The Great Cider Experiment

[Ratica]

Using around 4 liters of Target's apple juice (it was on a great sale, only a $1.50 for a little under 2 liters!), and 12 500ml bottles (have 2 ezcaps kits), I've set up a range of mini-cider batches using varying amounts of sugar. Each 500ml bottle has around 400ml of juice. The amount of sugar in each bottle ranges from none to 2tbsp. I'm letting all of them ferment for 7 days, then I'm going to have a group of friends taste test them with me. I'll post the results after my 'experiment' is finished.


Also, as an additional bit of information, I am fermenting them in an undisturbed dark box at around 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

[Ratica]

After a long wait, I return with results! I did end up allowing the drinks to ferment for 20 days before tasting.

If you're going for a sweet cider, the tastiest, by far, was the 1.5tbsp of sugar to 400mL of apple juice. This produced a sweet, but not too sweet cider.

For a drier cider, the 1tbsp of sugar to 400mL of juice worked out well enough for my tastebuds. A few friends said that the .5tbsp worked better, so I'd recommend .75tbsp, the average of the two.


The mulled cider, which was boiled with spices before fermentation, turned out dry, with a very good flavor. It isn't too different from the other ciders (although it is significantly darker in color). I will probably make it again.



The next experiment I plan on trying will be adding wood into the batch and letting it age with the wood within the bottle. It's sort-of like aging it in a barrel, only not.

[surge0n66]

Interesting results. I will use the 0.75 tip, although like you i will probably start off a couple at varying amounts to see what comes out best for me. I appreciate the 'Guinea-pig' approach and hope you had fun tasting them

I will post my own results here also (when I have them) to give a second set of values.

Just a quick update: I have taken the over-sweetened cider and split it into two bottles, each with an EZ Cap. I have left the sugar content as it is very high anyway and added a little more yeast in case the original yeast has been affected in any way. i have topped up each bottle with fresh juice and recapped to ferment once more. Fingers crossed.

Update 9th Sept 2010: FANTASTIC result, a strong, clear dry crisp refreshing cider that kicks like a mule.

[softgods]

Interesting, I will try that if my next batch is too sweet.