Restoring cider's flavour

[jezbrews]

I am small batching cider so I can get a repeatable recipe, last time the acid content was too high because I added tannins. It had a good cider flavour but was kinda like being sick! This time round I did not increase the tannin at all, just used a little precipitated chalk to increase the pH so that the OG was as desired (1.042, leaving an abv% of ~5.5). My other problem is that it has degassed. I wanted a carbonated, slightly sweet cider.

However it tastes like I've watered it down. It is currently in a demijohn before I buy a reusable mini-keg. I would like for it to recarbonate in a mini keg just a little, like a normal priming, but also restore the apple flavour, but I run the risk of adding apple juice to live yeast that will just create more of the same low flavour cider. The alternative is that I kill the yeast off and introduce more apple juice and in the process, lose the opportunity to recarbonate. I'm in a pickle! Please help?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

If you’re looking to add apple flavour and carbonate, you can use sugar to carbonate and Robinson’s Apple Cordial for flavouring. You can add the cordial at the time you serve if you like and you can then choose other flavours if you want a change. I find Apple, Cherry, and Blackcurrent work best with cider.

 

[jezbrews]

If you’re looking to add apple flavour and carbonate, you can use sugar to carbonate and Robinson’s Apple Cordial for flavouring. You can add the cordial at the time you serve if you like and you can then choose other flavours if you want a change. I find Apple, Cherry, and Blackcurrent work best with cider.

Thank you for the suggestion, I would really prefer to have it drinkable straight from the mini-keg.

I might just go for still and more apple-y by killing the yeast off and just adding apple juice. I think the apple flavour is more important than the carbonation. It's annoying because it smells honestly amazing, like proper scrumpy.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

What mini-keg is it? With many types you can force carbonate by injecting CO2.

 

[jezbrews]

What mini-keg is it? With many types you can force carbonate by injecting CO2.

I'll look into that, I haven't actually chosen. What ones can you force carbonate? That'd be great. I was thinking just one of those plug ones that cost less than a tenner.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I'll look into that, I haven't actually chosen. What ones can you force carbonate? That'd be great. I was thinking just one of those plug ones that cost less than a tenner.

Not those ones I’m afraid, they rely on priming sugar though you might be able to come up with a conversion.

The ones I’m talking about are small Cornelius kegs but it is quite an expense if you don’t use these already because you’ll need some other bits too. Take a look at the starter kits on the BrewKegTap website for an idea of what I’m talking about and the likely cost.