Summer Cider

[Soyala_Amaya]

Pitch date 7-20-12

5 gallon apple cider with vitamin C only
1 cup molasses
5 lb blueberries
Wyeast Belgian Ardennes #3522 smack pack
3 tsp pectinase
1 tsp fermaid k
1 tsp yeast nutrient (with no DAP)

I have never used beer yeast before, so here goes. The idea of smack pack lies. Those things are hard to pop! I had to put the heel of my hand on it and lean almost my whole weight on the thing before it went. Anyway, while it was swelling up, I sanitized my bucket, stir stick, and everything else. Then I put the cider in the bucket with the pectinase for a the couple of hours while the yeast did it’s thing.

When the yeast was ready, in went the molasses, yeast, and all the nutrient, which was whipped with my drill stir stick. I did all the nutrient up front because I’ve heard you really don’t touch beer once it’s going and I didn’t know what else to do…hope the yeast doesn’t shock! However, it was burping the airlock nicely by the next morning.

Anyway, I’m going to put the blueberries in the carboy for secondary. I’m hoping to try and recreate the Woodchuck Summer Cider which has a really nice thick malty character that I think came from them using a Belgian style yeast. The notes on it said brown sugar and blueberries, hence the molasses and blueberries. I’m fermenting it warm to get more of the malty notes from the yeast.

 

[Guinlilly]

Sounds tasty! I hope it turns out the way you want it to!

 

[Soyala_Amaya]

“ The sounds of the lapping lake-shores, the mountain views, and memories of fresh picked blueberries, now in a convenient six-pack. Exhibiting a slight tartness, this cider begins with a full, robust flavor followed by a rich summertime taste.” Is what their website says, the bottle specifically says England blueberries, and their ciders are done in a belgian style. So here’s hoping I deconstructed the flavors at least somewhat in the right way (at the very least I think it all SOUNDS delicious).

 

[Soyala_Amaya]

7-23-12
Racked to a carboy out of the bucket since the airlock stopped blooping and I can see it better in a clear carboy...yeah, this one is weirding me out since it's using lots of stuff I've never done before! But it smells delicious! However, had a really weird thick foam krausen on it, I mean I could practically cut the stuff with a knife type thick. Hmmm...beer yeast does create better head.

 

[Soyala_Amaya]

8-2-12

Racked back to a sanitized bucket with the blueberries for a week or so...wow, I think I've finally discovered what people are talking about with "banana like esters". I mean, it is DISTINCTLY banana in the nose, very rich and full in the mouth, and the molasses has made the flavor have the nice brown sugar darkness I wanted. The malt character from the yeast is nicely there too, my boyfriend compared it to a dark, heavy apple beer. Everything I'm hoping for is coming through, though the banana was new!

Liking it a lot so far. Very pleased.

 

[Soyala_Amaya]

8-13-12
Racked into a clean carboy with some bentonite. Lovely light purple color, but it has a distinct sourness that wasn't there a week ago. Has really turned a corner that I am NOT liking, all the lovely heavy notes are hidden behind the nasty sour berry flavour. I was very hopeful this would be ready to be bottled by the end of August since I used a beer yeast and it tasted so good last week, but now I am not so sure. Will report back in 2 weeks on what is happening with the flavour.

 

[Soyala_Amaya]

Sooooo....yeah. Two weeks...right. ;D

ANYWAY, I figured out what that sour note was. Whatever juice I used HAD to have been green apples because that's exactly what this tastes like. Bottled green apples. The blueberry isn't really there, though there's a definite banana ester from the beer yeast and the hot fermentation.

I mixed in 3 quarts of apple juice and 1 quart of blueberry juice right before bottling to backsweeten and FG wound up at 1.020.