Something different

WCGWCG Member Posts: 120
Having brewed a couple of batches of cider recently ( both 'turbo cider' & from kits ) I'm looking at doing something different.
A 15L batch, consisting of 2 Black Rock cider kits ( each of which is supposed to make 23L @ 4.5% ABV ) 4L apple juice ( may increase that to 8L ) and however much water's needed to make up the 13-15L.
Undecided whether or not to add sugar, depends on the starting SG.
Going to use the supplied yeast, but got some Mangrove Jack's M02 cider yeast ready just in case.

Anyone else tried anything similar?
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Comments

  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    Hi WCG, experimenting is a good way to make a cider and see if you can come up with a good flavour, 2 tins of Black Rock and some apple juice will probably make quite a strong cider, as you say it would be worth taking a starting gravity reading with a hydrometer so you can get an idea of how strong it will finish, you could then top up with water if needed. Having a spare yeast to hand will help out f it stalls, upgrading the yeast can help to produce some better flavours too.
  • WCGWCG Member Posts: 120
    As per my review of it, I recently did one can of Black Rock Cider as a 14L batch with 1Kg sugar.
    Starting SG was 1.065, finishing SG was 0.996, which means somewhere around 9% ABV

    With this planned brew, I'll either end up with apple wine or something extremely sweet ( or both ) :p
  • WCGWCG Member Posts: 120
    Just started this :
    2 cans Black Rock Cider, 4L 100% apple juice, enough water to make it up to 13L
    Tested the SG when mixed, 1.084, so added enough sugar to take it up to a nice round 1.09
    Probably overkill, but used the yeast supplied with both cans % some yeast nutrient.
    Finishing SG for the base kit is listed as 1.006
    By my calculations, that would be about 11% ABV :p

    Tasted the mix ( before adding the yeast ) and it's extremely sweet
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    Just keep a check on the sweetness, it depends how high the yeast you are using can ferment - if the final gravity reading does not go low enough it may be the yeast has reached its limits and died off - you would then just need to use a yeast with a higher alcohol tolerance to ferment the last of the sugars out
  • WCGWCG Member Posts: 120
    From what I've read elsewhere, the standard yeast used in the Black Rock kit is by Mangrove Jack's.
    Whether it's M02 ( which is supposed to have an attenuation of 95-100% ) is another matter.
    Data sheet I have for Mangrove Jack's yeasts lists M02 as being good for up to 12% ABV

    I'll be happy with a lower alcohol level than that and a sweet - but not too sweet - taste.
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    That's great, nothing to worry about then, happy brewing !
  • WCGWCG Member Posts: 120
    4 day on and I've just checked the SG -- it's down to 1.002 !! :o
    So surprised at this that I double-checked it using another hydrometer.
    Still a bit of froth on top of the mix, but don't know if it'll fall much more, although the last Black Rock Cider I made got down to 1.000 after about 12 days.

    By my calculations, it's currently at around 11.5% ABV :p

    Still cloudy ( naturally ) but tastes OK & thankfully not too sharp or dry.
  • WCGWCG Member Posts: 120
    Another 2 days on, just tested the SG again -- it's now down to 1.000
    That should be about 11.8% ABV.
    On-line calculators also say that that's an attenuation of 100%
    Looks like it may have finished, as there's no activity that I can see.
  • HBO_StaffHBO_Staff Administrator Posts: 2,115
    Great, if the reading stays constant then it is time to bottle, let us know what you think to the taste once it conditions
  • WCGWCG Member Posts: 120
    SG is unchanged at 1.000 and it's nice and clear- or as clear as cider gets, anyway - so I bottled it this morning.
    Split it 50/50 between 'sparkling' & 'still' ( although if past experiences are anything to go by, the 'still' will still have some fizz )

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