Cider season is coming up and I just wanted to start a thread to get some awareness going. I've got a couple interesting things to bring on this.
1: Nancy and a friend of hers were nice enough to give me a rare yeast.
https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-vault ...go here and ctrl+f for
19. WLP611 New Nordic Yeast Blend
I made a 5 gallon batch of this in march-ish and will serve it for the summer brew b-b-q.
2: I may know someone who owns an orchard outside of chicago. They bought it as a lifelong dream, but also a hobby and it needs some work. They are down with splitting apples for 1/2 batches of hard cider... and I have a home made apple press.
Anyone up for a day trip out there in june to help fix things up and take care of stuff? I don't know if he really knows what to do with the place and some help now would probably be appreciated by him. Also, super fun day... picnic?
3: Apple season will be upon us soon and it would be awesome to do some experiments and etc. I'd love to hone my game and also see what others are brewing up.
4: Bulk buys for fresh pressed apple juice are the way to go. Orchards that are pressing juice will do orders of 50 to 100 gallons and use whatever apples we want. Or let us buy "deer apples" to press for 100lb for 15 bucks (100 lb makes about 5 gal juice).
5: There is a cider shop on lincoln, just south of lincoln square that's new and I've met their cider nerds. They are creating a new cider club (3rd coast cider), and have talked to some of our board about how to go about this. I'm excited to help them out and see what they are up to and just wanted to mention to everyone about them. Here is the cider bar is called "the northman" and is at 4333 N. Lincoln.
Thanks guys, looking forward to it!
Hi Kris! You have some awesome plans laid out here and I'd love to join in on some. I've been really wanting to make a real cider, with pressed apples and all. I have a pretty packed summer, but would be totally down to helping you and your orchard friend. Let me know when you get some dates down for that or any other cider activities. I missed the party, but was able to try your iced cider and it was crazy delicious. I can only imagine what this session will bring!
Kris - You can use this if you need it, just cleaned it up. It's a bit on the small side....jpg)
Maybe we could pitch in and do a club cider with some of the apples we pick?
Rich, is that at your house?!!
Whoa Rich, that's awesome! Mine is a "hack" job with a re-enforced 5 gallon bucket... that would be awesome to use!
Yes, sitting on my workbench. This one is great for grapes too.
I would be all about this.
I'd be up for this
The emperor is not as forgiving as i am
Hey guys, I know it's a little off topic, but do you guys have a good recommendation for good yeast to use to make cider? I was actually planning on making some on Thursday for the first time, but have been kind of unsure what would be the best strain to use. I'm just looking for something I could pick up at Brew Camp in the next day or two. I'm looking for something that will come out on the sweater side, as I've read that ciders already tend to finish dry.
They do almost always come out dry. Here are some suggestions based upon some questions:
Questions: 1. Do you want to bottle them and have them carbonate in the bottles? 2. Are you kegging? 3. Do you care about bottling them having them be uncarbonated (if bottling).
1: if you want to bottle carbonate, use Nottingham. It's one of the only yeasts that doesn't finish completely dry with apples and will still carbonate if you add some sugar. Careful, I wouldn't leave these to "age" as I'd guess the yeast will still chip away at the sugar (bottle bombs after a few months).
3: If you don't mind having non-carbonated cider, use "montrachet" yeast from red-star. Brew and grow and brew camp should have it. Just ferment the cider in car boy, and when it's done and racked to your bottling bucket, toss in the recomended amount of potasium sorbate, then add 1-4 "cans" of frozen apple juice concentrate from your freezer section of grocery store. Check sweetness level after each one. I find 2 is the space right between semi-dry and semi-sweet and 4 is sweet. Then bottle. The potasium sorbate will keep it from re-fermenting (but it will be "still" or un-carbonated).
2: if you can keg, use the same method as #3 and still use montrachet yeast, but skip the potasium sorbate. Add concentrate directly to the keg and then force carb as always. Becareful not to let the keg sit at room temp (if you have to pull it out of the keezer or something), because it will start to re-ferment. But it's fine as long as it's cold.
Also; S-04 makes good cider if cold (so ferment in the lager fermenter for 2-3 weeks), and Irish Ale yeast also makes good cider. All will finish dry like montrachet though (but montrachet is my "no funk" go to for cider).
Good luck!
Awesome, thanks Kris. I orginally planned to bottle and carb(I don't have a kegging system yet), but may hold off until I've made a couple batches to avoid the bottle bombs. I've read up online how to stove top pasturize the bottles, but being my first time working with cider I'm thinking I'll hold off.It's looking like option 3 for me. Thanks again!
Good ideas in our brand new BYO library : 2015 July/august, page 70. This should be a "school" for stout and chili night.
Can I offer a 4th option MAC? Buy three gallons (or more) of apple juice from the store, in 1 gallon jugs... then go to the homebrewshop and buy like 3 differen't yeasts you want to try. And buy a couple extra airlocks that will fit the gallon jugs of cider.
You see where I'm going at this point: pitch the yeast directly into the 1 gallon jug of juice you buy. Cap it with the airlock. Week later, when it's done fermenting you can pour the finished cider off the trub into another gallon container (empty 1 gallon of water works good, and then just clean the one with trub an use it for the next gallon of cider) and then... just put that cider back in your fridge. Have some apple juice concentrate to mix into them, so you can get a feel for what these are like both "dry" and backsweetened.
Not only will you get a lot of knowledge gains... it's super easy and fun science experiment. Sea monkeys for adults... lol
Also, I want to be straight forward with you... bottling cider is super hard. I did it for years, but expect either "dry" and carbonated or "sweet" and still.
Kris,
I'm definately all in. I would LOVE to help out on an apple orchard...that sounds like a really awesome day. PM me if its easier to figure out the dates but I'm all about this and would love to get some cider going. I'm a bit new to this but if you have a cider press I'd love to be able to use it for my own batch as well.
I texted that guy but I haven't heard back yet. Doesn't mean we can't moving on other things though. I'll keep you in the loop. MAC, let us know how it goes!
Kris - The orchard I have always gotten cider from would probably sell us a few bushels of cider apples if we wanted to do that. Not sure what they would charge, but next time I'm down I'll ask.
Rich, would that be Lost Creek Orchard?
They're cider is da bomb!