[miker88]

So my wife had a gluten allergy and cannot drink beer. We have made wine a couple of times. And now she has expressed some interest in making cider. Since it isn't peak cider season. But she was looking for something to drink when we go camping this summer. I was wondering if I could use the frozen apple juice concentration and what a good recipe would be?  Also any tips and tricks to cider making I was planing on using the champaign yeast since I know that it contains no gluten. Any other a divorce would be appreciated.


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[Stevie]

I've had cider made from tree top a few times. I believe they simply mixed it per the directions and added cider yeast. It was good.

[udubdawg]

a divorce would be appreciated.

well then we're not going to help you! 

you can make fairly tasty cider with concentrate, or cheap apple juice from the grocery store, a few bucks a gallon. 
I like to do ciders with other fruits and 3711 when it's not straight cider fermenting season (winter in my unheated guestroom)  Other yeasts I've used with success are 3726, 002, 1728, and a few weizen yeasts, with those last ones more troublesome in terms of sulfur than the others.

[Jeff M]

Some Farm Cold store Cider to sell during the summer and pre harvest season.  IF you look around you may be able to find Cider pressed on a farm.

Cheers,
Jeff

[dmtaylor]

Some Farm Cold store Cider to sell during the summer and pre harvest season.  IF you look around you may be able to find Cider pressed on a farm.

Yeah, orchards often/usually freeze some juice to see in the off-season, so you can still pick up some good stuff if you try.  That's what I would recommend.  Or, at your grocery store, seek out the Simply Apple brand, which is real juice (hazy brown with dark stuff at the bottom) without preservatives.  The preservatives in other apple juices from concentrate can slow or prevent proper fermentation... and real juice tastes a lot better anyway, and isn't terribly expensive.

Be aware that no matter what yeast you use, fermentation will take at least a month if not two months.  Cider ferments a lot more slowly than beer.  So if you want to drink it this summer.... it will be very late summer even if you start right away.

[Jeff M]

Be aware that no matter what yeast you use, fermentation will take at least a month if not two months.  Cider ferments a lot more slowly than beer.  So if you want to drink it this summer.... it will be very late summer even if you start right away.

Ive never actually had that problem.  Usually mine are done in 2 weeks, of course we dont drink it for months but ill have to keep an eye on the next batch.

[dmtaylor]

If you keg, I suppose that's fine.  If you bottle... watch out for bottle bombs!

[Jeff M]

If you keg, I suppose that's fine.  If you bottle... watch out for bottle bombs!

In all cases the cider has finished sub 1.000.  I do tend to use wine yeasts tho

[dmtaylor]

Mine always finishes at about 0.992-0.994.  Hence, if I bottled at 1.000, I'd have plenty of carbonation, if not bombs.  YMMV.

[miker88]

So I meant advice lol not divorce lol. Phone auto corrected. I was going to bottle mine. So do I add priming sugar or just bottle it when it hits 1.000 and let it go. Also for bottling do I have to factor any back sweeteners in as well. 


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[morticaixavier]

So I meant advice lol not divorce lol. Phone auto corrected. I was going to bottle mine. So do I add priming sugar or just bottle it when it hits 1.000 and let it go. Also for bottling do I have to factor any back sweeteners in as well. 


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you can't bottle condition AND backsweeten. you can backsweeten, stabilize, carb in a keg and then bottle. or you can bottle condition and get dry cider. any sugar you add will be eaten by the yeast until it's gone.

[duncan]

So I meant advice lol not divorce lol. Phone auto corrected. I was going to bottle mine. So do I add priming sugar or just bottle it when it hits 1.000 and let it go. Also for bottling do I have to factor any back sweeteners in as well. 


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you can't bottle condition AND backsweeten. you can backsweeten, stabilize, carb in a keg and then bottle. or you can bottle condition and get dry cider. any sugar you add will be eaten by the yeast until it's gone.

Haven't tried it myself, but this could be an option to backsweeten and bottle.... http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/easy-stove-top-pasteurizing-pics-193295/

[Stevie]

Splenda?

[dmtaylor]

I've done Splenda before.  Nasty.  Don't do it, unless you believe yourself to be immune to the wrath of Splenda.  Now, lactose or maltodextrin......

[Stevie]

Lactose and maltodextrine is a different kind of sweet. I've never tried splenda, just a shot in the dark.