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Holiday Cider

This was a challenge in simplicity. I kinda jacked the fermentables way up and it was so "cidery" and alchoholic it could choke a mule. With the addition of apple flavoring and actually priming with apple juice concentrate and with time, it mellowed into a dangerous brew that is beguiling to the fact that it is at around 15% alchohol!

Brewer: Funky Monk Email: michael@speakingintongues.org
URL: http://www.speakingintongues.org
Beer: Holiday Cider Style: Other
Type: Extract Size: 5 gallons
Color:
3 HCU (~3 SRM)
Bitterness: 0 IBU
OG: 1.123 FG: 1.000
Alcohol: 15.9% v/v (12.5% w/w)
Water: No water, just pasteurized, non-preservites added sweet cider.
Boil: 15 minutes SG 1.123 5 gallons
1 lb. Brown sugar
1.5 lb. Honey
20 lb. Apple Cider
Hops:
Yeast: Champagne yeast.
Log: Started on 09/21/01 with an original gravity of 1.123. Racked cider into glass carbouy on 9/26/01 and the gravity reading at that time was 1.009. Added apple flavoring and bottled on 10/05/01 with a final gravity of .99
Carbonation: I used 1 1/2 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate to prime. It really helped add a touch of residual sweetness that the cider really needed.
Tasting: It hasn't fully matured in the bottles yet. That will come around Thanksgiving. But I have tasted a few samples that I have set aside at varying stages along the way. It has the body of champagne, same type and degree of effervecence, same sort of dryness and cleanliness on the palate. I used pumpkin pie spice during the boil as well as brown sugar and the non-fermentables in conjuction with the spices give an aftertaste of pumpkin pie. Now that it is mellowing out in the bottles, the separate flavors are blending together nicely. This is a great one if you want to see your mother-in-law get shellac'd at the next family holiday gathering!

Recipe posted 10/25/01.