow fermentation to finish properly, add calculated amount of sugar for priming, bottle and let carbonate.

 

[Miro73]

Hi guys, I started my first ferment ever yesterday,im using a kit Wals cider i think it was called. it seemed to be water based with some sort of apple concentrate, im a bit unsure about this it did not seem to smell correct. After reading some posts here i probably should have tasted it. Has anyone used this kit before?
What i want to achieve is a Bulmers style cider is there a recipe or is it trial and error til you get the taste you like.
Cheers Miro

 

[pk.sax]

Smell correct is a bit broad. It could just be sulphury. Lots of people get that.

Besides that, a kit is a kit. It's made outta you don't always know exactly what. I've never made cider from a kit. Only ever did 2 kits of beer. The joy of being able to control exactly what goes in my drink just does it for me. Use juice or crush apples next time and more help might come forth as people will be more familiar with what ur trying to do.

PS: don't give up on the cider though. If u followed directions and didn't ferment too hot, you should be able to drink the fermented result. No idea if kit cider improves on aging though.

 

[Miro73]

Thanks for the help, i did not do enough research, next time i will definitely use juice or apples.

 

[d3vour3r]

hey all, i also have my first cider brew currently 1 week into conditioning in bottles.

sooo easy

3x3L just juice apple
3x3l just juice apple & pear
1L of strong tea
juce from 2 large lemons
500g honey
1 pkt nottingham yeast

OG 1052 FG 1010 alc 6.2%

got the recipe from AHB sumwhere, not sure where tho so if anyone knows who created it please post so he/she gets credit.

EDIT: found the post i got inspiration from: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=38846
thanks to msheridan69

Had one bottle last night and was lightly carbed and tasted kinda nice. still could use another week or 2 to mellow out a faint yeast flavour. after 1 tally I was quite light head and didnt taste alcoholy and was quite easy to drink. i think its gunna be ripper!

 

[mrTbeer]

Just finished my first cider. Much easier than beer.

I got Berri Apple/Pear juice poured it all into the largest waterbottle I could find 5L. Transparent bottle was emptied, drilled and an airlock and grommet fitted. Used 1/2 a packet of Woolies ale yeast and it was bubbling in 2 days time. No nutrient required.

In the clear bottle you can see the tiny bubbles rise through the liquid, there are no skunking problems and you can see when it clears up. Took almost 3 weeks to slow up and clear. Slightly more entertaining than fermenting beer??

Siphoned straight into a 9l keg and added a bit of stevia to taste and a nip of sugary elderflower cordial for fizz for 3 weeks. (Was my first siphon as I wasn't using a fermenter with tap so i spilt (tasted) some). All at room temps of about 19c and it tastes great. Used an online calc for carb @ ~2.2volumes and not using stevia before i guessed about 40 drops? Will chill and bottle this weekend. My (sweet) wife likes (sweet) Rekorderlig so that was the clone basis.

Including the (no preservative 100%) juice ,airlock, grommet, yeast and fermenting vessel it was still only $2/litre. Next time using same gear and just buying juice i'd guess about $1.25/litre. Rekorderlig Pear Cider is about $12/litre by comparison.

Next step for me is AG beer. I tried some of Ross's beers on Sunday and am now ready to buy a kettle/stock pot. While not dissapointed with extracts I have seen the light with AG. Just a pity I need to drive 100km+ to get ingredients.

 

[komodo]

Australia post will do the driving for you

 

[RdeVjun]

Next step for me is AG beer. I tried some of Ross's beers on Sunday and am now ready to buy a kettle/stock pot. While not dissapointed with extracts I have seen the light with AG.

Awesome! There's loads of guides around both here and other home brewing sites, should be no biggie which way you decide to go. Personally, I recommend BIAB for novice all- grain brewers, either in an urn or a big stockpot, but your own constraints will be different from my own. Don't be afraid to sing out if you're not sure.

Just a pity I need to drive 100km+ to get ingredients.

No, please don't do that. I presume you're talking about CraftBrewer? Use the Fastway pre- paid label, under $10 for up to 25kg, so unless you're buying multiple sacks of grain in one order it is very economical and they're always prompt with despatch and delivery. I've never been disappointed in dealing with CraftBrewer this way for delivery in over two years.
You can also lodge an "Authority To Leave" with Fastway, that way if you're out at delivery they'll leave it where you nominate, which is particularly handy if you don't want your CB order with liquid yeast sitting in a transport depot all weekend (worst case scenario). :icon_cheers:
Edit: Or as Komodo points out, AusPost can help with the driving part!

 

[mrTbeer]

AusPost and FastWay, noted.

Low mileage / Full Flavoured beer coming up.

 

[pk.sax]

I wish CB was 100km to me

 

[Yogi85]

I have recently tried my first cider as well, just used one of those brigalow kits with 2 x 2l of aldi apple juice and 2.4l of berri apple juice and supplied yeast and nutrient, 2 weeks primary, then bulk primed with dextrose and added 300gm of natural sweetener, after two weeks in bottle tastes pretty good, just have a strong taste of artificial sweetener first sip or two then fine.