Can I use apple juice from concentrate for hard cider?
Adding apple juice concentrate will increase the alcohol content (see more on alcohol levels here) and also make your cider a bit less watery (increases the viscosity). Adding frozen concentrate can also add a little more ‘apple’ flavor.
What apple juice is good for hard cider?
While some modern cider makers rely on sweet and palatable table apples such as Gala or Pink Lady, traditionally, the varieties viewed as best for hard cider have a more prominent acid and tannic character– Cox Orange Pippin, Herefordshire Redstreak, Kingston Black, and Brown Snout, to name a few.
Can you make alcohol from juice concentrate?
Although we highly recommend you use fresh fruit or even frozen fruit, it’s possible to make fruit wine with 100% juice frozen concentrate. The legacy of wine, especially fruit wine, has proven that anything with a fermentable sugar can be converted into alcohol.
Can you use pasteurized apple juice to make hard cider?
You can certainly use pasteurized juice/cider. The things to watch out for are additives and/or preservatives. Don’t use any juice that contains preservatives as they’ll inhibit fermentation. Juice that contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is fine, but stay away from other additives.
Where can I get apple juice to make hard cider?
Fresh pressed cider from a local orchard is a great way to get high quality juice for making hard cider. Orchards that produce their own cider have the proper equipment to press large amounts of apples at once saving tons of time. Depending on the orchard, the sweet cider may be raw or pasteurized.
How much apple juice concentrate per gallon of cider?
I suggest starting with a half can of apple juice concentrate per gallon batch and then testing the specific gravity with a hydrometer. In my experience, about 122 oz of cider with an SG of 1.044 and approximately 6 oz. of concentrate resulted in an original gravity of 1.055 SG and a total volume of one gallon (128 oz). How close are the estimates?
What kind of sugar to add to apple cider?
A popular sugar choice for boosting the SG of a homemade cider is frozen apple juice concentrate. This apple concentrate not only adds a significant amount of sugar, it also adds apple flavor.
How do you prime apple cider for bottling?
To prime the carbonation, add mix the 1/8 cup of white sugar or dextrose in 1/4 cup of boiling water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Then mix the sugar water into the cider just before bottling.