Cider Revlutin Making Great Cider frm Everyday Ingredients Chris Banker QUAFF 6/28/2013
Overview Cider Basics Ingredients Prcess Acid and Tannins Tips n Making Ciders Putting It All Tgether
What is Cider? Fermented apples r apple juice Can be extended t included perry (pear cider) Standard Cider and Perry (BJCP Cat 27) 27A Cmmn Cider 27B English Cider 27C French Cider 27D Cmmn Perry 27E Traditinal Perry Specialty Cider and Perry (BJCP Cat 28) 28A New England Cider 28B Fruit Cider 28C Applewine 28D Other Specialty Cider/Perry
Traditinal vs. Nntraditinal Traditinal Made using blends f varietal apples Generally specialty cider apples - bittersharp, bittersweet Invlves pressing apples Wine r Cider Yeasts 6-12+ mnths f aging Nntraditinal (Fcus f this talk) Cmmn ciders made with grcery stre juice Cnducive t fruit and specialty ciders Can be made with beer yeast Much shrter aging times (1-8 weeks)
General Prcess Very quick "brew day" - 15-30 mins Add juice t sanitized fermenter (ptinal) Add pectic enzyme and wait 12-24 hurs Add nutrients Pitch yeast Oxygenate / Aerate Fermentatin / Aging (1-8 weeks) Ferment ut all the way (arund 1.000 FG) Add fruits, spices, r ak (if desired) (ptinal) Age until clear Stabilize and backsweeten (ptinal), bttle/keg
Ingredients Apple Juice (r Pear) Nutrients Yeast Pht credit: Brian Trut
Ingredients - Apple Juice Will any juice wrk? Almst any - cannt cntain sulfites / sulfates I have never fund a juice that wn't wrk I prefer filtered ver rganic Subjective - didn't care fr the ne rganic batch I tried I typically use juice frm lcal grcery stres, whatever is cheapest Lk fr sales Typical price - abut $20 fr 5g CstC carries Kirkland juice that is nt frm cncentrate Optinal: Additinal sugar t increase ABV
Ingredients - Nutrients Nutrients are imprtant - unlike wrt, apple juice lacks nutrients Recmmendatins fr 5g batch 1/2 tsp Fermaid-K 1/4 tsp DAP (Diammnium Phsphate) Fr lw-gravity ciders, n need t stagger Mre relevant fr meads and applewines
Ingredients - Yeast Traditinally wine r cider yeasts have been used Wine yeast - can require lnger aging Cider yeast - lts f sulfur prduced, lw alchl tlerance I prefer beer yeast, particularly Belgian Belgian esters wrk well with the fruits in the cider Cal ale r English yeasts can wrk very well t. Experiment Dregs frm bttles can be used t - "Party Cider"
White Labs / QUAFF Yeast Experiment 7 selected yeast strains, all brewed using same prcess and ingredients WLP002 - English Ale WLP028 - Edinburgh Ale WLP500 - Trappist WLP575 - Belgian Blend WLP775 - English Cider WLP810 - SF Lager WLP862 - Cry Havc Temperatures: midpint f recmmended ranges Pht credit: Larry Stein
Yeast Experiment Phts Pht credit: Larry Stein
Yeast Experiment Phts (2) Pht credit: Larry Stein
Yeast Experiment Results Yeast Judges Cidermakers Public Overall Rank WLP002 - English Ale 2 1 1 1 WLP028 - Edinburgh Ale 1 2 3 2 WLP862 - Cry Havc 3 (tie) 3 2 3 WLP775 - English Cider 3 (tie) 4 4 4 WLP500 - Trappist Ale 5 6 5 5 WLP575 - Belgian Ale Blend 6 5 6 6 WLP810 - SF Lager 7 7 7 7
Yeast Experiment Ntes Ciders were nt backsweetened, and sweetened versins culd have very different results The favrite was WLP002, which came ut sweetest Indicates preference fr sweeter ciders The lager strains may nt have had enugh time t age, especially WLP810
Prcess Tls Fermentatin Aging / Cnditining Backsweetening Stabilizatin Carbnatin Pht credit: Brian Trut
Prcess - Tls Mre basic than even extract brewing Great fr beginners - lw startup cst 5-6.5g fermenter: carby, better bttle, etc. Fd-grade funnel Airlck r blwff hse Packaging equipment (kegging preferred)
Prcess - Tls (Small-Batch Cider) Small batches can be fermented right in the 1 galln juice jugs. Just add yeast! Jugs are reusable fr small-batch experiments
Prcess - Fermentatin Fr WLP500, mderate rm temp (~75F) wrks well I dn't usually bther with temp cntrl fr ciders, as beers take pririty. Nte: I live in an area with very mderate temps. Ciders have prven t be very frgiving, temperature-wise.
Prcess - Aging / Cnditining Optinal, but recmmended If aging n fruits r ak, 2-6 weeks t develp character Can achieve a clear cider if aged lng enugh My recrd is brew day t serving in 5 days Lately, I have been aging until the cider drps clear, 3-8 weeks. Secndary is ptinal, I nly use secndary fr yeast reuse purpses
Prcess - Backsweetening I find cmpletely dry ciders made using this prcess smewhat unpleasant - tart and t dry I typically backsweeten abut 10% 1/2 galln f juice (r equiv) t 4.5 gall cider Fruit juices r syrups can be used instead f apple juice t achieve ther flavrs Added at kegging Requires special cnsideratins in packaging
Prcess - Stabilizing Backsweetened ciders can NOT be bttle cnditined as-is - bttle bmbs Ok t serve straight frm keg r bttled still and kept cld Otherwise, stabilizatin is required
Prcess - Stabilizing (2) I use (added at kegging): 4-5 campden tablets (Ptassium Metabisulfite) AND 3-4 tsp Ptassium Srbate Using bth will ensure that yeast are stpped and d nt restart Pht credit: Brian Trut
Prcess - Carbnatin Frce carbnate 2-3 vlumes f CO2 If nt kegging: Yu can either drink the cider still (uncarbnated), which is k by style guidelines r, nt backsweeten and bttle cnditin (r use artificial sweeteners, but dn't d that)
Acid and Tannin Recent experiments t make mre traditinal ciders withut traditinal apples Deficiencies are acid (malic) and tannins I have been experimenting with adding malic acid and wine tannin t my ciders t emulate the use f bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples This was dne in the tart cherry cider I shared tday Oak and fruit skins can als prvide tannins
Making Fruit Ciders Fruit syrups Fruit juices I prefer Zergut, very natural (fruit juice + sugar) Smart and Final carries a brad range f Trani syrups (less natural) Check yur lcal market Aging n wine grapes / pmace ~0.5-1 galln r pmace t batch Age fr 2-6 weeks Nice tannins and vinus character Aging n fruits Dried wrk well
Making Specialty Ciders Spiced Ciders Hliday spiced cider Spiced Perry w/ Trader Je's Spiced Pear Juice Burbn Oaked Cider Other wds and spirits Hpped Ciders Cysers (Apple + Hney), may nt fall under ciders depending n amunt f hney Stan's Apple Pie Cider Edwrts Apfelwine Use yur imaginatin
Putting it all Tgether: Tart Cherry Cider Recipe Ingredients: 4.5 g apple juice 1/2 tsp Fermaid-K 1/4 tsp DAP 1 tube WLP500 Trappist yeast 1 bttle f Zergut Tart Cherry Syrup 5 campden tablets 4 tsp ptassium srbate
Putting it all Tgether: Tart Cherry Cider Recipe (2) Prcess: Add first 3 ingredients t fermenter Pitch yeast Oxygenate / aerate / shake carby Ferment at 75F until dne fermenting. Optinally, age until clear. Siphn int keg Add bttle f cherry syrup, campden, and ptassium srbate t keg Purge keg and shake t mix everything in Frce carbnate t 2.5 vlumes Enjy!
Acknwledgements Elijah Llyd fr brewing the ciders fr this talk Stan Sissn fr inspiring me t start making ciders and fr rganizing the White Labs cider experiment Cider Experiment brewers and judges: Brewers: Chris Banker, Jhn DeGrazia, Dwayne Kunimt, Ed Little, Stan Sissn, Larry Stein, Chuck West Judges: Randy Barnes, Cle Davissn, Jenny DuRse, Brett Gldstck, Harld Gulbransen, Je Kurwski, Greg Lrtn, Kara Taylr, Brian Trut, Eric Wltz Steward: Gaarn Varner Harld Gulbransen fr cnstructive feedback n my early ciders
Questins? Pht credit: Larry Stein
Burbn Oaked Cider Recipe Ingredients: 5 gal apple juice Prcess 1/2 tsp Fermaid-K + 1/4 tsp DAP 1 tube WLP500 Trappist yeast 2 z ak chips saked in enugh burbn t cver them 5 campden tablets + 4 tsp ptassium srbate Brew as nrmal with apple juice. Ferment all the way ut. Pur ff and reserve burbn and add ak chips t fermenter. Age n ak fr at least 2 weeks. Keg, stabilize, and backsweeten as usual, adding abut half f the reserved burbn (t taste).
Peach Cider Aged n Apricts Recipe Ingredients: 4 gal apple juice Prcess 1 gal Trader Je's Dixie Peach juice 1/2 tsp Fermaid-K + 1/4 tsp DAP 1 tube WLP500 Trappist yeast 1.5 lbs dried apricts 5 campden tablets + 4 tsp ptassium srbate Brew as nrmal with apple juice + 1/2 gal peach After abut a week, add apricts Allw t age at least 2 weeks Keg and stabilize as usual, adding 1/2 g peach juice
Cider Aged n Syrah Grapes Recipe Ingredients: 5 gal apple juice 1/2 gal t 1 gal red grape pmace (skins and seeds) 1/2 tsp Fermaid-K + 1/4 tsp DAP 1 tube WLP500 Trappist yeast 1.5 lbs dried apricts 5 campden tablets + 4 tsp ptassium srbate Prcess Brew as nrmal with 4.5 gal apple juice After abut a week, add grape pmace Allw t age at least 2 weeks Keg and stabilize as usual, adding 1/2 gal apple juice