first sparkling cider - about to bottle, but lots of alcohol?

[wareemba]

our scenario:

5 litre glass demijohn
2 litre of nudie apple juice
500 mL Preshafruit Pink Lady cold pressed juice
~2.2L water
150 gram of dextrose
2.5 gram of EC-8111 yeast (kicked off at 25'C)

bubbled like a champion for a week then stopped.

SG is around 1000 (no starting measurement) - will check again tonight...

tastes very tart (I think this is good), but very alcoholic!

questions:
1. can I add water before bottling to make it less alcoholic?
2. will 10g/L of dextrose be OK for bulk priming?
3. could I start another batch just by adding more juice and water to the demijohn and sediment?

thanks!

 

[Airgead]

It may taste alcoholic but with that much water its not likely to be much above 4%. it may taste a little like a rough, cheap wine right now but it will mellow over a few weeks.

Usually cider is made with just juice. No water added. Just juice alone is usually up in the 5-8% range. By cutting is 50/50 with water you are down in the 2.5-4% range.

But in response to your specific questions...

1 - yes... but its not going to need it.. seriously.
2 - Yep.
3 - Sure can. but lose the water.

 

[wareemba]

OK, great!

thanks!

I thought because I added the dextrose it would be more alcoholic?

next batch will be no water and no sugar methinks!

and do you mean it will mellow once bottled? I'm looking to share it around at Christmas...

 

[Airgead]

Ahh yes.. I missed the dex... that will push it up a bit. Lets see... probably by around 1-2% if my maths is right. So add that to the maybe 3-4% from the juice and you could be up to 4-5% or so.

It will mellow somewhat. If you add more water to tone it down you will lose whatever flavour you had to start with. The more water the less flavour. I'd leave it alone, let it mellow and drink it in small glasses if you are worried about the alcohol.

Go with just juice.. and no sugar for next time. There's a guide to beginner cider making pinned in this forum - http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/72201-how-to-get-started-in-cider-the-definitiveish-guide-to-beginner39/

Cheers
Dave

 

[wareemba]

Ahh yes.. I missed the dex... that will push it up a bit. Lets see... probably by around 3-4% if my maths is right. So add that to the maybe 3-4% from the juice and you could be up to 6-8% or so.

You have a bit of a dilemma. It will mellow somewhat but will be strong. If you add more water to tone it down you will lose whatever flavour you had to start with. The more water the less flavour. I'd leave it alone, let it mellow and drink it in small glasses.

Go with just juice.. and no sugar for next time. There's a guide to beginner cider making pinned in this forum - http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/72201-how-to-get-started-in-cider-the-definitiveish-guide-to-beginner39/

Cheers
Dave

OK thanks again!

yes, I discovered this site and read that thread AFTER I had visited the home brew shop and threw it all together... (he was unsure of a non-packaged recipe, but guessed it was similar to beer!)

I will bottle as it is, and dilute down when pouring (if necessary.)

(my wife loves "Old Mout Scrumpy" - but I find it a bit too strong - as will our holiday guests!!)

will update this thread once done

 

[Mutaneer]

With that little apple juice actually in it, there will be very little apple flavour at all, hence why it tastes very alcoholic,

Find an apple grower in your region and source fresh, unpasteurised juice.
My local grower charges $15 for 20 litres

Just add yeast and seal it up.
you'll end up with 7%+ alcohol and a good, traditional cider

 

[wareemba]

yeah, might do a 20L batch next run, so that would be a great way to do it!

 

[Deep End]

We must catch up one day Rob and taste each other's ware's.

 

[Airgead]

OK thanks again!

yes, I discovered this site and read that thread AFTER I had visited the home brew shop and threw it all together... (he was unsure of a non-packaged recipe, but guessed it was similar to beer!)

I will bottle as it is, and dilute down when pouring (if necessary.)

(my wife loves "Old Mout Scrumpy" - but I find it a bit too strong - as will our holiday guests!!)

will update this thread once done

I updated my maths after you posted your reply.. The dex will only add about 1-2%.

Alc % will be fine without dilution. Its still probably not going to have much apple flavour though due to the water.

You could take the plunge and use the whole lot as a starter for a 20l batch using all juice...

Cheers
Dave

 

[wareemba]

ah, yes, OK, so will be fine - just bland!

thanks again, ill just bottle this batch and chalk it up to experience - as the HBS guy said - you should just keep experimenting to work it out!

i'll put a new 5L lot with whole juice down tomorrow

then research larger lots of juice from afar... are there any places out Dural way that might sell it?

 

[Airgead]

Dural... not that I know of. I go out to Bilpin for my apples but I juice them myself at home.I make one big batch of cider each year in apple season and it lasts till next season.

 

[wareemba]

bottled this last night, but used a siphon hose and this caused a lot of aeration... will this be bad?

 

[Airgead]

Aeration is bad. You can bottle with a siphon without aeration if you are careful.

if you are bottle carbing it won't be so bad as the active yeast will mop up some of the o2. But in general it means it won;t keep as ling... so drink quickly. and don't age.

 

[wareemba]

hmm, yes, it was all n00b technique, a hose that just wanted to stay curly and I think an air-leak at the tap/hose junction??

I put 8.8g/L of dexie in there to prime, so should still carb up

I'm gonna come up with a much better siphon technique and practice it for next one... it is an easy concept, but practice is everything!

thanks for your advice Dave

 

[Mutaneer]

Mate, just buy the 25L plastic fermenters.
get 2 of them, one to brew in.
then you can rack it off to clear for a few days
and then transfer again after clearing to bottle from with a "Little bottler" valve

With a length of hose and some car you can transfer without introducing much oxygen.
I've never had flavour or discolouration issues from this process of multiple transfers

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1488786_624848964274772_581861813165729192_n.jpg?oh=de39f648fd6aca749cecf65d6d2d2e17&oe=54D7ED75&__gda__=1427093401_431753e8f40bc1becf6ea8fae8e5f43a

 

[wareemba]

sorry, I didn't really fully explain,

I decanted from the 5L demijohn to my other 25L fermenter with the bulk prime in it, then put the siphon hose in the 25L fermenter tap and filled the bottles on the ground in a crate...

pretty sure there was air getting in between the tap and the hose? or maybe the hose was never full, so that's where the air came from?

either way, there was froth in most of the tops of most 375mL bottles I filled (12).

I put the next batch straight on, so will be more careful with it... this lot is experiment 1.

 

[wareemba]

great picture thanks Mutaneer

 

[wareemba]

I bottled last Thursday and cracked one Sunday, no bubbles in it at all but a slight pfft when removing the lid?

room temp is 20'C - how long should carbonation take?

there was maybe 15mm mm of air in the neck of the 375mL bottle I opened.

 

[scon]

Two weeks at least for full carbonation I find.

 

[mxd]

last thursay as in 3 days ?
If so wait 2 wweks