Here is a recipie question for you.

[wvbrewer]

I going to make a batch of cider, and I was thinking of using some light spray malt instead of table sugar for extra fermentables with 100% apple juice. I am also planning on using a nottingham ale yeast. How do you guys think it will turn out? I have not brewed it yet, but might here soon.

Thanks Dave

 

[pkeeler]

I just made a cider with german ale yeast, worked great. I do think ale yeasts are better for carbonated ciders with lower starting gravitites (1.040-1.060). Nice thing about the German yeast (Wyeast 1007) is that it works down to 55 deg, which is where my cellar is at these days.

Not sure what spray malt is. You might want to Google search "Graff Cider", to get some ideas of malt unfermentables. I found that recipe after I made mine. Will probably add hops and crystal malt the next time.

 

[wvbrewer]

Would not adding hops make a difference, since I don't have any at home. I thought the light DME would just add some color and body. The last batch I made used Corn sugar and EC-118 yeast. It turned out very good and had a good puch to it. It was kind of like champange.

Dave

 

[pkeeler]

The hops are to balance out the sweetness. You could use tea or wine tannin or just skip them. Most hard cider is hopless.

It seems to me, and I'm a complete cider newbie, that there are three styles you can shoot for: apple wine (a white wine made with apples instead of grapes), sparkling cider (a champagne made with apples instead of grapes), and Woodchuck/Strongbow cider ales (beer made with apples instead of grain). The carbonation in the latter two will add bitterness itself to balance out the sweetness. But, lots of people like apple wine. The Graff people are also looking for something that is made on a beer time scale vs. a wine time scale. That is about as far as I've thought about cider LOL Would help if I had some from my batch ready to drink as I made them pretty plain. Just wanted to take pressed cider, add ale yeast, and bottle and see what it would taste like.