Perfect timing on this video. I just started a new Cider batch. Planning on making some apple jack with it. "Apple Jacking" also intensifies the sweetness.
I use both, concentrate, table sugar and 1 lb. of caramelized honey with apple cider 4 to 5 gallon batches. It's amazing and the bocheted honey imparts a caramel apple flavor.
Do you backsweeten before or after adding finings? Or after a first racking. I'm two weeks in, ferment has finished. SG is at 1.000 and I added finings. Would like to sweeten as it mellows. But not sure I've messed it up with adding the finings... Thanks!
I'm sure there are videos out there covering the process step-by-step. Our Hard Cider 101 class discusses the process, but doesn't specifically show the process if it's actual video you're looking for.
I learned how to both carbonize and back sweet tart hard apple cider here on RU-vid. I used this simple method several times and it works just fine. I used IKEA KORKEN clear glass bottles with a stopper 34 oz for my final product as they are cheap to buy, reusable for a very long time, easy to clean and handle. I first prepare the sweetener using cheap white sugar which I dissolve into heated supermarket apple juice made from concentrate without preservatives. I cool this mixture and add about 3,4 oz in each sanitized bottle. Then I just add my ready fermented tart hard cider and almost fill the bottle leaving a little head space. I then drop a few grains of dry champagne yeast in the mixture, cap the bottle, shake it around a little and let it ferment in a dark place for about 7 days at around 68 degrees fahrenheit. I then place the bottle inside my electrical oven in my stove in an upright position where I heat it to 212 degrees for 3 hours to stop the fermentation process. I shut off the oven and remove the cool bottle the day after. That is, it. This simple method works fine with me every time. I end up having great tasting carbonized apple and pear cider this way.
Hi Brendt. How much white sugar do you add to what quantity of the heated supermarket apple juice? I am a first time cider maker and I am starting out making 1 gallon of cider and putting it into 16 ounce flip top bottles.
Let me give you a suggestion: 140-150 F (60-65 °C) for 15-30 minutes will be enough, this will kill all the yeast and potential bacteria. After 160 F (70 °C) the flavor may change and there is no need to increase this temperature; in fact it only increases the risk of the bottles exploding. Also, in my personal experience, it is easier to put the bottles in a large pot with hot water and bring it to the temperature we need (check with a thermometer). Anyway, your method is great and of course it is a good solution if you also want to keep the carbonation and sweetness, mine are just suggestions!
You'll have to pasteurize the cider after it's reached the desired carbonation level (to avoid bottle bombs), but yeah you can do it. Not recommended for beginners though.
Another great video Guys! Is this back-sweetening for a Keg, for bottles, or both? Love the cider content. Keep it coming. Best, David and Rachel from CFS!
I have a question? Wouldn't ths carbonate a still cider if you add sugar? What if i put sugar in after its done fermenting and i put it in my fridge, will i blow up the jug?
Before backsweetening you should stabilize the cider -- which will neutralize any remaining yeast -- so that the new sugars don't re-start fermentation. Below you find some info I excerpt from our Northern Brewer University course "How to Make Hard Cider". If you are new to cider making at home, it's a great resource that walks you through all the techniques and processes. Here's a link to the course: northern-brewer-university.thinkific.com/courses/hard-cider-101-how-to-make-hard-cider-at-home Hope all of this helps! Chip @ NB/NBU = = = = = = = The most common method stabilizing hard cider in home cider making is to add both potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite. These chemicals will kill off any yeast still present in the cider and keep the cider food-safe for consumption. Check packaging for dosage instructions per volume of cider. After adding any stabilizing agent, it’s good practice to wait 24 to 48 hours before proceeding. Two important notes here if you plan to bottle your cider and you want it to be sparkling. First, do not stabilize your cider; this will kill the ability of the miniscule amount of yeast to carbonate the cider with the addition of priming sugar. Second, you are not going to be able to backsweeten your cider or you can run the risk of overcarbonating the cider and potentially creating dangerous bottle bombs. If you’re going into bottles, you should either bottle your cider still or flat, or only carbonate with priming sugar once you are sure that fermentation is complete. Bottom line: if you're bottling you can only have a dry sparkling cider, not a backsweetened sparkling cider without risking over-carbontion. However, if you’re going to keg your cider, that opens up a lot of other options as far as backsweetening and carbonating, which we’ll talk about in the next lesson.
It does to a small degree, but not majorly. Thus, the more concentrated you can get the sugar source and less you need to add to acheive new gravity/flavor preference the better.
Ahhhh be careful about adding water into your brew!!! It can water the whole thing down. Take a small sample of your finished cider, or use juice, then add in your sugar in there
if cider , by definition is Fermented apple juice and is by nature, alcoholic "soft" cider is just apple juice No such thing as hard and soft Its either cider, or apple juice. Why does America call apple juice soft cider?
No cider by definition is is unpasteurized and unsweetened. They call it a hard cider because sugar was added to ferment it and put alcohol in. Ive never heard the term soft cider for apple juice
because if cider is FERMENTED apple juice, and therefore alcoholic and you call it "hard" then it follows the USA calling apple juice cider as well must be "soft".AND to make a dry cider you do not need to add any sugar, there is enough in the juice @@PaganLad3121
That's because we are correct. 1.) Apple Juice. Filtered and pasteurized 2.) Apple Cider. Unfiltered, unpasteurized 3.) Hard Cider. Unfiltered(or not) , pasteurized(or not), Fermented (contains alcohol) There is no such thing as "Soft Cider" "Hard" refers to containing alcohol. Like Hard Lemonade Hard ICE Tea
