My First Non KIt Cider

[Matty]

I've only ever done 1 other cider and it was a Brigalow kit which I reckon tasted like a cheap Champagne.
Todays effort consisted of:

18 ltrs pure apple juice from local orchard
2/3 Johnathon, 1/3 Granny smith

1700 mls tinned Goulburn Valley Natural Pear Juice (100%)

1/2 kg DME insolved in hot water

safale yeast

OG 1.056 @ 20'C

20.5 ltrs total

Not sure how much pear juice is needed to consider it a Perry?

Should taste a heap better than my last attempt!

Cheers,

Matty

[Oliver]

Sounds good.

Might have been good with a champagne yeast, too.

I take it the pear juice has no preservatives?

Oliver

[Evo]

Yeah, sounds bloody nice Matty. Perry or cider or whatever you want to call it.

About the yeast, I did a blackrock kit not so long ago and it brewed in about 4 days (it seemed to get stuck so I chucked in a Coopers Ale yeast as well as the kit "cider yeast"). Read somewhere after that a cider is supposed to ferment for a month or so. Has anyone else experienced this or know anything about it ?

[gregb]

The all apple cider I did some years back was in the fermenter for a couple of months. The black rock kit a couple of weeks.

Greg.

[grabman]

I've done a couple of Blackrock ciders, both took over two weeks to ferment. First was way to dry, added 250g lactose to second and it's spot on, also used 6L 100% apple juice.


Yours sounds like a ripper Matty, have to let us know how it turns out!!!

[Dogger Dan]

I use a champagne yeast but boy is it dry. You may want to artificially sweeten it with lactose when all is done

Dogger

[Evo]

Hmmm... So when I made my cider I think the hydrometer readings were OG 1050, FG 1012. I'm thinking it hasn't finished fermenting. Can anyone see a problem with this apart from exploding bottles (it's in a keg) ?

It tastes bloody nice. Like a cross between sparkling apple and cider.

[Dogger Dan]

Evo,

Mine dropped out to like 990

Dogger

[gregb]

My Blackrock kit dropped to 1002. THe all apple cider predates records.
The blackrock kit was kit and 1 kg dextrose.

Greg

[Matty]

The pear juice surely is preservative free, the tin says no added anything, 100% pear juice on the ingredients.
Went with the ale yeast 'cos apparently it doesn't dry it out nearly as much as the champagne yeast.
If all goes well it'll be a nice summer drink.

Cheers,

Matty