anybody ever make hard cider?

[goblueM]

Made about 20 gallons of apple cider out at a friends farm, now looking for any helpful tips from you brewers out there

[solbes]

Hey did you ever figure out your overcarbing issues since your move? Wondered that the other day.

Back to your question, here's a very popular recipe for Apfelwine (german hard cider). Direct posted from a brewing HSOforum I frequent by "Edwort". He kicks in a little extra ABV with dextrose, which will also dry it out some. It's on my to do list, but I haven't tried it yet. Pitching a Tripel onto yeast cake from a Patersbier this weekend and ingredients for 2 more brews are right behind.

"Recipe Type: All Grain

Yeast: Red Star Montrachet

Yeast Starter: Nope

Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: Nope

Batch Size (Gallons): 5

Original Gravity: 1.066

Final Gravity: 0.998

Boiling Time (Minutes): None

Color: Champagne

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): At least 6 weeks at 74 degrees

Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): None

Apfelwein (German Hard Cider)

This took 1st Place at the 2007 Alamo City Cerveza Fest BJCP sanctioned competition for the Cider and Apple Wine Category and 2nd Place for Best of Show for Meads & Ciders!

Ingredients

5 Gallons 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives) I use Tree Top Apple Juice

2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) in one pound bags

1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast

Equipment

5 Gallon Carboy (I use a Better Bottle)

Carboy Cap or Stopper with Airlock

Funnel

First sanitize the carboy, airlock, funnel, stopper or carboy cap.

Open one gallon bottle of apple juice and pour half of it into the carboy using the funnel.

Open one bag of Dextrose and carefully add it to the now half full bottle of apple juice. Shake well.

Repeat Steps 2 and 3, then go to step 5.

Pour in the mixture of Apple Juice and Dextrose from both bottles into the carboy.

Add all but 1 quart of remaining 3 gallons of apple juice to the carboy.

Open the packet of Montrachet Yeast and pour it into the neck of the funnel.

Use the remaining quart of juice to wash down any yeast that sticks. I am able to fit all but 3 ounces of apple juice into a 5 gallon Better Bottle. You may need to be patient to let the foam die down from all shaking and pouring.

Put your stopper or carboy cap on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka. No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv.

There’s no need to worry about filling up a carboy so full when you use Montrachet wine yeast. There is no Kreuzen, just a thin layer of bubbles (see here). I'm able to fit all but 4 oz. of my five gallons in the bottle. Ferment at room temperature.

It will become cloudy in a couple of days and remain so for a few weeks. In the 4th week, the yeast will begin to drop out and it will become clear. After at least 4 weeks, you can keg or bottle, but it is ok to leave it in the carboy for another month or so. Racking to a secondary is not necessary. It ferments out very dry (less than 0.999, see here)

If you want to bottle and carbonate, ¾ cup of corn sugar will work fine. Use as you would carbonate a batch of beer.

Remember to reserve judgment till after 3 glasses. It grows on you."

[goblueM]

sounds like what i ended up going with. i think i may try backsweetening

havent figured out the carb issues, i've actually been busy with work, school, and bowhunting, so I havent brewed in about 3 months - its criminal!

I'm pretty sure i can fix it by putting in less priming sugar, we shall see though

[solbes]

Haven't brewed in 3 months, tsk tsk. Good winter time activity I guess. You'll have to let me know how it turns out. I think the wife would appreciate a good hard cider, she gets a little tired of hoppy creations sometimes.

[goblueM]

well the cider turned out fantastic. didn't do any filtering, just decanted. very clear and crisp looking.

a little overcarbonated, but not too bad. the sweet batch is very palatable, not overly sweet. the unsweetened batch is a little dry, and stronger flavored, but I like it

I will definitely be doing 5 or 10 gallons of this next year

[Redlantern]

What did you choose to use for a yeast?