Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Strongbow clone?  (Read 7702 times)

Offline wdmd

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Strongbow clone?
« on: October 06, 2013, 07:15:13 am »
My wife really enjoys Strongbow cider, as it seems to have the right combination of tart, sweet, and apple flavor.  I have tried numerous times to come up with a cider that she will enjoy, but have fallen short each time.  Typically I have used juice and champagne yeast, but have tried various wine yeasts as well.  Each time it gets way too dry, and retains a little "yeasty" character.  Any suggestions of yeast choice or ways to keep it from getting too dry?  My goal is to not have to add apple juice at bottling time.  Thanks

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2013, 08:30:26 am »
I don't care for champagne yeast in cider, as I think it does retain a noticeable yeast character. Wyeast 4766 cider yeast is a clean strain that stays out of the way of the apple character IMO. The thing is that most strains that are suitable for cider will ferment out dry, ie., ~ 1.000 (or less) FG. I usually backsweeten a very small amount and use a small amount of malic acid for tartness, if needed. Unless she likes a very dry cider (and it sounds like she likes some sweetness) at least a small amount of backsweetening will help. 
Jon H.

Offline dmtaylor

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4724
  • Lord Idiot the Lazy
    • YEAST MASTER Perma-Living
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2013, 08:32:02 am »
Strongbow is crap cider made from concentrate, water, and lots of chemicals and preservatives.  You just can't make that low of quality cider at home.  All the ciders you made previously are REAL ciders that you should be proud of.  If your wife wants Strongbow she can buy it at the store or the local pub.  There is no sense in trying to produce that stuff at home.

Sorry for the rant.  But I am also very serious about cider.  The REAL stuff.
Dave

The world will become a much more pleasant place to live when each and every one of us realizes that we are all idiots.

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2013, 08:37:09 am »
Strongbow is crap cider made from concentrate, water, and lots of chemicals and preservatives.  You just can't make that low of quality cider at home.  All the ciders you made previously are REAL ciders that you should be proud of.  If your wife wants Strongbow she can buy it at the store or the local pub.  There is no sense in trying to produce that stuff at home.

Sorry for the rant.  But I am also very serious about cider.  The REAL stuff.
That too  :)   More a mass produced apple beverage than a real cider.
Jon H.

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2013, 10:05:28 am »
Try WLP 002. It was judged the best recently. Look on White Labs under cider.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline dmtaylor

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4724
  • Lord Idiot the Lazy
    • YEAST MASTER Perma-Living
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2013, 10:30:35 am »
I haven't tried WLP002.  US-05 ends up a little sweeter and tastes great.  But I'm more of a Cote des Blancs kind of guy myself.
Dave

The world will become a much more pleasant place to live when each and every one of us realizes that we are all idiots.

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2013, 10:40:48 am »
I haven't tried WLP002.  US-05 ends up a little sweeter and tastes great.  But I'm more of a Cote des Blancs kind of guy myself.

In 2 weeks the club does a pressing with a local orchard. Plan to try 002, 833, 860 and ferment the lager yeast cold.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2013, 10:50:47 am »
I haven't tried WLP002.  US-05 ends up a little sweeter and tastes great.  But I'm more of a Cote des Blancs kind of guy myself.

In 2 weeks the club does a pressing with a local orchard. Plan to try 002, 833, 860 and ferment the lager yeast cold.
I look forward to reading your impressions on the ciders.  My LHBS gets early and late pressings from a local orchard.  Just used 4766 this time. I might do a split batch on the late cider.
Jon H.

Offline samuel.workman

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 20
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2013, 12:06:26 pm »
I make a good many ciders and have experimented with all sorts of yeasts. I'll second that 002 makes good cider. A beer strain that I really like in cider is a Kolsch yeast -- WLP029 or the Wyeast versions. While the flavor on these is distinctive (the typical vinous notes), they don't come out as "yeasty" as other beer yeasts in my experience (only my experience though).

Also, take a look at WLP720. I'm currently using it in some cysers. It is supposed to attenuate at less than 75%. Take a look at the alcohol tolerances of some of these yeasts in relation to their attenuation. One way to leave some sweetness is to build up the S.G. such that the yeast crap out with the alcohol, though be aware this strategy will leave you with a higher alcohol cider in general. Otherwise, you can stabilize and back sweeten.

Not to plug another forum, but you'd be hard-pressed to find more information than the thread on cider and yeast experiments over here:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/results-juice-yeast-sugar-experiments-83060/

Hope some of this helps.

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2013, 02:37:15 pm »
What you need is residual sugar - more than any yeast will leave you. And you must have good acidity to balance the sweetness. This is really hard to do without killing the yeast and force carbonating. Do you have kegs?
 
And no offence to dmtaylor but there are many cider styles. Strongbow is no artisenal product for sure, but it has plenty of fans and common ciders can be made using authentically. Dry cider is not inherently better than sweet cider.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2013, 02:49:40 pm »
Mtnrockhopper - are you doing a massive cider batch again this year?  What did you do last time, something like 45 gals?
I ask because I am going to do one big cider batch this year instead of multiple smaller ones and I'm curious how much yeast you used etc.  My plan is a 30 gal batch using WLP cider yeast (I ordered it but I forget the # now).  I may try a split with another yeast, not sure.

I'm not a huge fan of Strongbow so I'm afraid I'm not much help with the OP but I would think you could blend any cider to get "close".  Not tart enough maybe add some malic acid.  Not sweet enough, back sweeten etc.  Probably won't get it right on the nose with only cider and yeast but what character does she like?  I ferment mine completely dry and then back sweeten with apple juice concentrate and sugar after sulphiting etc and then kegging at high PSI.  But that's what I like, she may like something different.  I'd pick one cider and one yeast and then try to tune it in from there.

Offline dmtaylor

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4724
  • Lord Idiot the Lazy
    • YEAST MASTER Perma-Living
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2013, 03:27:34 pm »
no offence to dmtaylor but there are many cider styles. Strongbow is no artisenal product for sure, but it has plenty of fans and common ciders can be made using authentically. Dry cider is not inherently better than sweet cider.

Once upon a time, I consumed an awful lot of Boone's Farm and Zima, so I can relate.  It's not inherently good or bad.  It's just not REAL wine/beer/cider, etc.... I guess that's my real peeve with it all.  People want to make Zima at home?  Well, good luck with that....
Dave

The world will become a much more pleasant place to live when each and every one of us realizes that we are all idiots.

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2013, 03:33:00 pm »
7UP and boones farm. Age in frosted mug for 30 seconds

Offline Slowbrew

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2857
  • The Slowly Losing IT Brewery in Urbandale, IA
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2013, 03:33:20 pm »
no offence to dmtaylor but there are many cider styles. Strongbow is no artisenal product for sure, but it has plenty of fans and common ciders can be made using authentically. Dry cider is not inherently better than sweet cider.

Once upon a time, I consumed an awful lot of Boone's Farm and Zima, so I can relate.  It's not inherently good or bad.  It's just not REAL wine/beer/cider, etc.... I guess that's my real peeve with it all.  People want to make Zima at home?  Well, good luck with that....

I've made a total of one batch of cider so I'm not much help there. 

You used to see a lot of questions on how to make Zima.  I saw one answer that made me LOL.

3/4 glass club soda
Add lemon juice and Alum to taste
Add Everclear until you don't care anymore.

 ;D

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Strongbow clone?
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2013, 04:08:26 pm »
Once upon a time a friend shared something he called Apple Pie. Tasted like, apple pie. But kicked like a mule. I never got the recipe but I think it had everclear in it.