Hard Apple Cider

[JWMINNESOTA]

Walked in from work this A.M. and was greeted by such a wonderful smell! The NW Apple Beer Breakfast Drink! This stuff really smells good, think I better keep a batch going to use as room freshener!

 

[hdhunter]

I used a natural cider for mine and it will not clear. The cider was very cloudy itself (and also had plenty of "chunks" floating in it) and it seems it has caused it not to clear.

 

[NorthernWinos]

JWMINNESOTA...you know what they say about an apple a day...


Got to get something bottled so I can start another batch...it is just too good.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

I used a natural cider for mine and it will not clear. The cider was very cloudy itself (and also had plenty of "chunks" floating in it) and it seems it has caused it not to clear.

Did you follow NW's recipe? Sounds like what you are seeing is Pectin Haze, just a guess since this is my first apple also. Pectic Enzyme is added to help clear this. Worth mentioning if you used Bentonite, it would negate the effects of the pectic enzyme as well. Guess knowing what recipe you used would be helpful.Edited by: JWMINNESOTA

 

[NorthernWinos]

The store bought juices I used have probably been filtered....Some of those 64oz bottles are actually made from concentrate....so it's pretty clear....not the best, but for this it has been working out okay.


Someday, I hope to have an apple press and make my cider from real homegrown apple juice. I make my Sparkling Apple Wine from our own apples, but use a steam juice extractor to the juice....also not the best....but use what I have.

 

[hdhunter]

My recipe was very simular......I did not add all the pectic because I ran out. I now have more and I also have some bent.


What would you suggest?

 

[smokegrub]

Way off topic but what does the word "bent" mean when used in this context?

On topic, somewhat, I cored amnd chopped some apples from my trees last Fall and then boiled them. Then diluted that "mess" and tried to make it into a wine. It did fairly well even though it took forever to clear. Unfortunately. I backsweetened with some frozen concentrate and it clouded back up. Fining didn't help. It is still sitting in the cellar. If it doesn't clear we will drink a cloudy wine!

 

[Dean]

in this case, I would assume that bent = bentonite, since it can also be used to get rid of protein based hazes, much like pectic enzyme.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

My recipe was very simular......I did not add all the pectic because I ran out. I now have more and I also have some bent.
What would you suggest?

I'm no expert since this is my first also, but I would add the remaining amount of pectic, since adding bentonite now would only negate the effects of the pectic you did add, and give it time.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Went to the store today for onion sets and seed potaotes...they had Langer's apple juice on sale...I bought 6 gallons.....got to get a carboy or two empty and start more......


After a day out planting garden in the strong winds and my honey out in an air conditioned tractor....we shared 3 beer bottles of Hard Apple Cider tonight and feeling really 'on our way'....to bed!!!!

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

I had a terrible dilemma, no 5 gal carboy to rack to available, only 6...so I had no choice,I Had to top it up and make it a 6 gal batch

Think I will be glad i did.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...Edited by: JWMINNESOTA

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Primed and bottled the gal of Apple Lager this a.m., think its gonna be good!

 

[bmorosco]

wow ..I bet they taste great...

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Taste? well...I could of gotten 12 bottles, but as NW Say's, it makes a good breakfast drink! Especially after working all night!

 

[NorthernWinos]

A good day for some wine maintainance....bottled two batches....freed up a carboy for another batch of Hard Apple Cider....


Here are the Dead Soldiers....

Hope it turns out as good as the last two batches.


I am going to try either Côtes des Blanc or EC-1118....have till tomorrow to decide...


Had seen on a Cider Forum a guy made 5 batches all with different yeasts...he said the EC-1118 Champagne yeast had the best flavor....so might try it first.


Have more juice on deck from a recent sale and will try the other yeast on that batch.

 

[Wade E]

We salute you!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Racked the cider this morning...

The starting S.G. was 1.060 and today 6 days after pitching the EC-1118 the S.G. was 1.002...so it came down nicely.


I tasted it and found it is drier and cleaner than the cider made with Munton's Ale Yeast, different flavor....still very nice and at this stage things can change.


Can't really tell till it is carbonated and taste bottle to bottle. I can hardly wait.


BTW...the last batch I thought I had over carbonated using 1 + 1/4 cup Corn Sugar to 69 bottles...so far no bottles have blown and they are nice and carbonated already....Don't think they will last long enough to explode.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Just curios as to how you are going to carbonate this batch, Prime with sugar like beer , or sparkling wine method?

 

[NorthernWinos]

Prime like beer...then bottle in beer bottles.


When we do sparkling wine we add regular white sugar and yeast...it gets more bubbly.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We went to rack our Cider today...it had been stable about 10 days ago when we last racked it...Today it had little bubbles coming up the sides of the carboy....and...when we racked it to another carboy it was fizzy, like effervessent.....






It was made with Old Orchard Apple juice in 64 oz bottles and brought to 1.060 with frozen Old Orchard Juice Concentrate..no sugar....used EC-1118 yeast this time and the S.G last time was 1.005...today it was 1.005, but expect that will drop with this activity.


It tastes great and poured in a glass it is just like when we have primed it....real fizzy.


We are experiencing a strong low pressure area right over us and intense storms....


What do you think is going on....????