Brigalow Apple Cider

Dan A · Post by **Dan A** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 8:17 pm

Hi,

I have a keg of brigalow apple cider ready to bottle, although when trying it from the hydrometer tube it has a weird after taste sorta burnt plastic taste that make it quite undrinkable.

If I bottle will this after taste disappear? after it rests for a while.

Dan

Slacker · Post by **Slacker** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 9:35 pm

I made the Brigalow cider as one of my first HBs, and I was quite underwhelmed. Not at all what I was expecting. Lacked body and flavor and seemed very artificial.

I did experience that funny plastic taste before bottling and it did fade in time - lots of time. I just wrote it off as absorbing some of the new kit smell.

But I have promised myself to never again make that kit. I'm still afraid to open one of the few remaining bottles I have left.

Best of luck....

gregb · Post by **gregb** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 5:50 am

At this stage you've nothing to lose by bottling and waiting a couple of months to see how it turns out.

Cheers,
Greg

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 1:22 pm

Yep. Bottle it, let it sit, and then try it periodically. It will eventually be drinkable- probably.

And next time, don't use brigalow.

Redsicks · Post by **Redsicks** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 5:02 pm

I got the same fermenting away at the moment. Hope both turn out ok. Will keep you posted & maybe able to compare notes/results when bottled...

Dan A · Post by **Dan A** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 5:41 pm

Thanks for the responses, a guy at work also said he tried a batch of apple and bascially its crap.

Might bottle a few bottles and save the rest for some more beer.

Dan

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 5:56 pm

The only one I've heard good things about is the Black Rock apple cider. I've done one and it's good. Has no artificial sweeteners though, so you'll need to sweeten it with lactose if you like that kind of thing.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Feb 07, 2007 1:40 pm

Yeah, BR is good, but I find it hard to justify being a Lion Nathan product.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Feb 07, 2007 2:23 pm

Then do all-juice. Not too hard, but probably pretty expensive unless you can source the juice direct from an orchard or juicing plant.

Rysa · Post by **Rysa** » Saturday Feb 24, 2007 9:15 pm

Just put one of these down before i read that i should have done Black Rock. It is fermenting (can see thru the top) but the airlock has no movement whatsoever! Just stuck to the receipe, nothing special and there were bugger all instructions on the can so i'm gathering leave it ten days then bottle? See how it goes.

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Sunday Feb 25, 2007 4:42 am

my brigalow cider went for 10 days before I got two of the same gravity readings.
If I was you I'd get two of the same readings before I bottled at 10 days!
you never know..it might just still be fermenting after 10!

Rysa · Post by **Rysa** » Sunday Feb 25, 2007 8:15 am

Yeah, forgot to put that in. I'll make sure the final readings are the same but don't think i'll bother checking before 10 days.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Friday Mar 02, 2007 12:53 pm

rwh, I do all juice. And it is nice and cheap, as I get it from an orchard. No preservatives either. Not even vit c.

I can get fresh pear juice too. Perry is fantastic.

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Friday Mar 02, 2007 2:07 pm

Got a recipe chris? Just came into possession of 4 apple trees...and a house. Would love to convert the juice into cider and my recent scientific experiments didnt work as i had planned.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Friday Mar 02, 2007 2:20 pm

Chris' all-juice cider

18L fresh pressed apple juice 1.5kg dextrose 500g LME 125g lactose 3 large, cored and peeled granny smiths, cut up and put in a stocking. 2 cinnamon sticks a few pieces of ginger juice of half a lemon For a lighter body in the cider, leave out the malt. It is beautiful with it though.

Apple Cider

From this ABC article.

Tasmania was once known around the world as the Apple Isle. It used to be a weekend tradition for families to pick up a case or two directly from an apple shed. Even if you have to buy your fruit from a supermarket, give this apple cider recipe a go.

You need:
Apples, campden tablets, pectin, yeast nutrient (lactose), wine yeast and a brewing vessel.

Method:
Crush the apples and extract the juice, or purchase the juice direct from the factory.

To each 5 litres of juice, add two crushed campden tablets and let stand for 12 hours to kill the wild yeasts. Then add 1 teaspoonful each of pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient per 5 litres, plus some wine yeast. (For a medium-sweet style, add 50g of lactose per 5 litres, or a sweet style, add 100g lactose per 5 litres.)

Fit an air lock and allow to ferment right out. At this point bubbling will cease through the air lock and the hydrometer will show a reading of 1000. Leave to stand for a further two days to clear, then bottle, adding one teaspoonful of sugar to each bottle.

The cider will be ready to drink in 3 to 4 weeks, but will be much better if left for 3 to 6 months.

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Friday Mar 02, 2007 6:14 pm

Did you use a wine yeast? If so, which one?

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Monday Mar 05, 2007 11:27 am

Yep. Sparkling wine yeast. EC-1118. I think it's from Lavlin. Most HBSes stock it, as it's one of the hardier strains.

Edit: Not Fermentis. Lavlin.

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Monday Mar 05, 2007 11:41 am

rwh wrote:Yep. Sparkling wine yeast. EC-1118. I think it's from Fermentis. Most HBSes stock it, as it's one of the hardier strains.

Thats a champagne yeast! I use the same one for my GB - comes out super dry!

How sweet was it with that much lactose? gravity? alc?

Sorry for so many questions but i reckon that when my fermenters come out of storage the first brew in will be a cider, made from fresh apples.

The biggest trouble i had with my cider experiments is that the juicer produces a lot of 'froth' as well as juice which is very difficult to separate form the juice. It tends to float on top and wont settle so i tried filtering thru pantyhose (tres scientifique.....). Not to mention the time it will take to get 18L of juice! Think its time to test out various filter papers in the lab.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Monday Mar 05, 2007 12:03 pm

Actually I lied. I used the yeast that came with the Black Rock kit. I used the EC-1118 in my raspberry lemonade.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Monday Mar 05, 2007 6:07 pm

Geez, rwh is efficient!

As for yeast, it depends on how you want it. I have done it with the lalvin, but now am prefering a 4021 from wyeast.