Pipsqueak Cider Recipe

[Jimmeh]

If it helps at all, I know for a fact that LC uses Isinglass to clear their cider up. Also the juice they use is primarily from Granny Smith apples.
I was lucky enough to go on a brewery tour there

 

[mattcarty]

If it helps at all, I know for a fact that LC uses Isinglass to clear their cider up. Also the juice they use is primarily from Granny Smith apples.
I was lucky enough to go on a brewery tour there

cooleo thanks for that mate i will give it a go

ok so the brew is fermenting, the gravity is dropping, day 5 saw it at 1020 so all good (had a taste test didnt mind it and i usually hate cidars) but it is surprising to me that there is almost no krausen or visible signs of fermenting does anyone know why that is? usually when i brew a beer its a krausen party and everyones invited but with cider nothin.

anyway still trying to decide if i should bottle or keg, i dont know if i can allow one of my 2 beer taps to be dedicated to cider but i am very lazy which is why i have a keg setup in the first place

oh and because they are so awesome!

cheers
carty

 

[casualties_army40]

Have just put down a cider brew
8 x 2.4L Berri Apple Concentrate
0.2kg LDME (for some body)
2 teaspoons of the yeast nutrient
Wyeast 4766 Cider yeast

Hey im new to homebrewing and just want to ask what is LDME? and also, is Wyeast wine yeast? thanks

 

[bum]

LDME is Light Dry Malt Extract - it is used in much the same way as sugar but it leaves more body, flavour and often a residual sweetness.
Wyeast is a brand of liquid yeast.
You can get both at your local homebrew shops (LHBS) or from the sponsors above.

 

[Nick JD]

About ten years ago I made a fermenter full of "Snakebite". IIRC it was a 1.5kg can of Pale Malt Extract and about five 2L bottles of apple juice.

Instead of sugar for priming, each bottle had a tablespoon of blackcurrant cordial syrup.

Must make it again.

EDIT: maybe it was rasberry syrup...

 

[manticle]

Hey im new to homebrewing and just want to ask what is LDME? and also, is Wyeast wine yeast? thanks

There's a list of commonly (and some less commonly) used acronyms gere: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=17

 

[Pollux]

I spotted the 2 for $5 3L Just Juice bottles at Woolies the other day....

12L of Apple, 6L of Apple Pear, added yeast nutrient and two packs of brigalow yeast that was kicking about in the fridge.....

1.044 OG, if it ferments out to 1.000 that makes a 6.1% cider in the keg for the wife.......

 

[benny_bjc]

Hi,

I just tried a Pipsqueak Cider and am wanting to make something along the lines of this...

I am planning on using fresh apples and juicing them! I read that a range of different apples is best - and someone suggested: 1/3 each - Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Fuji....

Anyway Im not really sure how many apples I will need (probably do approx 10L batch for first go) so will probably go a box of each or something...

After Juicing the Apples should I leave them in a tub to settle and then tap off the clearer liquid or is cloudy ok?
(I suppose it should really be settled in the fridge to wild yeasts... good luck finding room in my fridge argh!!!)

Do I then dilute the apple juice with water or leave it straight?

I assume there is no need for extra sugar and also would prefer a dry cider... but I have heard of people adding light dry malt - would this be necessary for a pipsqueak style cider??

I plan on using wyeast cider yeast.... I hope the summer temperatures won't be a problem!!!

If there is anything else I should know, or hints and tips please share?

Thanks Heaps!

P.s. Do I need to sanatise the apples - some suggest cambden tablets??? I saw video of another person soaking the apples in bleach - don't like the sound of that!)

 

[Fourstar]

what sort of FG does that 4766 cider yeast get to....every cider i've made has finishe <1.010 and i find it to dry.

anyone tried a cider using 1056 or US05?

I used US05 and it ended at 1.006 or 4.9%ABV

tastes great to me but it you wanted it to stop at 1.010 you would probabaly have to add a campden tablet or hot pasturise it. I dont know what that would do to the flavour thou.

 

[manticle]

Hi,

I just tried a Pipsqueak Cider and am wanting to make something along the lines of this...

I am planning on using fresh apple and juicing! I read that a range of different apples is best - and someone suggested: 1/3 each - Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Fuji....

Anyway Im not really sure how many apples I will need (probably do approx 10L batch for first go)

After Juicing the Apples should I leave them in a tub to settle and then tap off the clearer liquid or is cloudy ok?
(I suppose it should really settle in the fridge to prevent fermentation... good luck finding room in my fridge argh!!!)

Do I then dilute the apple juice with water or leave it straight?

I assume there is no need for extra sugar and also would prefer a dry cider... but I have heard of people adding light dry malt - would this be necessary for a pipsqueak style cider??

I plan on using wyeast cider yeast.... I hope the summer temperatures won't be a problem!!!

If there is anything else I should know, or hints and tips please share?

Thanks Heaps!

A range of apples is essential. You want sweet, bitter, tart if you can. I reckon equal representation is best but if you prefer one over the other then balance accordingly.

My efforts at all apple ciders have not quite been successful in many terms (tastewise they were good though) so the exact amounts I'm unsure of. However I would suggest at least twice the weight of apples as required liquid.

I have found leaving for 24-48 hours and then racking gives the best results for clarity. During this time, make a yeast starter so when you pitch the yeast will take off pretty much straight away.

Use some yeast nutrient. No need for extra sugar bar something unfermentable like lactose. 500g of lactose: 20 L cider still gives a very dry cider - mine finish around 1000 using wine yeasts.

I prefer no sulphites but they can help prevent wild/apple yeasts taking hold if you are concerned. I've had no definitive issues with this with the few sulphite free versions I've done and the cider is ready to drink quicker.

However my most recent effort which came up beautifully clear and clean for the most part displayed cloudiness in the last two or three. Still tasted good but maybe my non-sulphite usage allowed infection which didn't appear till later? Not sure and regardless: I hate sulphites so I'll be looking at other ways around this.

Many naturally fermented ciders (Normandy, Breton, Scrumpy) are cloudy so it depends what you're chasing. Pipsqueak is clear thouhg. Fining and cold conditioning will help.


I like to ferment low - around 2-14 degrees but wine yeasts tolerate that. Not sure about the wyeast..

 

[benny_bjc]

Thanks Heaps!

Do I need to buy the yeast nutrient or can I make that up somehow?

 

[manticle]

You can buy it or you can make it.

Brew shops will sell diammonium phosphate which is a wine yeast nutrient (since I use wine yeasts, it's what I use).

You can make it (yeast nutrient not DAP) by boiling up some old kit yeast as dead yeast acts as a nutrient. Some poeple suggest the odour is unpleasant - I'm sorry I can't vouch either way.

I also can't elaborate on the different performances of DAP vs boiled kit yeast but the DAP hasn't failed me so far and the reports I hear of boiled yeast are good.

 

[benny_bjc]

You can buy it or you can make it.

Brew shops will sell diammonium phosphate which is a wine yeast nutrient (since I use wine yeasts, it's what I use).

You can make it by boiling up some old kit yeast as dead yeast acts as a nutrient. Some poeple suggest the odour is unpleasant - I'm sorry I can't vouch either way.

I also can't elaborate on the different performances of DAP vs boiled kit yeast but the DAP hasn't failed me so far and the reports I hear of boiled yeast are good.

Thanks I will probably end up using wine yeast... if I can't get my hands on cider yeast quickly.

 

[benny_bjc]

oh and also... how long will the cider last if left natural - i.e. no sanitizing / cambden tablets etc...?

 

[manticle]

Do you mean before pitching?

I wouldn't recommend no sanitising.

I would sanitise the vessel you're putting everything into and give the apples a good wash. Make sure the juicing equipment is sanitised as well. Juice everything, put in fermenter, seal and place in fridge for 1-2 days. A crust should form. Rack (into a second sanitised vessel) using the tap or a siphon under the crust and leave the crust behind. Then pitch the starter.

If you want to go completely natural, using the wild yeasts in the apples then read up about breton cidermaking. Before you attempt that though I would recommend tasting a few commercial examples as they are a different kettle of fish and not to everyone's tastes. I like them but they are sour, musty and cloudy - not anything like the commercial ciders we are used to.

I would also recommend building up to trying that rather than trying that for your first go. I aim to do a breton style cider one day but I think it's important to take steps and understand what you're doing and what mistakes you are making along the way.

 

[Muggus]

I am planning on using fresh apples and juicing them! I read that a range of different apples is best - and someone suggested: 1/3 each - Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Fuji....

As Manticle mentioned, the trend for a good apple ciders is a mix of sweet, tart and bitter. The thing is, the latter (bitter) apples arn't exactly the varieties you'll find in your local supermarket. Thinking about it, Grannys (when picked young) are tart, Pink Ladys are slightly tart, slightly sweet though not much of either this time of year, and Fuji, kinda sweet, faintest bit tannic.
You'll find some recipes use crab apples in them to make up for the tart and bitter elements, because that's what they are!

Having said all that, most commercial ciders really don't have that much acid, and certainly arn't bitter. This sort of rule generally applies to more rustic, farmhouse ciders, which really are far more flavoursome, and for the most part, potent!
I could imagine nothing but good Pink Lady apples would make a very nice cider. But that might just be because I really love a nice crisp tart Pink Lady! :icon_drool2:

 

[manticle]

It's not right to call a tart a lady nor a lady a tart.

 

[Muggus]

It's not right to call a tart a lady nor a lady a tart.

If she's a lady in pink, there's a good chance she's a tart.

 

[manticle]

Yes but all ladies have pink and.................ok I'll stop there

 

[Muggus]

Yes but all ladies have pink and.................ok I'll stop there

Oh thank god! h34r: