Matilda Bay: Dirty Granny Cider

[calobes]

The girlfriend loves cider and this is her favorite. I don't drink the stuff (don't like ciders).

Has anyone here drunk this cider before? If so any ideas on a recipe.

Cheers

 

[Mutaneer]

Quite like most other commercial ciders, sweet.

Gonna be hard to replicate, but with enough additives and non-fermentable sugar should get you there.

Personally, try and convert her to traditional dry style ciders.

I can barely drink a cider when i'm out anymore, I've become so used to my own dry ciders, that even the dry varieties from proper boutique brewers ar getting close to too sweet.

I managed to lay my hands on some juice from Cox's Orange Pippins and it stays naturally sweeter, even when brewed out fully dry, I guess why it's one of the Apples of choice in Local cider production

 

[Phoney]

I would suggest the good old 100% apple juice, fermented with S04 or Nottingham. Then back sweetened with 100 - 200g of lactose.

 

[sp0rk]

I would suggest the good old 100% apple juice, fermented with S04 or Nottingham. Then back sweetened with 100 - 200g of lactose.

So you're saying add the lactose to the keg?

 

[calobes]

Quite like most other commercial ciders, sweet.
Gonna be hard to replicate, but with enough additives and non-fermentable sugar should get you there.
Personally, try and convert her to traditional dry style ciders.
I can barely drink a cider when i'm out anymore, I've become so used to my own dry ciders, that even the dry varieties from proper boutique brewers ar getting close to too sweet.
I managed to lay my hands on some juice from Cox's Orange Pippins and it stays naturally sweeter, even when brewed out fully dry, I guess why it's one of the Apples of choice in Local cider production

lol, been a long time since I took a sip of it (a sip is all I ever had) and from my memory I thought it was pretty dry, compared to most commercial ciders anyway.

She doesn't mind if the taste isn't exactly the same, just the style. I was going to go 100% apple juice and some kind of cider yeast and leave it simple as that. So you guys think I would need to backsweeten a bit?

When would I use lactose (never used it). Considering this will be bottled, can I chuck it in during bulk prime?

 

[TheBlackAdder]

Lactose is a sugar that doesnt ferment, so its fine to put it in even on day 1. At the same time as the bulk prime will be fine too

Adding some apple and pear juice will also add some sweetness due to more complex sugars in the pear juice

 

[calobes]

Lactose is a sugar that doesnt ferment, so its fine to put it in even on day 1. At the same time as the bulk prime will be fine too

Adding some apple and pear juice will also add some sweetness due to more complex sugars in the pear juice

Thanks mate. So having lactose in the wort during ferment won't alter the sweetness or give off any off flavours?

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I've found a simple juice/s04/nutrient ferment conks out at 1010 anyways (usually within a few days) for a nice, semi sweet cider. Not what I would call bottle safe, it's probably still going slowly, but fine to keg.

I'd try that before adding lactose. you could even have some carbonated apple pear juice to add to each glass as desired?

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I've found a simple juice/s04/nutrient ferment conks out at 1010 anyways (usually within a few days) for a nice, semi sweet cider. Not what I would call bottle safe, it's probably still going slowly, but fine to keg.


I'd try that before adding lactose. you could even have some carbonated apple pear juice to add to each glass as desired?

 

[Tb1978]

I just finished brewing a Mangrove Jacks Apple Cider kit, I forced carbed a 1.25ltr bottle to try it out while I wait fir the keg to carb up, made it as per instructions and used all the sweetener, it definitely very close to the commercial ciders, bit to sweet for my liking as I prefer a dryer cider but very nice, will definitely try again and not add the sweetener next time.. Worth giving it a go if your after a sweeter cider..

 

[calobes]

Ok, decided to go simple. 100% apple juice and s-04. After ferment the girlfriend can give it a taste and I'll backsweeten with lactose at bulk prime if she thinks it's too dry.

Thanks for the help fellas

 

[sp0rk]

I've got one going right now with
20L of aldi apple juice
750ml of dark black tea (5 teabags)
half a bottle of long life lemon juice (didn't have any fresh)
1kg of frozen mixed berries, thawed and smooshed up in the bag (added once gravity hit around 1.018)
1 packet of SO4

the tannins in the tea and acid from the lemon juice really help to balance the dryness, I think

 

[calobes]

I've got one goin thng right now with
20L of aldi apple juice
750ml of dark black tea (5 teabags)
half a bottle of long life lemon juice (didn't have any fresh)
1kg of frozen mixed berries, thawed and smooshed up in the bag (added once gravity hit around 1.018)
1 packet of SO4

the tannins in the tea and acid from the lemon juice really help to balance the dryness, I think

Maybe I'll chuck in a couple of teabags as well. Did you just chuck them in the fermentor with the tea?

 

[sp0rk]

nope, brewed up the tea first then removed the bags and just dumped the tea in with everything else

 

[mattyg8]

I've got one going right now with
20L of aldi apple juice
750ml of dark black tea (5 teabags)
half a bottle of long life lemon juice (didn't have any fresh)
1kg of frozen mixed berries, thawed and smooshed up in the bag (added once gravity hit around 1.018)
1 packet of SO4

the tannins in the tea and acid from the lemon juice really help to balance the dryness, I think

Im also about to place this down, but have never used frozen mixed berries....would like to know how it goes

 

[calobes]

nope, brewed up the tea first then removed the bags and just dumped the tea in with everything else

thanks spork. No bags it is.

 

[sp0rk]

Im also about to place this down, but have never used frozen mixed berries....would like to know how it goes

I only use frozen stuff, freezing them should kill most things and it rips up the cell walls so the yeasties can munch through the sugaz
The Aldi frozen berries come in a ziplock bag, I just open them and squeeze out all the air, reseal and squash the fruit
Then starsan the bag and squeeze it out into the fermenter
Remember to add the fruit after the majority of fermentation is done, otherwise active fermentation will scrub out most of the colour and flavour from the fruit

 

[mattyg8]

How did the lactose back sweetener go? Mine should be finishing up this weekend so looking to add some lactose in the keg

 

[TimT]

I can barely drink a cider when i'm out anymore, I've become so used to my own dry ciders, that even the dry varieties from proper boutique brewers ar getting close to too sweet.

Yes! Me too. The fruit juice-style sweetness that commercial cider brewers go for is a big distraction. It overwhelms other flavours and lacks any subtlety.

The funny thing about dry ciders or dry wines of any description is you can still often taste a sweetness. I'm not sure what it is: residual unfermentable natural sugars, or ingredients in the wine that have broken down into sugar-like compounds. Certainly after a few months they seem to really take on their own character, and it's fascinating to be there with them as they grow. Of course this sweetness is always balanced out with the familiar wine tastes - a tartness, often an acidity. Fermentation is a fascinating and complex process all right.

 

[OneEye]

Probably alcohol sweetness