So I basically took every item in my fridge that could be included in a hard cider recipe and made what I call the, "WTF is this cider". It includes cider (obviously) sugar (different kinds), malt sugars (usually reserved for beers), hops- 1 oz. of cascade pellets (wtf), salt (non iodized), montmorency cherry concentrate, cranberry juice, more sugar and 12 oz of raw molasses. This stuff looks like motor oil to start with and it smells.. well.. different. Not exactly sweet but not bad. I added a couple camden tablets to kill the wild yeasts two days ago. Then, 48 hours later some pectic enzyme to help clear it and finally the yeast ( a white wine yeast) and some nutrient. Has anyone experimented with molasses with any ciders that they've brewed? What happened? Did it turn out well? I have this fantasy that, when this thing is done, I'll discover some awesome recipe that no one has ever thought of but I just don't know what to expect. Any opinions?
Cascade Pellets? Say it isn't so! My brother makes his own wine and I'd bet has tried molasses. I think one big problem is that it's about impossible to filter. It will look cloudy with the matter from the molasses in a sort of gelled state. So if it does not bother someone to drink it cloudy then its all good.
I don't think it will be cloudy. The pectic-enzyme will help clear it by breaking down the pectic bonds prior to fermentation. Afterward I can use gelatin to clear it more. Gelatin will bond to any clouding stuff and drag it to the bottom before I siphon it to a secondary fermentation tank. I think I just went nuts and decided to clear out any ingredients I had in my fridge so could start over fresh. I considered adding a couple tic-tacs to it just to see what would happen. So far the yeast has yet to take hold and there is nothing going on in the fermenter. Last time I used potassium metabisulfite instead of camden tablets (which are sodium metabisulfite) and it took three days to start fermenting but only after I added another dose of a champagne yeast to it. I think I'm going to wait this one out and see what happens. I might add another pack of the same wine yeast to it tomorrow if nothing is still happening. I just thought someone might have tried to either add fermentable juices to a beer recipe or to add beer ingredients (which is essentially what I did) to a cider recipe. I guess time will tell.
See you know what to do I would not have an idea to use gelatin. I guess pectin would work also? Have you tried Root Beer, Sarsaparilla, or Birch Beer? I remember drinking a soda called Apple Beer and liking it of course it was a soda but I never saw one again as far as I know. That would have been way back about 80 when I lived in Houston City limits for a few months taking bottles into the store for 10 cent a piece.
It's got this irritating life-long infrequent and sporadic ring to it, that my doc says is gonna require brain surgery to repair. I'll remember my ear protection next time....
