Locwiz Blackcurrant Cider

[sailaice]

Has anyone got a tried and tested recipe for this to do in a one gallon DJ?

Preferably the blackcurrant one

:grin:

 

[LeithR]

Hi there,
I made it on the 16th of May using 4L of lidl's apple juice(65P/L), tanin and yeast nutrient. It started at OG1.060 and have added a full 440ml bottle of Lowicz Blackcurrent syrup, I put the syrup in after it had been formenting for a couple of weeks and the ferment had settled down. I pitched yeast which I had cultured from Weston's Old Rosie and it only finished fermenting yesterday. Its now sitting in the cool to condition/clearing a little (its current SG is 1.006 but its still bubbling a little) before I bottle it in what used to be called split bottles (small ginger beer bottles) I'm using small bottles because it will be in the order of 7.5% once finished.

First taste test, it tasted very nice and should improve.

Good luck with your attempt.

 

[sailaice]

Thank you!

So if I put the 4 litres of Apple Juice into the Demijohn with the yeast, yeast nutrient and tannin I leave that ferment for a few weeks then I add the Locwicz syrup and more yeast?

How does it ferment initially without yeast?

 

[ScottM]

I wouldn't recommend a whole bottle, the stuff is really syrupy and really strong, it'll over power all the cider flavour. I would probably go with around 1/3 of a bottle, 1/2 max.

I made a lowicz raspberry a few months back, used 3 bottles in a 5 gallon batch and the raspberry was way too strong, not to mention the ABV was up over 9% lol.

 

[iceo]

iv just put a cherry cider on

4L AJ
100ml of cherry
strong black tea(if you dont have tannin)
nutrient
yeast

after a week i will add 50ml more of the cherry if it needs it to boost the cherry flavour
should with the blackcurrent

 

[sailaice]

And did you all add the syrups initially? Or wait until fermentation subsides?

 

[ScottM]

Me? I just dumped the lot in :)

 

[iceo]

In at the start. With 4 and bit liters your safe . You could always hold a litre of aj back for a few days

 

[sailaice]

Do I need pectolase?

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

Do I need pectolase?

pectolase is recommended for anything involving orange &/or apple juice, since both fruits are high in pectin.

 

[GeorgeSalt]

Has anyone got a tried and tested recipe for this to do in a one gallon DJ?

Yes..

1x 440ml bottle Lowicz blackcurrant
Apple juice to the gallon
1 tsp citric acid
1 tsp tannin
Young's cider yeast

I add the lot at the start, leaving out the last litre or so of apple juice until the initial froth has settled.

I don't rack, just bottle once it's fermented dry and cleared. My favourite of the Lowicz ciders.

 

[LeithR]

@sailaice,
Your post after my post. I'm not sure what you are asking here, you do not leave the yeast out initially, it all goes in at the start - including the yeast - from whatever source.

I also take the point made by ScottM. How much syrup you put in is entirely down to your own taste, you can start with a whole bottle as I did or start with 50ml as has been suggested elsewhere on the forum. Its entirely up to you. The next time I make it I may well reduce the amount of syrup added depending on how this batch works out.

Whatever you do - have fun.

 

[stevie1556]

I haven't used the black current syrup yet, but the same recipe but used with either the raspberry or strawberry syrups taste amazing!

 

[oldbloke]

Do I need pectolase?

I've never needed it with cheapo supermarket apple juice.
The fancy organic stuff might want it, or if you press real apples.
Most of the cheaper cloudy juices are made cloudy by an industrial process and pectolase won't touch that.

 

[sailaice]

@LeithR I think I got confused as you had put that you added yeast nutrient and not yeast so I got in a muddle :shock:

I really love how helpful everyone is, Can't wait to start some new brews this weekend!!

 

[Gassman]

A question

I have only just spotted this topic

I have a tc with 25 litres of AJ and been fermenting a week now

Question is

Can I now add 4 or 5 bottles of Blackcurrant to this

How many can i add

Is it ok to add or too late

 

[weepete]

1 bottle gives a hint in 23l. I'd imagine 1 to 3 bottles would be to my taste but that may not be yours. If anything make it weaker to start and you can allways rack and ferment again though a bit of extra yeast may be needed. You can also stop it with fermentation stopper and Camden tabs and use the syrop for backsweetening.

One of the best wines I made was 4l AJ and 1 bottle of Rasberry syrop though it took 5 months to taste great but more like a liquouer. Dunno where others get their % but my hydrometer reading was almost off the scale and I recon mine ended up 16% ish.

 

[gl0ckage]

The syrup adds like 5% but takes forever to ferment out. Only downside to using it.

 

[Gassman]

Ok I will start again as I never got the answers I was hoping for

I have a TC going 5 kg sugar 25 litres Apple Juice and all the rest except malic as I never had any

Its been bubbling a week

I dont care if it adds another few weeks to the fermet, can I add 3 or 4 blackcurrant juice to this now, maybe a little more yeast nutrient maybe a little more yeast

I want a gassy cider once I add the primer so dont want to kill it.

Will it work or should I make a wine with the Lowicz

 

[iceo]

Ok I will start again as I never got the answers I was hoping for

I have a TC going 5 kg sugar 25 litres Apple Juice and all the rest except malic as I never had any

Its been bubbling a week

I dont care if it adds another few weeks to the fermet, can I add 3 or 4 blackcurrant juice to this now, maybe a little more yeast nutrient maybe a little more yeast

I want a gassy cider once I add the primer so dont want to kill it.

Will it work or shouldI make a wine with the Lowicz

5kg in a tc what was your sg ? . I dont add any sugar to apple juice tc .iv have a look at my notes as I did a 5l tc with the cherry I used 200ml and only get a hint . So 3 bottles added about 10 days in would do it