A clear sign that a cider brew has got infected?

[NickW]

Hi all :)

Hope your brewing is going well!

I'm currently brewing some cider and it's nearly finished (I think).

Just wondering for future reference for any tell tale signs! (no worried )

Cheers guys : ,

crE

 

[Wez]

I think the first things to look for are unusual smells (from the cider) and an 'off taste' once such a fault is described here one of the guys here usually knows what could have caused it. :)

 

[NickW]

Cheers Wez...

I think my cider smells normal... But I'm not sure as this is my first succesfull (I hope) brew... Any way to describe what an "off smell" would... er, smell like? :lol:

Cheers!

 

[Jonnyv]

Cider can quite often eminate a sulphurous smell whilst fermenting which might lead you to believe that it's infected - this isn't the case though. It will clear up once finished fermenting and dissipates if left for long enough if you can taste/smell it in the bottle.

A vinegar taste/smell would be the easiest to spot and probably the most common for cider.

 

[ciderman]

Hi there forum,

I have just sampled my Cider brew, and it tastes nothing like any other cider (commercial types) I have tasted before. It doesn't taste as sweet, and it is not as smooth. It is sparkly, and I can taste the apples, and it has a distinct aftertaste, abit metallic. Any one else have any accounts of their own cider brew tastes, etc, or any other recollections. I haven't got a clue what the FG is. At least it tastes like cider. :thumb: I'll leave it for Christmas now.

Cheers until then,

CIDERMAN :lol: :lol:

 

[Jonnyv]

Do you know what type of apples you used? The blend of apples really makes a difference - you need a mixture of sweet, bitter and sharp apples to produce a good cider flavour - which is difficult if you don't have the trees.

The two years I've been making cider with my brother we've just used the apples we've found in his garden - they're a mixture of eating apples and cooking apples. It produces a reasonable cider as long as it doesn't ferment too dry. Definitely improves with age so it's worth leaving a few more months if you can.

 

[BrewStew]

what ratio of eating to cooking apples do you use JV? i've got 4 eating and 1 cooking apple trees in my garden... the cooking being the biggest and most productive tree

 

[ciderman]

Hi Jonnyv,

This is actually a brew buddy cider kit, it is not from fresh apples, and I don't know what it should taste like, that is my problem. :wha: It seems to be quite appley tasting, and it has a definite sparkle to it, but it seems quite thin. The brew is in a keg in my workshop, on my work bench. It is also very chilled. :grin: (the outside temp is freezing the balls off brass monkeys in my street!!! :rofl: :rofl: )

I hope it is alright, :pray:

Ciderman.

 

[NickW]

I'm drinking some of my youngs kit - the same one you brewed. Its drinkable. But it is thin like you say. I have a sparkle, but not too fizzy.

I'd prefer a strongbow... and I don't like strongbow that much, but it was my first cider brew and it tastes ok! I'm currently doing some turbo cider which I have my fingers crossed for.

I plagarized brewstews simple recipe.. so if it tastes rubbish I can blame him :lol: .... or me for dipping an unsterilized pint glass in the FV :twisted:

I'd check out brewstews turbo cider brewday thread, works out about the same cost as a cider kit - and apparently it tastes a lot better! (I've gotta wait a couple of weeks yet!)

 

[Jonnyv]

what ratio of eating to cooking apples do you use JV? i've got 4 eating and 1 cooking apple trees in my garden... the cooking being the biggest and most productive tree

In my brother's garden there's one large eating apple tree, a smaller eating apple tree (pink lady I think?) and a similar sized cooking apple tree. We didn't use many of the cooking apples last year but this year we threw the lot in and it's produced a better cider.

As for the ratio - it's probably 3:1 or 4:1 eating apples to cooking apples - I can't be any more accurate than that

 

[Jonnyv]

It seems to be quite appley tasting, and it has a definite sparkle to it, but it seems quite thin.

Try substituting the 1kg of sugar for supermarket from-concentrate apple juice - IIRC Tesco apple juice has 250g of sugar per litre - so for 1kg of sugar that kits normally require, put four of those in and then top up with water as normal.

Also helps if you keep the ABV on the lower end of the scale - the more sugar you put in, the thinner it'll taste (like beer). I find about the 4% mark works well without making it too weak

 

[BrewStew]

I plagarized brewstews simple recipe.. so if it tastes rubbish I can blame him :lol: .... or me for dipping an unsterilized pint glass in the FV :twisted:

:shock: *faints*

with only 10 points down on the hydro i bet that was sweet!

i hope that impatience hasn't cost you your first TC :pray:


as for JV's tip... i can fully agree with the apple juice on cider kits instead of sugar. as for TC's i've found that if you add a kilo of sugar (especially cane), the yeast seems to munch it's way through that before the slightly more complex sugars from the juice... in addition if you stop the ferment at the apparent attenuation level instead of letting it go all the way i find it's left with a very nice apple nose and taste, is medium-dry and not thin... but best of all... at over 6%.... it'll knock you flat on your ****! :lol:

 

[NickW]

Hehe, only joking stew!! I had a taste, but I can assure you it was from a sterilized pipette into a jar :) .. and yes it was damn sweet, with the fizziness you can describe as drinking a glass of smart price coca cola that has been left standing for 2 hours!

.. and I'm definatly going to drop a few campden tablets in there as soon as it hits 1.016!! (or as near as my new WILKO's hydrometer will show me).






Man I'm drunk

 

[ciderman]

Hi crE,

With reference to the youngs cider kit you say is the same as the one I've brewed, could you tell me, did your brew clear completely before you started to drink it? Mine is still cloudy :wha: If it did, after how long? I eagerly await your reply, and I hope my brew hasn't gone off! :pray:

Any advice much appreciated :thumb:

Ciderman

 

[NickW]

Hey ciderman.

I put it in a warm place for a just over a week. (It was meant to be just for 3 days, but I forgot about it :grin: ).. by then it had cleared perfectly, with a little sediment in the bottom.

I accidently turned half of them upside down! They clouded up, I put them in the chilly outhosue, and after a week and a bit, they'd cleared up again.

Hope that helps!

It will clear, sooner or later.

 

[ciderman]

Hi Forum,

Well i made it to Xmas day to sample my cider brew, and it is quite nice. I had three pints last night and it is not too strong, (which is how I like it!). It has quite an appley taste, with a bit of bite also, quite refreshing. I am very pleased with my first attempt, my Wife also gave it a thumbs up. It is however quite dry, and i prefer a sweeter taste. Nevermind, it is a nice drink, I will enjoy it over Christmas/New Year. :drink: I'll fine tune it next time. :

Thanks for the advice, :thumb: and Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to you all, a great bunch :clap:

Ciderman :drunk:

 

[NickW]

Hey ciderman, good stuff regarding your brew!!

Next time, just take a trip down to tesco and get some value 100% apple juice. The turbo cider is a great taste and felxible enough to make for your own tastes.

Again, I point you towards the turbo cider thread in the brewdays section!