Primitive cider

(double post - hope I deleted the right one)
 
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Another update (pls tell me when you guys have enough, but thinking it may be interesting to keep following this journey)
I took another cider (thats an alcoholic apple juice with fizz, in my speak ;) ) out of the coolbox. It's now almost been 2 weeks after bottling. The PET bottle was firm, so should have carbonated fine.
We have had some cloudy days, so my solar system is suffering and I didn't want to open my freezer too often. Therefor I wrapped the bottle in a couple layers of wet towel (evaporative cooling).
I drank it just now. Not ice cold, but OK. I would have preferred it a bit cooler. Anyway, It's a huge difference with the previous bottle. The off-taste is almost gone. Carbonation is fine, although no head.
And to my big surprise, it doesn't taste as dry. I didn't need any sugar. It seemed in balance. Surely that can't only be the carbonation?
Next bottle (update) to go in a couple of days to a week
 
Time for another update.
First of all #Bubba, that explains why my previous batch had a beautiful head ;)
It was made on beer trub!

Anyway, bottled and carbed my batch with 5 gr hallertau hop 2.4% and some extra sugar. Tasted today and can't taste the hop. I think that the temperature that I dissolved it at was too low, or too short a period.
I heated water and sugar to dissolve the sugar and added the hop at 80 oC and switched off the flame and poured the solution into the apple juice. I hoped that would give the aroma (a bit like dry hopping?).

So, after bottling the plain batch that is in the fermenter now (batch 3), I intend to do another hoppy one by heating water and sugar to 100 oC, adding the same amount of hop and letting it cool naturally to below 80 oC before adding.
So far, I am having fun with cider :)
 
Yeehoo had another side by side this evening.
Let me just say a stark difference was observed between the two. I also grabbed some apple juice from the store to back sweeten with and taste n see what I liked.

First up is Framgarden fermented cider.
This is the head it threw had to put this in:).
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Anyhow it didn't hang around. Smell is clean smells like cider to me def can tell it's apple.
Bit better carbonation now too which helps and I rekon it's dropped a little clearer.
20210207_180840.jpg

I back sweetened to pet bottle to 10% which I found not intrusive but to be honest it's.got some subtle sweetness to it it doesn't come across as mouth puckering dry it's quite pleasant.
WIFE Smell test " oh it smells like cider like Aldi Apple juice".
I asked does it have any Beery smells to it anything amiss "nope smells like cider" see didn't want to taste though... Win Win for me but ha ha.

Ok 34/70 fermented Cider.
20210207_180852.jpg

Alot clearer and somehow a tad better Co2.
But that " garbage" or "Sulphur" more to the point has been exemplified with that little bit more carbonation. Yup smells like someone's farted in my cup lol:p:p!
Flavour wise it's clean but yeah I can't get past the sulphur oh and it was dryer and I think crisper.
Now I know from beer sulphur expierence it should dissipate with time so I'll leave this another week or two.

Anyhow I'm glad I did this was fun and was really worth it. Better than going in blind and just brewing a big batch of cider and turns out farty ha ha.

So Framgarden is the winner for me!
I like it enough to recommend someone else to brew one up and maybe (I'm not a huge cider drinker) I'd be willing to brew a keg full but I'm thinking id like to hop it with some of my fav noble hop Sazz just for that extra floral element oh and I'm a sucker for Oaked Cider hmmm near convinced myself now :D.
CHEERS!

Oh for anyone wondering that Aldi Apple Juice comes in at 1.048;).
 
Is there anywhere that doesn't have an Aldi? :rolleyes: Kinda like Ikea.
 
We don't have an Aldi ;)

Ben, interesting update :cool:
And how would you go about putting hop?
 
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Dry hop for sure.
I've never dry-hopped.
Any tips? Won't I get problems with oxidation?
Or could I throw a couple of hop pellets in each bottle, same as I do with sugar for carbonisation?
 
I've never dry-hopped.
Any tips? Won't I get problems with oxidation?
Or could I throw a couple of hop pellets in each bottle, same as I do with sugar for carbonisation?
Dry hop at or just after high Krausen this will help push out any o2.

I've dry hopped in bottle using Nelson Sauvin years ago with bad results enough to can the idea
Could just be me though but you want to keep the hops out the bottle.
 

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