Planning to make up my very first cider kit today (Brewmaker Deluxe Cider) and wondering if anyone has any tips / hints. I am fine with ales / bitters but new to cider. Reading that with cider sometimes normal household sugar is used but I was planning to stick with brewing sugar. Any comments would be appreciated!
Thanks
Brewmaker Deluxe Cider
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Curious Brew
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sparky Paul
To be honest, in cider kits I can't taste any difference in the flavour whatsoever between table sugar and brewing sugar. I'm not sure if I imagined it or not, but I found that brewing sugar ferments out slightly dryer - so I now use table sugar for cider.
That's the problem with all cider kits, they ferment out very very dry - and it's not to everyones taste if they're used to commercial ciders, most of which are artificially sweetened. If the cider is too dry for you, you can add artificial sweetener, available from brew shops for sweetening wines, or you can add a little apple juice when serving.
Personally, I like it as it is!
That's the problem with all cider kits, they ferment out very very dry - and it's not to everyones taste if they're used to commercial ciders, most of which are artificially sweetened. If the cider is too dry for you, you can add artificial sweetener, available from brew shops for sweetening wines, or you can add a little apple juice when serving.
Personally, I like it as it is!
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scott6
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sparky Paul
It'll be fine.scott6 wrote:Well its all made up now. Made 35 pints with 800g of brewing sugar and 300g of granulated sugar.
One other thing I would say, don't be disappointed if you find it's not as good as you expect when you first taste it. In my experience, it improves beyond recognition after a month or two, longer if you can resist it.
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scott6
Cheers. For someone who often lacks patience in everyday life I have learnt that time really is a vital ingredient with brewing. About 6 months ago I made a barrel of IPA but found that when it was ready to drink I wasn't really in the mood for an ale (often prefer a lager / cider in the summer). Anyway with the evenings getting darker and weather getting colder my taste for a nice ale returned. The 6 month old IPA is just awesome. Not sure if leaving it lthat ong in a barrel is a good thing or not but it would seem so as it tastes delicious, is beautifully clear and has a perfect head. Is 6 months in barrel recomended?
Funnily I have a mate who changes from lager to ale and vice versa as and when the clocks go forwards or back. Always struck me as funny that!
Funnily I have a mate who changes from lager to ale and vice versa as and when the clocks go forwards or back. Always struck me as funny that!
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sparky Paul
So long as it's kept somewhere reasonably dark and cool, I wouldn't think 6 months would be a problem, or even longer. Stronger beers definitely seem to benefit from a long maturation time, weaker stuff is probably best up to 6 months.scott6 wrote:Is 6 months in barrel recomended?
Hmmm... strange!scott6 wrote:Funnily I have a mate who changes from lager to ale and vice versa as and when the clocks go forwards or back. Always struck me as funny that!
