Made cider out of kellybrook apples

[professional_drunk]

I recently went to the kellybrook cider festival and brought home a cube of their fresh apple juice. Very expensive but also tastes fantastic. When I got home I pitched some us05 and left it for 2 weeks. I've just finished kegging it and it's not a bad drop. I tasted it out of the fermenter and to me it tasted dry to medium. After carbonation it seemed more dryer and I regret not adding a bit of sugar now. I think the carbonation fooled me into thinking I was happy with the dry/sweet balance. It's not a very complex cider, it does taste a bit one dimensional and it would have been better suited to some hotter weather. All up I'm quite happy with the way this has turned out and also happy with the lack of effort required. Thought I'd share my first attempt at cider.

 

[Deep End]

What sort of juice was it? And dont tell me apple juice LOL! Any reason you used US-05? These are two questions that come to mind after reading your post Looks very pale in the glass, cider drinking and hot weather are like cheese and biscuits, but I guess you could just chuck another log on the fire or turn the heat up and close your eyes and pretend!

 

[professional_drunk]

Well you don't want to know the answer then. Anyway it's 100% apple. Fresh, it isn't as sweet as your average store bought apple juice. Probably one of the best tasting fresh apple juices I've encountered. I been reading up on cider yeasts and it was doing my head in, so I just used what I had on hand which happened to be us05.

 

[Deep End]

LOL I was hoping for more varietal information, or what blend, but if you dont know I'll live. Never been to a cider festival, so maybe part of me was hoping it was a cube of some cider apple juice or blend thereof. And yeast selection interests me on a number of factors, I have bugger all knowledge on the subject but the differences and outcomes of different strains on the end product interest me. Like for instance I wonder if the US-05 had any influence on the colour of the end product as I said it looks very pale compared to what colour I get from my cider, but maybe it was the juice in the first place. So many unanswered questions to ask, the mind boggles LOL. As long as you enjoy it I guess it doesn't really matter does it.

 

[professional_drunk]

Well I just happen to a picture of some unfermented juice on the left. Also I'm not that sophisticated enough to ask what type of apple it came from.

 

[breakbeer]

How much did a cube of their juice cost?

 

[Fents]

it was $3 per L last year im guessing its still the same.

3 x 17L (cube) = $51

 

[Greg.L]

Did you measure the sg before fermenting? That will tell you a lot about the juice, also a pH is very useful. If the cider goes through a natural MLF it will taste very one dimensional for a few weeks but then the flavour comes back, so don't give up hope. If you don't add so2 after primary finishes, a natural MLF is quite likely if it is at room temperature.

Greg

 

[Deep End]

Thats some watery looking juice, might explain the pale colour

 

[manticle]

A few forum members got juice from Harcourt (thanks to Djar007 for puicking up). OG was just under 1060. I've got mine fermenting with some cru-05 yeast I got from Greg L a while ago (ambient on a concrete floor in melbourne so fairly cool and slow).

Be interested to see if it goes through a natural MLF. Normally I add tannic and malic acid to my store bought juice based ciders but this one will be left as simple as possible. Juice was nice - little tannic bite, some sweetness and body, good apple flavour.

Alo got 15 L of Perry with the same yeast as Djar was kind enough to donate some of the pear juice he got from them to my cause.

I like harcourt ciders so hopefully this simple treatment of their juice results in a cider that approaches.

 

[Midnight Brew]

My mate bought went to this a bought a bottle (looked to be around 3 to 4 litres) of live cider. Im usually not a fan of cider or apple juice but this was amazing. Keen to get down there next year as its just up the road in Wonga Park.

 

[aaronpetersen]

I went to the Kellybrook cider festival with the intention of buying a cube of their juice to make cider with. After sampling the juice I wasn't very impressed so didn't buy any. The juice was very bland, watery (I didn't measure it but assume a low gravity) and very acidic. Unfortunately I forgot to ask the variety of apple.
Does anyone know how they keep the juice so clear and pale? If it really is just 100% juice then shouldn't oxidisation during the juicing process cause it to turn brown and shouldn't it be hazy?

 

[professional_drunk]

The juice is very expensive. About $45 for 12 litres. Please don't mention aldi

I didn't do any measurements before hand because I'm not really interested in making cider and so I'm not interested in repeatability. The opportunity was there so I did it.

The juice does taste thinner than store bought. But it definitely has a nicer sour/sweet ratio.

Btw did anyone try the scrumpy cider at kellybrook? I had to chuck it out because it tasted like nappies.

 

[manticle]

The harcourt stuff was less than $2 per L.
Will try to remember to give you a shout next time we ate grabbing some P D.

 

[aaronpetersen]

The harcourt stuff was less than $2 per L.
Will try to remember to give you a shout next time we ate grabbing some P D.

I'd be keen if you wouldn't mind letting me know too Manticle.

 

[manticle]

Original thread is here:

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/70956-anyone-interested-in-bulk-apple-juice-from-nudie-juice/


While originally about nudie juice for 2.20-ish a L, read on. I think this time we got it for under 1.6 per L as we were given a misquote (I got 20 L for $30) it's likely to be 1.8 per L next time - still pretty good for fresh pressed juice.

Djar was talking about going up again soon - I don't want to dob him in for everyone as I don't know how big his car is (although if enough people were interested, there might be pooling/taking in turns) but I reckon if you express interest in that thread, something will happen.

 

[Hillbrewer]

I picked up fresh apple juice is Tasmania for $1 a litre while I was down there for work.
The day I picked my 20l up a truck was leaving with 10 1,000l pods of the stuff, which was going to their cider brewery.
Made my brewing aspirations feel a little insignificant.

My cider's progress
OG 1.055.
It has been fermenting for 5 weeks. Last SG reading on the 15th May was 1.015 is has bee dropping 0.010 per week.
Used a re-cultured yeast from a naturally conditioned bottled cider which I picked up at the cider brewery.
I plan to transfer to secondary fermenter on the 29th of May, when fermentation should be finished, and leave for a further 4 weeks before bottling.

 

[Greg.L]

I really don't know why you would get poor quality juice this year, it was a good year in most areas. Perhaps they picked the fruit too soon, or were using up fruit from last year in cold store. You can't really make cider without testing the sg, but it sounds like you weren't serious about the cider making. Usually fresh pressed juice is sweeter than supermarket juice.

 

[professional_drunk]

Just tried backsweetening the cider with some unfermented juice I've kept aside. It's bloody awesome! It's regained some flavour notes that dissappear during fermentation and you can bring the sweetness to medium. A lot more character now and no longer one dimensional.

So there's a tip from me if anyone is making cider. Keep 10% unfermented and add it back in the keg.