Cider yeast? Aging cider?
- Thread starter mannye
- Start date
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Apple cidre can take more carbonation than beer. Apple mead needs more carbonation IMHO.
I have never used honey to prime.
Force carbing is easy, though bottling a carbonated brew has it's challenges.
I have never used honey to prime.
Force carbing is easy, though bottling a carbonated brew has it's challenges.
I like the keg force carb deal. Once the TARDIS is up and running on all cylinders I'll have space for six kegs... gotta have a cider in one of them right?
Very true. I like kegged cider because I can easily get Champagne level carbonation (4+ volumes).
Yes.
This is true, if you don't have to bottle, ie you have a keggerator, it's awesome. you can just pour it at whatever carb level you wa
Yes, time causes small bubbles.
Aged beer will have small bubbles.
Aged beer? LOL If I haven't been able to age a mead, what do you think happened with my BEER?? I never bothered with a lager since I never had 43F to lager it. All my beers were ales.
If you age it on the lees, or use one of the products that add those mannoproteins like Bio-Lees (or maybe opti-white or noblesse) you can get some finer bubbles.
I've tried carbonating with honey since I'm a beekeeper and tend to have it, but sugar really is cheaper, much easier, and gives the same results. The tsp or so of honey you need to carbonate really doesn't add enough flavor to warrant the mess. I played with a cyser to make the honey stand out. Huh. That's been cellared a while, too. Time for a taste test, methinks!
We are very lucky -- we've got a nursery in the area that grafts cider-based variants, not just the eating apples. The varieties we went with are Honeycrisp (for eating and for sweetening), Bramley's, Northern Spy, Dabinett, and Michelin. They're on a variety of dwarf and semi-dwarf grafts. This is the third or fourth year, so I'm not expecting a great crop until next year. Last year we were able to press a couple of gallons, so we just went with what the trees gave us. Next time I start quantifying the cider contributions for real.
The place we bought came with an old, neglected apple orchard, so we've made cider from these mystery apples with very good success. Some probably more an eatin' apple, since they're on the sweet side, but other trees tend to have more of a bitter mouthfeel. So far, I find that if the pressed cider is drinkable as-is, but leaning toward dry/bitter, the cider is more what I want.
We are very lucky -- we've got a nursery in the area that grafts cider-based variants, not just the eating apples. The varieties we went with are Honeycrisp (for eating and for sweetening), Bramley's, Northern Spy, Dabinett, and Michelin. They're on a variety of dwarf and semi-dwarf grafts. This is the third or fourth year, so I'm not expecting a great crop until next year. Last year we were able to press a couple of gallons, so we just went with what the trees gave us. Next time I start quantifying the cider contributions for real.
The place we bought came with an old, neglected apple orchard, so we've made cider from these mystery apples with very good success. Some probably more an eatin' apple, since they're on the sweet side, but other trees tend to have more of a bitter mouthfeel. So far, I find that if the pressed cider is drinkable as-is, but leaning toward dry/bitter, the cider is more what I want.
I also found with my feral apples that some will get really sweet if you let them but if you pick them a little earlier you get a lovely tartness...
just saw an ad for a 4-acre orchard for $50k... <sigh>
just saw an ad for a 4-acre orchard for $50k... <sigh>
So basically I don't want to go out and buy a bushel of Red Delicious apples to make cider. I want nice tart ones. I can dig it. I like me a tart every once in a while.... and apples too. (couldn't resist)
You really want a blend.
Buy a bag of sweet, a bag of tart and a bag of tanniny apples.
Juice them separately.
Then mix 25% of each together.
Taste it.
Add a little of the three for flavour.
When you're happy with the taste, buy bushels of apples of that variety, in that ratio.
Good cidre takes work.
If you just want a quick no fuss dry summer drink, go buy some factory juice. ;-)
Buy a bag of sweet, a bag of tart and a bag of tanniny apples.
Juice them separately.
Then mix 25% of each together.
Taste it.
Add a little of the three for flavour.
When you're happy with the taste, buy bushels of apples of that variety, in that ratio.
Good cidre takes work.
If you just want a quick no fuss dry summer drink, go buy some factory juice. ;-)
Heh, I just make cider out of whatever apples I can get my hands on and call it good enough... no refined palate over here!
Boy could that ever be taken out of context 
I haven't actually tried running crabapples through the press yet but maybe this year I will. They ripen so much sooner than the regular apples so I would have to freeze the cider or something.
I haven't actually tried running crabapples through the press yet but maybe this year I will. They ripen so much sooner than the regular apples so I would have to freeze the cider or something.
And if I ever get my farm/orchard, I'll definitely be investing in a crabapple tree. I won't always be able to count on my mom's neighbour's tree!
Freeze them first then juice makes it a whole lot easier plus you probably dont need too many depending on the crab. WVMJ
