[Jettacider03]

Gypsum?

[HoosierBrew]

Gypsum?

I used the word 'sulfate' instead of 'sulfite'.  Calcium sulfate is what we know as gypsum - great in hoppy beer, has no place in cider. My bad.

[Jettacider03]

so my plan of action to crash cool the yeast to die then back sweeten with apple juice concentrate to taste. Guess racking at this point is pointless. So I just need to bottle it and it's ready to drink?

[Stevie]

Apple juice concentrate does a really fantastic job as a back sweetening agent.

Listen to this guy ^^^^


I hear he wrote the book on the subject and you should buy it.

[Jimmy K]

The goal was to create a dryer more crisp cider such a strong bow or Stella which the clarity was there however the flavor was not. I used the blend of apples with the Macintosh crabapple and Fuji apples juiced it myself and pasteurized it at about 120° versus using Camden tablets. What would you guys recommend for back sweetening besides just regular sugar?

Although Strongbow and other name-brand ciders claim to be dry, they are not even close. What they have is substantial acidity which balances residual sugar and leaves a dry impression. If you look at the nutrition labels, Strongbow has ~15g sugar per 12oz serving. That's the equivalent of backsweetening 5 gallons with 3 cups of sugar or a FG ~1.015.
 
The sugar really does amazing things to bring back apple flavor. I find 1 cup in 5 gallons takes the edge of dry cider without seeming sweet. Apple juice or concentrate works very well too. I use the nutrition label and math to determine how much sugar is added per volume of juice/concentrate.

[dmtaylor]

I could get into how I use unusual yeasts and a lot of racking to prevent the yeast from fermenting below 1.005, but I've told those stories before in other threads.....

[Wort-H.O.G.]

I could get into how I use unusual yeasts and a lot of racking to prevent the yeast from fermenting below 1.005, but I've told those stories before in other threads.....

and i can say having just done this....does do the trick.

[erockrph]

What has worked very well for me is to add the extra sugar up front, then sorbate/sulfite and backsweeten with fresh pressed cider. This brings back a lot of the apple character that seems missing from the dry cider.

[coolman26]

What yeast is your favorite cider yeast? I've not found mine yet.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

What yeast is your favorite cider yeast? I've not found mine yet.

 Côte des Blancs is at top of my list right now having just used it. not sure if it will stay there or not, but imagine it might hold a top 3 for sure.

[HoosierBrew]

I like 4766 and 1056 best.  002 works well, too.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

also like nottingham and s-04.

[dmtaylor]

Cote des Blancs and Notty.

[erockrph]

71B is the only wine yeast I've used so far, but I prefer it to any ale strain I have tried to date.

[Footballandhops]

Back sweeten with 3 cans of frozen apple concentrate before kegging

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f5JGS2STfyc