Cider making

Brew Cat said:
picking my apples today
great crop this year
going to try something different
I have a pressure rated fermentor so I’m going to try and do a Federweise
I know it’S usually done with grapes but after a nice conversation with the Yeast Bot at Label Peelers it can be made with any fruit. The Bot recommended Lalvin 71B so ordered some
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Im a fan of yhe D-47 and make all my ciders with it.
Obviously thats a personal preference, but I've been doing this for quite some time with success.
I do know quite a few that use the other though.
Good luck,
Brian
 
Brew Cat said:
It will probably go down to 1.009 so it should be about 6% ABV
I may chapatalize a gallon to about 20° for appfelwien and use Red Star Premier Classique which I've used a bunch
The cider I will use Lalvin 71B which I've gotten a lot of recommendations for
I've used beer yeast before and Notty gets good results
I will add nutrients like wine
As far as acid I'm trying to figure it out
I have a couple wild apple trees that are tart and usually use these. Unfortunately those trees didn't produce this year. The Arkansas Blacks will add some tannins.
I'm titration testing to try and figure it out
Right now my TA is .5 - .55
It's close but I've heard.6 is a good target
I've never tested my ciders but trying to up my game
There are a lot of local taps around but I need to go to some mills and pick some brains
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You'll get down to 1.000 SG with that yeast
 
Ok just ordered a couple of packs of the D-47
On your advice
I am enjoying the batch with the 71-B
I have to press again so I'll try the D-47 next batch
Won't be able to side by side
Different apples
 
I feel the D-47 gives more body and mouth feel.
Also, if you're bottling any of it, as that yeast breaks down over time, the apple flavor is increased.
With either of those yeasts, you're going to go down to 1.000 FG so it'll be dry.
If you want to leave some residual sweetness, try an English ale yeast.
Cheers
 
The Brew Mentor said:
I feel the D-47 gives more body and mouth feel.
Also, if you're bottling any of it, as that yeast breaks down over time, the apple flavor is increased.
With either of those yeasts, you're going to go down to 1.000 FG so it'll be dry.
If you want to leave some residual sweetness, try an English ale yeast.
Cheers
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If I use either of those yeast, I tend to get to .990-.994 so it’s bone dry. Ive found a good use for S04- since I don’t like it all that much for ales- and s04 stopped at 1.004ish the last time I used it in cider. I still like the D47 but for not so bone dry the S04 works for me also.
 
well I've used numerous ale yeast before as well and really all of them were dry. The wine yeast seems to hold some of the appley aroma. Adjusting the pH has really helped a lot with that. This next batch of apples has more cider apples. Also I'm going to a few of the orchards around here to source more fruit. The season is winding down so I'm hoping to score some deals. One orchard does sell a cider blend juice but that is the more expensive route. I'm going to use the D47 and not add any pectic enzyme. ferment it cool like the last batch. This last batch is excellent but you know me always tweaking my processes
 
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I went to the mill where they ran off this blend
They made 300gallons 1st come 1 st serve
There was a long line of people with buckets
I made some new friends and some last seasons cider was passed around
 
I purchased 6 gallons
I added 2 gallons to 2 gallons of my own and got a pH of 3.8
Their blend was 3.1
I handled both the same a pitched the D-47
My blend started faster and is more vigorous
The mill blend slower
Oh yeah I added campden to mine
But not to the purchased as it was pasteurized
 
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Brew Cat said:
Potassium Sorbate (Camden)
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Campden is potassium metabisulfite, or sodium metabisulfite. Potassium sorbate is a yeast inhibitor used for preservation. Generally they are used together for stabilizing cider/mead/wine especially if sweetening.

I don’t use sorbate very often, as I generally do dry cider and wine, but I do use k-meta at about 30 ppm after fermentation ends.
 
well the dueling fermentors are neck and neck now
I'm thinking more about the slowness of the one batch starting
the faster fermenter is wider with more surface area so I'm thinking that could be the difference
I would have thought the PM treated one would be slower

cider is always pretty dry unless steps are taken but I try to hold onto some aroma by doing a cooler and slower fermentation
I'm at 64deg I pitched at about 59
the first batch is excellent and is getting great reviews Its dry but I added acid blend back in the blend was 45% malic acid
the tasters mentioned granny Smith tartness
I've since aquired malic acid so if needed I'll adjust the new batches with that
the pH was lower on the new batches so may be adding less acid
I plan on putting these 2 batches in my 2 small kegs and putting the extra into the first keg
or putting the full volume in 2 bigger kegs and push in a bit at a time like a mock solera
so many decisions
 
OK, maybe a total wild idea, but how about freezing some of your applejuice in an ice cube tray and adding 1 or 2 blocks when serving?
It should give you some appley sweetness?
 
Well sure but that will knock out the carbonation and drop the ABV
 
Brew Cat said:
Well sure but that will knock out the carbonation and drop the ABV
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ABV only slightly, and you could carbonate a bit higher to compensate.
Anyway, just an idea. I don't like using stevia or so for back sweetening.
I have added a bit of sugar at serving to my ciders and that worked okay for me
 
I think if you want to sweeten you could buy some juice that has the Sorbate in it and add that before conditioning
That would lower the ABV of course
Doesn't matter If your brewing for flavor not ABV which I do
I don't want sweet some like I don't
It's hard to manage flavor in a dry product
Your cider is going to be dry regardless the trick is trying to maintain flavor and aroma which I prefer going the acid route
 
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