Irish Cider

[davedoran]

Hi all,



Im looking to do a nice apple cider. I tried one before using the blackrock cider kit and it came out really dry. So much so im contemplating throwing it down the drain. Ive heard people say that for best results i should just use apple juice instead of kits. Im looking to try make an Irish cider (like magners) which is a bit dryer than an english cider but im not too fussy.

Any ideas?


Thanks,


Dave

 

[manticle]

All apple juice will make a better cider (look up simple cider in the non-beer brewing section) but it will come out dry, probably drier than the blackrock kit.

There are ways to make cider sweeter and there is a tonne of different methods - I think both here and on homebrewtalk you'll find most of the ideas - adding unfermentable sugar/sweeteners like stevia or lactose, backsweetening with apple juice, using some pear juice, kegging early (if you keg) yeast choice, bottle pasteurisation and trying to stop fermentation with things that slow yeast (potassium sorbate or campden).

All have varying degrees of success, not all of them I have tried and therefore could not recommend (I like dry cider) but you will find heaps of discussion.

As I said - look at simple cider here and the cider section at homebrewtalk for more ideas.

 

[brettprevans]

pretty sure there is no such thing as an english or irish cider style. its just one brand's cider is drier than the other. and magners is aka bulmers. is marketed in irland as magners.

check out the copies threads on cider in the non-beer brewing section. heaps of info as mants indicated.

as you like dry cider your in luck as its harder to make a sweet cider at home without resorting to backsweetending, pasturising etc (again as mants has quickly referanced)

 

[davedoran]

pretty sure there is no such thing as an english or irish cider style. its just one brand's cider is drier than the other. and magners is aka bulmers. is marketed in irland as magners.

check out the copies threads on cider in the non-beer brewing section. heaps of info as mants indicated.

as you like dry cider your in luck as its harder to make a sweet cider at home without resorting to backsweetending, pasturising etc (again as mants has quickly referanced)

Thanks lads,
Yes Magners here is Bulmers in Ireland, they werent quick enough to copywrite its name overseas hence they use Magners overseas. Bulmers here is an english cider and not a good one at that.

Thanks again, ill check out the non beer section.



Dave