cider alco %

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Thursday Jul 20, 2006 10:13 pm

BR cider can
0.5 kg lactose
4L apple juice no preservatives
12 granny smith apples, cored, peeles chopped ina stocking
1.5kg of sugar

22L

what do you reckon the alco% will be, do you think that 0.5kg of lactose will make it sweet enough and will it be very apply at this volume?

also is better to use sugar rather than dextrose?

blandy · Post by **blandy** » Friday Jul 21, 2006 7:33 am

Most recipes reccommend 250g lactose to sweeten a cider or ginger beer.

The BRC can and 1.5kg of sugar should get the alcohol content above 7% on their own. I wouldn't be surprised if the other ingredients brought it to well over 10%.

If you want to reduce the alcohol content, I'd skip on the sugar. Removing the other ingredients will affect the taste, which I'm guessing will be very apply.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Saturday Jul 29, 2006 4:40 pm

Sugar is fine- and cheaper.

Add a little malt too if you want. 200g would give it a nice touch.

NTRabbit · Post by **NTRabbit** » Saturday Jul 29, 2006 8:23 pm

Change the yeast if thats your recipe, a standard kit can yeast will fall over and die (literally) when you start to stretch the envelope beyond 6.5-7% ABV

Go for a Safale S-33, S-04 or try a Lalvin EC-1118 champagne/wine/cider yeast, all good brew stores should stock them. The Safale ones can handle up to 10-12% easily, and the sparkling wine/cider yeast works right up to 18%

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Saturday Jul 29, 2006 10:02 pm

i have put it on tonight with the ingredients above and filled to 23L, the O.G was only 1055 so i reckon that it will only make it to 6.5-7%. how can i tell if the yeast has died and why with so many fermentables is the O.G only 1055.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Saturday Jul 29, 2006 10:45 pm

I did the BR cider with the BR yeast, and it got the alcohol up to 8.5% with no dramas. I wouldn't worry.

NTRabbit · Post by **NTRabbit** » Saturday Jul 29, 2006 11:11 pm

What brand is 'BR' exactly?

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Saturday Jul 29, 2006 11:23 pm

black rock

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Saturday Jul 29, 2006 11:24 pm

what else did you add chris

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sunday Jul 30, 2006 11:29 am

I've done a few BR ciders.

1)
BR can
1kg dextrose
150g lactose
4 cored, peeled and quarters Grannie Smiths in a stocking.
Made up to 18L

This was a good dry cider.

2)
BR can
500g raw sugar
500g light dry malt
200g lactose
4 apples as above
18L

This was a fastastic cider. I highly recommend it.

3)
BR can
12L farm fresh apple juice
500g LDM
1kg raw sugar
200g lactose
350g clover honey
6 apples as above
19L

This is still young in the bottle, but it tastes good. I think it needs a few more months to develop its flavours properly.

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Sunday Jul 30, 2006 6:31 pm

does it matter that i forgott to put the sediment reducer in the tap for my cider or will it just be a little more yeasty.

i took a hydrometer reading of some water that was exactly 20 degrees C and it was 996, this will lead to a lower O.G but will it make a differnece to my alco % calculation because the F.G will be lower too.

blandy · Post by **blandy** » Sunday Jul 30, 2006 6:44 pm

1) You've got lots of stuff in there other than yeast that will leave sediment (namely the apples, as they will disintegrate a bit). If I were you and had another fermenter, I'd rack it. Otherwise, don't worry and tell your friends that you were deliberately making a cloudy cider! I don't think it will affect the taste much, although if anyone's got a good reason against that last statement, go ahead.

2) As long as you use the same hydrometer for all your tests, this should not be a problem. Either that or check the probe you were using to measure temperature!

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sunday Jul 30, 2006 10:01 pm

It'll be cool. Lots of brewers don't even use a sed reducer. I'd rack it, but I always say that.

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Sunday Jul 30, 2006 10:03 pm

there is a lot of froth coming out of the airlock should i do something or not worry about it.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Sunday Jul 30, 2006 10:07 pm

Dunno what you could do, other than empty some of it out, and that would be a waste. I wouldn't worry too much, just mop it up as best you can and replace the water in the airlock once the froth stops coming out.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sunday Jul 30, 2006 10:09 pm

Put your mouth over it and start sucking.

And tomorrow, head to the HB shop and buy a bigger fermenter for your next brew

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Wednesday Aug 02, 2006 6:23 pm

do you really think that i will have to get some more yeast or should the kit yeast be fine.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Aug 02, 2006 10:57 pm

It's one of the few brews that I would say: just use the kit yeast. It'll get the job done.

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Thursday Aug 03, 2006 4:04 pm

i put down the cider on saturday and it was 1057 after i accounted for the temerature.

it is now thursday and it has only dropped to 1035

is this cause of the large amount of fermentables or should i pitch a champagne yeast on the weekend.

maybe it is because there is no sediment reducer and the yeast is affecting the S.G so maybe i'll just wait 2 weeks then bottle it. do you think that this is enough time at 20 degrees

melbourne man · Post by **melbourne man** » Friday Aug 18, 2006 4:04 pm

it has now been in for 3 weeks and is down to 1006. it is still bubbling once every 30 seconds.

will i be able to bottle tommorow or will the fermentation not be complete.

maybe i will put less priming sugar in the bottles. i lost my priming scopp so does 1/2 a teaspoon sound like the right amount to use.