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Lapsang Souchong Hard Cider
- 4.5 oz Lapsang Souchong tea
- 3 gallons of preservative-free apple juice
- yeast - Red Star Cote des Blancs
- pectic enzyme
- yeast nutrient
- yeast energizer
- 1 lb dark brown sugar
- sugar
- fining agent, such as Super-Kleer
Borrowing instructions from
Midwest supplies http://www.midwestsupplies.com/media/pdf-printouts/Cider.pdf
Northern Brewer http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/cider.pdf
- ACQUIRE JUICE
Ensure that the juice doesn’t have preservatives; sorbate, sorbitol, sulfite, things of that sort. Ascorbic acid / vitamin C is just fine.
- PREP YEAST
Add 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp engergizer and 1/2 tsp nutrient to your yeast with some water.
- BREW
Warm juice with 1 pound of sugar until it reaches 180-190F
Add the tea in a bag - leave room for expansion.
Steep 6 minutes at 190F
Remove tea.
Cool juice.
- ADD YEAST
Add yeast when it cools to proper temperature.
Check the gravity with a hydrometer or refractometer. Record the result. This number will help determine the alcohol by volume of the cider, as well as act as a window into the fermentation process.
- FERMENTATION
Allow the cider to ferment to dryness.
If the fermentation seems sluggish, smells like rotten eggs or burning matches; add yeast nutrient, 1/4 tsp at a time, up to 1 tbsp per 12 hours. Use caution when adding nutrient, as the trapped CO2 in the cider can react with the added powder, causing an overflow of liquid.
When the gravity is reliably stable, usually around 0.996-1.010, the cider is almost ready to be racked. Allow it to sit on the yeast sediment for a little longer - at least one day, up to three weeks or so, to help clean up any off-flavors that were produced during fermentation.
- CONDITIONING / SECONDARY FERMENTATION
Rack the cider into a sanitized carboy or similar vessel that will accommodate the volume with no or minimal head space. At this point, the process is largely dependent upon taste. As the cider ages, the flavors will mellow and come into condition, the yeast and other sediment will slowly settle out, and everything will generally improve.
- FINING
If the cider is still cloudy and you prefer it to be clear, use a wine fining agent, such as Super-Kleer or Sparkolloid, to help it clarify. Follow the directions provided by the manufacturer.
- BOTTLING
If you’d like sparkling cider, ensure that the gravity is stable, and add an amount of priming agent equivalent to priming a batch of beer. NB’s Fizz Drops, priming sugar, honey, or similar sweeteners can be used. Refer to the Northern Brewer priming calculator at northernbrewer.com/priming for more information.
If you’d like still cider, add a small amount of sulfite, usually 1/4 tsp per five gallons. This will ensure that the yeast doesn’t come back to life.
##1
Oct 3, 2015
SG 1.060 (no temp adjust)
6min @ 190F
10/20/15
SG 1.000
10/28/15
60g priming sugar
SG 1.000
ABV 7.88%
Update: Smelled better than tasted