Cider Recipes

[Peter Dear]

Just been chatting in another discussion about cider....wondering if anyone has any good cider recipes!??!?

any particular yeasts to use?? sugar? apples? anything else??

[denimglen]

This has good rep on that forum.

I made it a year or so back, wasn't too bad but I'm not a massive fan of cider, I used the Gervin strain of Montrachet yeast.

[Martin townshend]

Proper cider apples, pulp, crush, wild yeasts. It'll go very dry, but, for a bit of residual sweetness, try adding a squiddle of glycerine as it is non fermentable, (and i mean a squiddle, any more and it'll be a squander.) It'll add body too. I like dry cider so don't add anything.
Cider shouldn't require a recipe. All it is is fermented apple juice. Anything else just ain't cider.

[Greig McGill]

Where do you get your cider apples from Martin? I have a friend who is seriously into cider, and wants to make real cider (his kit ones are great). I told him I'd ask around, and didn't even think to ask you at Beervana, even after tasting your lovely cider. Might as well ask here so all can benefit! :)

[Martin townshend]

Hi G,
I've me own orchard. Don't mean to brag, but the cider I took to beervana is made from true cider varieties from Spain, France and England. I currently have 160 trees and 31 varieties and make a vintage cider. The beervana drop "Rosie's Natch' contained 28 varieties. The simple reason for sourcing true cider apples is that they have the astringency and tannins to give far more depth and character than eating apples. Unfortunately, most grow like corks and have very little juice, so are low yeilding. I have heard a Fuji apple, for example, contains 4 teaspoons of sugar and an abundance of juice, but without adding tannin etc, the resulting cider is very bland. Another thing, many 'ciders' are actually apple wines, or apple fuice/concentrate with sugar added, fermented with a wine or champagne yeast to approx 11% ish then cut with water. Yet another gripe of mine where there's room for education at point of sale.

[Pilgrim]

As a complete opposite to Martin's genuine Cider. The cider I am drinking at the moment is the quickest brew I have ever done. Left home, drove to the local Pack-n-Save, saw they had Fresh-up crisp apple juice (100% pure juice, no additives, no preservatives) on special for $7 for two 3 litre containers. Bought 18 litres, drove home, threw the lot into the fermenter and added a packet of Munton's Premium Gold yeast that I had handy. SG 1047. Back to work. Total elapsed time 45 minutes. 12 days in primary, 13 days in secondary. 5.2%ABV. My wife doesn't drink hardly at all, but even she liked it :-)
Yes I know it's cheating but it was a very successful experiment.

[Peter Dear]

Does it matter that it's reconstituted apple juice?
Did the cider stay clear? Do you think it would work with the fresh up old fashioned style applejuice??

[Pilgrim]

"Does it matter that it's reconstituted apple juice?"
5.2% ABV and tastes beautiful. I don't think it matters :-)

Crystal clear. Don't see why it wouldn't work with the Old Fashioned.

[Peter Dear]

Fair enough

[denimglen]

Also if you want to make hard cider from 'actual cider' Pam's do an unfiltered apple juice, but that takes ages to clear.

It's also kinda fun to ferment out, dormantise the yeast with sorbate and campden then backsweeten with concentrate, but you'd need to keg it.

That apfelwein I posted above ain't nothin' flash as far as ciders go but makes for a made panty dropper ;-)

[Peter Dear]

What was your final gravity Reading? What should I be aiming for?

[Pilgrim]

FG was 1008.

[Michael]

What yeast do you recommend?

Would US04 or the cheap yeast left over from an ale kit produce a good enough result?