# Carmel Apple Hard Cider



## ShelleyDickison (Aug 21, 2012)

Just started the batch today. Hope it's good.


----------



## Julie (Aug 21, 2012)

well it does looking pretty good!


----------



## Runningwolf (Aug 21, 2012)

It does look good. Keep us updated.


----------



## ShelleyDickison (Aug 28, 2012)

Update on my Carmel Apple Hard Cider. Took a reading today at Day 7 and it was 1.025 with temp adjust. Took a small taste and not to bad. Even talked my husband into tasting and he agreed. Just might have to make a straight apple wine after this.


----------



## ShelleyDickison (Sep 8, 2012)

Update on my cider. Have it all bottled in bigger bottles ( not really sure what those are called ) . Got 15 plus 2 smaller bottles. Did a taste test and all I can say is OMG. It's like an apple pie in a bottle. My husband said I may have to make another batch just to have for later in the year while we are sitting around the fire pit. And he's not even a cider person.


----------



## buercky (Sep 9, 2012)

do you have the recipe that you used and would you be willing to share??


----------



## spaniel (Sep 9, 2012)

buercky said:


> do you have the recipe that you used and would you be willing to share??



I would be interested as well...


----------



## dralarms (Sep 9, 2012)

Tag for recipe also.


----------



## ShelleyDickison (Sep 9, 2012)

Not at home right now, but will post it when I get back. For those of you on the beer brewing site it is listed there under ciders.


----------



## southlake333 (Sep 10, 2012)

Is it Upstate Mike's caramel apple cider? If so, don't follow his process, just the ingredients of the recipe. It makes bottle bombs. Ferment dry, stabilize, then backsweeten.

He suggests killing fermentation early by racking and adding kmeta (yeah, just kmeta). Knowing that was wrong, I even added sorbate but there's still just too much yeast, too much residual sugar and not enough time between stabilizing, backsweetening and bottling in his instructions to allow the yeast to die off.

For those interested in a similar tasting recipe that won't explode, I posted my modified version here:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f5/true-beginner-33132/


----------



## ShelleyDickison (Sep 10, 2012)

Yeah that was the recipe. Since I have already bottled it (september 5th) what would you suggest. I also added the pot. sorbate. Should I uncork and put back in carboy and watch for any additional fermentation? Very concerned now. Thanks for the heads up. I thought it was fast, but still learning.


----------



## ShelleyDickison (Sep 10, 2012)

Ok bottle bombs. I am thinking the whole batch is a wash. If anyone has a better recipe I would be interested. It was really good at least the one bottle I drank was.


----------



## gfmonk (Sep 10, 2012)

I wasn't aware that there was a beer making forum connected to this site. Any chance I can get the link?

Thanks,
Gary


----------



## Arne (Sep 10, 2012)

Shelly, either put them in the refrigerator, get em good and cold. Then you can open them and dump them into a secondary fermentor. Finish them to dry, probably have to restabilize, back sweeten and bottle. This will probably take quite a while so be patient with it. After being cold it mite take some time to get fermenting again. or you can get them cold, open one, pour it in a glass and have sparklingcider. You will have to keep them all cold, tho. Mite have to add a bit of sugar to it to help make it drinkable. Did this to some strawberry cherry that decided to referment. It is pretty good that way. Only 3 bottles left. LOL, Arne. Don't shake the bottles when putting them in the fridge. I have read where fermentation can cause up to a hundred pounds of pressure in the bottles. A.


----------



## spaniel (Sep 10, 2012)

I have not seen the recipe but what do you mean it didn't work? No recipe can tell you when fermentation is done; you have to wait until the carbuoy stops bubbling...then wait a few months. 

Don't worry, it has happened to most of us...including me. We blew several bottles of our first-ever batch....blueberry....all over my buddy's walls.


----------



## southlake333 (Sep 11, 2012)

ShelleyDickison said:


> Ok bottle bombs. I am thinking the whole batch is a wash. If anyone has a better recipe I would be interested. It was really good at least the one bottle I drank was.



Recipe in the link below:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f5/true-beginner-33132/


----------



## ShelleyDickison (Sep 11, 2012)

Well I guess I have learned a valuable lesson. By the time all the bottles were emptied I had less that 1/4 of the carboy full. My instinct told me to let it ferment dry, should have listen to it. Live and learn I guess. I still will make another batch because the one bottle we drank was good. Thanks for the help everyone.


----------



## ShelleyDickison (Sep 13, 2012)

southlake333 said:


> Is it Upstate Mike's caramel apple cider? If so, don't follow his process, just the ingredients of the recipe. It makes bottle bombs. Ferment dry, stabilize, then backsweeten.
> 
> He suggests killing fermentation early by racking and adding kmeta (yeah, just kmeta). Knowing that was wrong, I even added sorbate but there's still just too much yeast, too much residual sugar and not enough time between stabilizing, backsweetening and bottling in his instructions to allow the yeast to die off.
> 
> ...



Well I got the stuff to make this version, except for the yeast. I have 1118 yeast and another packet of the one from the last recipe. Can I use one of these instead? 

It was Nottingham yeast.


----------



## southlake333 (Sep 13, 2012)

Yep, use whatever yeast you want.


----------

