HMMM interesting...

[Brewbirds]

This is the first time I've been through the cider threads in detail and I notice that in a lot of them the OP never came back to post about the final results/finished products.

Many others seem to find that there is little apple flavor and/or that it was to dry.

So I wonder this... if the juice you buy at the store is for making the sweet juice that moms give their kids is there a preferred apple variety used.

In other words would the apple flavor be retained if you used a tart (less sugar) apple variety?

I remember hearing someone at the farmers market saying one of the apple varieties they sold was "for cooking".

So a tart green apple and table sugar for an apply apple cider?

[John Sand]

Interesting idea. I'll bet that even the tart apples contain sugar, you might not need to add any. I always halve the sugar in pie recipes. But I haven't made any cider. (Non attorney spokesperson)

[BigPapaG]

Don't know if this is pertinant, but it worked out pretty good for me...

It's an AppleWine and it has good Apple flavor, is medium dry and clear as a bell...

BigPapaG's AppleWine Obsession...

Recipe for 3 Gallon Carboy:

8 Cans Wegman's 100% Apple Juice Concentrate
1 lb Table Sugar
1 lb Lactose
1.5 teaspoons DAP (Diamonium Phosphate yeast nutrient)
1 packet Lavin EC-1118 Wine Yeast

This came out to about 9.5% ABV.

2-3 weeks primary fermentation, then rack into keg or bottle.

It has a good apple flavor... You can add more or less Lactose as needed for residual sugar level.

I like it 'still' as you see it here, but it can be carbonated as well.

It can also be lightly dry hopped... Tettenanger, Hallertau... Noble hops with light Alpha and good Beta acid levels...

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Think it's gonna go great with this batch of Rustic Split Pea Soup I made today!

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[RickBeer]

The new Brewmaster at Mr. Beer is pretty knowledgeable. He explains here that making a sweet cider at home is nearly impossible. Because the sugar is fermented out, it makes a dry cider. Angry Orchard is a sweet hard cider. You need a knowledge of pasterurization methods or a kegging system (I assume he means this to stop fermentation and then carb without sugar?). I think BigPapaG is getting sweetness from the lactose he added.

[MrBandGuy]

This is the kind of question that Emma is trying to answer in her book. But, fwiw, if we want sweeter cider, we use more to backsweeten the keg. That does cut the ABV, but we're cool with that.

[BigPapaG]

Yes, in my example, the lactose is providing some residual sugar sweetness as it is largely non-fermentable sugar.

The downside is that it can be an issue for folks that are lactose intolerant.

I could also have stoped the fermentation at some point using Potassium Sorbate...

Filtering the yeast out early via a mechanical filter can also help.

The downside of the last two is that it can prevent a future malolactic fermentation which can add complexity to aged ciders and wines.

Backsweeting with more cider can work too, but it may continue to ferment unless you filter the yeast or kill it early.

@MrBandGuy: I would be happy to discuss these and other options with Emma if she is interested.

Just PM me here and we can set that up.

[mashani]

You can make a sweet cider at home but it's tricky if you want it carbed and are using a wine yeast. If you want it still it's not a problem just throw in some campden when it is at the level of sweetness you desire.

Another option is to use an ale yeast and back sweeten with lactose (which the ale yeast will not eat).

Or use an ale yeast and throw a bit of malt into it to provide some sweetness. (IE "Graff").

It is possible to get a carbed sweet cider with bottle pasteurization as well. Best way there is to bottle some testers in small plastic bottles and the rest in glass. Check the testers once they firm up. If it's at a carb level you like then toss the glass in the oven to pasturize and stop the bottle fermentation.

EDIT: Oops I see BigPapaG also mentioned some of this stuff. But FWIW, as you can see I agree with him.