8% apple cherry cider/applewine

[pricelessbrewing]

Hey looking to do something similar to the most common apple wine recipes and want some input. Aiming for about an 8% cider, but was planning on upping the gravity via apple juice concentrate, and/or boiling down a two gallons to a smaller volume. My thought was that this should retain more apple flavor and end up slightly less dry than a simple sugar addition, although I'm not too sure it'll work as intended.

Plan was
Take 1 gallon of juice, boil down .25 gallons, add 5 cans of fjc apple-cherry, to get to a volume of 5.22 gallons and an sg of 1.065. FG is usually around 1.003 for me, I use belle saison yeast. This would put it right on 8.14%

Any input? Waste of time/money, just use sugar?

 

[madscientist451]

Can't really say if it will work as you intended, but using apple juice, even from concentrate should give you some more apple flavor. Using sugar to increase ABV in cider produces a flavor I don't like, so I don't use sugar.
A better plan for 5 gallons of cider would be to use 5 gallons of juice and then add concentrate until you get the SG target you are looking for.
How it comes out and if you like it depends on your tastes and the quality of your ingredients. I've tried using cheap apple juice from Walmart, mixing it with concentrate and wasn't happy with the results, but others have used the same thing and they like it just fine.
How much apple flavor is left after fermenting is, based on my trials, dependent on what yeast is used and how far to dryness the yeast will take
the cider.
I never tried the Belle Saison yeast, but if it finishes at 1.003, there should be some apple flavor left. Your pitching rate, ferment temperature and speed of fermentation will have a big impact on flavor in your cider, especially if using a Belgian or Saison yeast.
I'd get a 3 gallon carboy and make a 2.5 gallon batch or even a 1 gallon batch to experiment with.
If it comes out good you can re-make a larger amount. If its not so good you haven't spent as much and you can change up the recipe next time.

 

[MindenMan]

I am working on 2 batches of apple-cherry concentrate cider. One batch has one can of apple cherry concentrate added to 116 oz of apple cider. There is a little cherry sort of pucker, but really tasty. The other batch is just apple-cherry concentrate without any added apple juice; basically 5 cans of a-c in a one gallon jug, and tart is an understatement! The original idea for this was to make a very unusual "cherry-jack". So far I have two different bottles put away, and I plan to wait at least 6 months before sampling one. If the six month old bottle has improved any from the original, I will just forget about the other bottle for at least another year.

All my experiments are are 1 gallon batches, that way if I really hate something I have tried, I'm only out $10.00. Good luck!

 

[stella_tigre]

I suggest don't boil. Add 1 can FAJC (no water) per gallon of regular apple juice, or maybe up to 2 if you're wanting closer to 9% ABV, depends on the apple juice and FAJC. I would not use anything with "natural flavor", but just use some good cherry juice - I have used Montmorency and it comes out TART. I added 48 oz into a 3 gal carboy for secondary, topped off to 3 gal with cider from the primary - just barely enough cherry there. I have seen the suggestion of half sweet cherry and half tart cherry but still haven't tried it. I agree that starting with a smaller batch is a good move, because five gallons of something you don't like is....well....

 

[jtratcliff]

... because five gallons of something you don't like is....well....

punishment for doing something you should've thought a little more about!

 

[stella_tigre]

I've made five gallon batches of certain things that everyone raved about, but we found less than exquisite. None of them are really unpleasant, but there are definitely some things that will be consumed after mixing them with more fruit, or mulling, or some such. Sangria for everyone!

 

[pricelessbrewing]

I am working on 2 batches of apple-cherry concentrate cider. One batch has one can of apple cherry concentrate added to 116 oz of apple cider. There is a little cherry sort of pucker, but really tasty. The other batch is just apple-cherry concentrate without any added apple juice; basically 5 cans of a-c in a one gallon jug, and tart is an understatement! The original idea for this was to make a very unusual "cherry-jack". So far I have two different bottles put away, and I plan to wait at least 6 months before sampling one. If the six month old bottle has improved any from the original, I will just forget about the other bottle for at least another year.

All my experiments are are 1 gallon batches, that way if I really hate something I have tried, I'm only out $10.00. Good luck!

Jesus christ you fermented 5 cans of concentrate without any dilution? Isn't that like 1.190 or something like that...

Fine fine, I'll do a smaller batch and see how it turns out. How does kegging small batches work, take about the same amount of time or longer due to the ratio of volume to headspace?

 

[MindenMan]

Update: my cherry cider had too big of a break in active fermentation and is now on it's way to vinegar. Cherry-cider vinegar might be cool, there is plenty of alcohol to convert.