🍒BLACK CHERRY &🍎APPLE Cider! EASY Back Sweetening + Q&A

[@BeardedBored]

*_CHECK OUT THIS NEW SAFER PASTEURIZATION METHOD HERE-->_* kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHq1d4ycoNFniqc Here's a list of the Viewer Questions I answer in the video. Click on the blue time codes to jump to the answers. 1. What's the alcohol content of the cider? - 00:34 2. My cider stopped bubbling after a few days, is it done? - 2:13 3. What do I do if my airlock gets clogged? - 2:53 4. Is there a substitute for Apple Juice Concentrate? - 4:52 5. Do I have to pasteurize my cider/can I refrigerate it instead? - 5:30 6. Can I use other juices? - 6:13 7. Why is my cider so cloudy? - 6:36 8. Can I use bread yeast? - 7:22 9. Do I have to use a siphon/Can't I just pour the cider into the bottles? - 9:49 10: Do I pasteurize the plastic test bottle? - 12:47

[@jgudzelak87]

Hello Bearded Friend, I have a question about kegging the cider. what steps would you change/add if kegging the cider instead of bottling? Namely, how much concentrate would you use in the kegging process?

[@BeardedBored]

@@jgudzelak87 Sorry I missed your comment. That's going to be purely up to your taste since none of the sugar will be used to carbonate in a kegging situation, 1 can per gallon would be too much. Fill the keg with your cider, add your Campden tablets to prevent fermentation, then add concentrate until it tastes right to you, then force carbonate as usual.

[@jgudzelak87]

@@BeardedBored Thank you very much for your reply!!! I greatly appreciate you imparting your wisdom. And so sorry for the delayed response!!! I will try this starting this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out!!! And keep up the great work! I love your videos.

[@themightyparthos]

On siphons and air locks and other related tools, most of them are not "needed",. But the savings and learning aspect is priceless! Imagine getting every bit possible of your brews or none of them turning to vinegar, or even perfectly detailed footnote s of your favorite brew and not having to experiment to find that flavor again. Do what the professionals do and get professional results!

[@robertjohnston1286]

Hey “B&B”, I’ve been making cider for the last four months after subscribing to your vlog. Thanks for your time and efforts to teach an old dog new tricks (I’ll be 75 in November). I have apple, pear, and cherry trees so your videos have given me a new hobby to have fun with during our Pacific North West rainy season, October to May. I use a steamer to make juice, then use your method of frozen concentrate to carbonate and add a little more flavor. Have had only one loose bottle cap after six batches. Keep up the good “work”!

[@BeardedBored]

That's awesome! I'm so glad to get another person into the hobby, even an "old dog", haha:-) I have to say I'm a bit envious of your fruit trees. Glad you have a new way to use up all that fruit!

[@solarmandave]

Same with me B&B. I've had 2 large batches (4 to 5 gallons each). Only a few loose caps. Worth the effort and tastes sooooo good. Thanks for the lessons, I'm going to try the black cherry juice or cranberry versions next.

[@twoartistic]

Great idea setting your bottles on the dishwasher door, when you fill.

[@BeardedBored]

Several viewers suggested that after they saw me bottling on the floor in another video, haha:-)

[@twoartistic]

@@BeardedBored I'm definitely stealing the idea.

[@mrpeebody13]

Thats a great idea using your dishwasher door to bottle it.

[@Ken-rk3by]

Two ways to stop bottles from exploding is to put bottles in a double boiler or put a false bottom in the pot so the bottles don't touch the bottom of the pot when heating the water.

[@BeardedBored]

Good point.

[@MrScottsearles]

Cherry apple, I would LOVE to try some of that. Cherries are my favorite fruit.

[@phillipweck2451]

If you make sure the top of the bottle is below water surface, it shouldn't explode. I boil cans of condensed milk and the rule is have an inch of water over the top of the bottles then turn stove on. A way I'm going to try, thanks to you making me think, is using the souvide method slowly bringing the temp up over several hours. I'm making mine using tart cherry juice. I'm lacking yeast nutes or the pectin stuff so just gonna wing it. In my brewing, I always cover the fermentation keeping all light out if possible. I did a 5 gallon carbonated peach mead that fermented for 1 year and 1 month. Turned out awesome!

[@mightisright]

One reason your bottles may pop while pasteurizing is that the bottom of the pot is still very hot (hotter than the water). Your glass bottles are making direct contact with the heated metal. I might suggest heating the water in the pot to 180 and then transferring the water to a room temp pot (or another vessel) containing the bottles.

[@BeardedBored]

That's a good idea. Thanks!

[@jimbojones9665]

I pasteurise in the oven, set as low as it goes. All the same risks, plus the added benefit of getting to clean the oven when a bottle inevitably breaks. It works, though.

[@alanhartley173]

Thanks! Good info, and like your laid back videos.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks so much brother 👍

[@vikingtuff]

It took an extra moment to register that 15 seconds of catchy techno beat hahaha

[@Krassenator]

You just answered every single question I had from your last video! Thanks alot brother! I started a batch last week and it's fermenting now! This video came just in time. I can't wait finish and taste the end result. Cheers!

[@BeardedBored]

Awesome! Let me know how it turns out:-)

[@BigEdsGuns]

@9:39 - Two decks of playing cards to tilt the fermenter. I use an old broken pre-ban AK47 mag to tilt my fermenter or boil kettle. (Follower stops at last 4 rounds) Cheers my friend!

[@BeardedBored]

LoL! Classic Ed:-)

[@TheBobelly628]

Thanks for video!

[@degenerategrappling6503]

Man I let a batch I made from you recipe sit for 6 months and must say I was very impressed. I'm excited to try this one, thanks for the instructions!

[@BeardedBored]

Sounds great! Hope you like the new recipe as much:-)

[@salvitoregachione1237]

Pro tip, after you turn off the heat of the pasteurizing pot put it in you sink before you add the bottles. It makes clean up a breeze in the event of glass failure.👍

[@BeardedBored]

Good idea! Thanks:-)

[@appcarpenter1]

Oh, man, im glad i found your channel. So many new ideas to play with.

[@BeardedBored]

Glad I could help. Have fun playing:-)

[@ronr6951]

i made your sweet hard cider. the guys at the brewery really liked it. Im going to try this tomorrow

[@BeardedBored]

Awesome:-) Glad it worked out for you. Hope you like this one too.

[@TheDLCIncluded]

You can save money with yeast by making yeast starters and even washing yeast from your first racking to reuse

[@williamrow1378]

It is so good to see you putting out content again! After making your apple jack with freezer distillation, I started trying to malt my own corn for a different hobby. I watch George and Jesse as well. You guys have helped me have a great set of hobbies that leaves no friends thirsty!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks William. Glad I could help you keep your friends well hydrated, haha:-)

[@ALMArt-ko9yu]

Brilliant video man. I made my apple jack this evening. Thanks again for the tips Bearded👊

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks man. Glad it worked out for you:-)

[@ajohnson153]

Get an anova or joule SV circulator. You can pasteurize at a lower temp with constant heat and circulation. No need to worry about your bottles blowing their tops.

[@BeardedBored]

I'm definitely going to look into this:-)

[@77936fief]

your channel is awesome. thanks for your videos

[@BeardedBored]

Thank you so much:-)

[@wishdrftr]

As soon as my Session Cyser is done, I’m for sure making this! That color is awesome! Love your vids dude. What’s incredible is, I had been watching Jesse, George, You, and The Whiskey Vault/Tribe for months and then SOMEHOW you all started blending into each other. I love it. Total geekdom over here! Happy Brewing Brother!!

[@BeardedBored]

It's pretty exciting to get to meet my favorite KZbin celebrities:-) Kind of surreal, but both of them are salt of the earth guys who love the hobby. I couldn't ask to be in better company.

[@jmacp19]

Great video, I have been thinking about making cranberry cider so thanks for the recipe! You can get a canning jar rack and that will keep the bottles from exploding. The same thing can happen when can vegetables because the bottles are essentially in direct contact with the heat. They’re only a few bucks and from the look of your pot , I’m sure you can get one made to fit it.

[@adiefender]

Glad to see you showing how to do this on the cheep. This low barrier to entry is awesome! reminds me that I need to add apple juice and cherry juice to the shopping list ;)

[@BeardedBored]

Cheap is the only way I CAN do it brother:-)

[@galfischer1737]

I did it! It turned out to be one of my best drinks ever! The only difference - I did not pasteurized - I just added priming sugar exactly the amount I wanted for gassing . A dry and unsweetened drink was obtained. Thanks! I really like your channel!

[@BeardedBored]

Congratulations on a successful batch:-)

[@fasturbo7894]

You seem to enjoy this hobby so much that it just might justify a kegging setup! My local homebrew shop put together a kit for me at a bargain price. 5 gallon keg, tube, clamps, gas tank etc.. I got a Keggerator on marketplace for a bargain. Couple hundred bucks and no need to pasteurize. Run cider dry, backsweeten and bam.

[@BeardedBored]

I'm tempted for sure:-)

[@fasturbo7894]

@@BeardedBored You can get most of the supplies second hand. Go for it! 😀

[@billsgarageandhandyhints8317]

In my opinion it is so much easier to build a keezer, then keg it and force carbonate. Oh, and make 5 gallons at a time. You can also bottle from keg later if you want to.

[@sebsefyu]

Boss!, I have found a solution for those exploding bottles! Instead of pot, use plastic cooler and dump 185F water into cooler you heated up in pot. Heat up bottles first to around 90-100F under hot sink water to temper the glass a bit first. Pour the water onlong side of cooler. The reason those bottles exploded as metal is great heat transfer and one spot in bottle can't handle it, hence that explosion. With plastic cooler. Temps are slowly transferred therefore no explosion. Also if you get and you won't get one, explosion of bottle in cooler. You're containing the mess in cooler and nothing flies out of cooler either. If you have pets, they're also safe. I would try this, instead of wasting bottles.

[@BeardedBored]

Good idea!

[@mikeshomestead9411]

Hey just a quick tip from an old home brewer. If you as a measured amount of sugar at. bottling and your sanitation is good you won’t need to pasteurize. For carbonation similar to beer add one ounce of sugar per gallon. I love your videos and I definitely want to try the cherry cider as well as a raspberry cider. Keep producing great content!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks Mike. A note on pasteurization though. I don't pasteurize for sanitation. I do it to stop the fermentation right when carbonation is done, but there is still enough residual sugar to give the cider sweetness. I mentioned that in my previous cider video, but like a ding dong I forgot to even bring it up in this one, LoL:-)

[@pauljohnson2870]

Just started my cherry/apple using this video as a guide! Thank you for the tips! Ferment is going perfect! Thanks again B&B!!

[@BeardedBored]

Congrats! Hope it turns out great for you:-)

[@coachfernley]

save even more money by re-using the yeasts from the bottom of your ferments! One package of yeast can make many many multiples of batches! Love the channel fella : ))

[@Josh-e2l]

Hey mate, my cider inspired from you has been sitting in the fridge un-bottled for weeks waiting to find some apple juice concentrate. This video is perfect timing 👍 And my applejack came out pretty bloody good too!

[@BeardedBored]

Hey, awesome! Glad I could help:-) That apple is crazy good!

[@markcottrell4058]

australianorganicproducts.com.au/products/melrose-organic-apple-juice-concentrate-2l you can get your apple juice concentrate there your aussie i believe? hope it helps

[@Josh-e2l]

@@markcottrell4058 Yeah aussie, just boiled down my apple juice this arvo so everything going good I'll bottle it up tomorrow. Thanks mate

[@ronswhite1]

Awesome use of the dishwasher door... Could have avoided many a mess if I'd seen that earlier

[@BeardedBored]

Several viewers suggested it after watching me bottle on the floor in another video:-)

[@finnklip7927]

Great videos, I learn 10x more while watching your videos compared to any other channel or “professional” guide. Bout to bottle my first ever cider batch tomorrow! Keep up the good work

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks! If you haven't seen it yet, check out my ginger beer video for an easier pasteurization method:-)

[@finnklip7927]

@@BeardedBored I’ll be sure to check it out! I heard online that a sous vide machine was a good way to pasteurize home brews because it could keep circulating water at a constant temperature. Wondered if you ever considered trying that

[@BeardedBored]

@@finnklip7927 I don't have a sous vide rig, but I have a lot of viewers who have tried it and really like doing it that way.

[@edwardcunningham6315]

Definitely appreciate this video 👍. Some people got a sweet tooth, I got a "cherry" tooth 🤣👍. Anything with cherries gets my attention, so cherry apple cider is definitely on my list.👍❤️

[@BeardedBored]

It's definitely a winner in my book too:-)

[@BanksBuilt]

At least the new kitchen is christened now from the bottle bomb! 😜

[@BeardedBored]

HAHA! Blessed by the holy bottle bomb of cider!

[@lazaglider]

I wanted to take the time to thank you. I made a batch of apple cider and then used your repeated freeze method. It’s so easy that even I managed to not mess it up. Based on that success, I repeated it using pineapple juice (just cheap carton stuff, I’m no connoisseur). Again, great results. Although being quite pulpy, rather than pushing up so a bit got in the airlock, it fermented furiously and left an almost solid brown mess in the airlock. And the floor around the demijohn. The wife was unimpressed! Still, didn’t effect the results though. Cheers!

[@BeardedBored]

They say you haven't been brewing long enough if you haven't had a blowout, LoL! Glad it worked out despite the mess:-) Pineapple sounds like a killer idea!

[@BB-tm7gx]

best on you tube thanks

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@solarmandave]

I make sure not to over fill the bottles, I believe the pressure won't increase as much if it's below the neck slightly!!

[@brianfrombreckenridge2972]

I’ve been waiting for such a recipe as this since your last cider video. I already have the ingredients sitting in my pantry. Kismet I tell ya!

[@BeardedBored]

I'm psychic! Good luck on your batch:-)

[@SMccrate01]

One note from my beer brewing days: it isn't such a danger to open the fermenter once it has a nice cap of foam. You were careful to cover the mouth with a sanitized plastic lid while cleaning out the bubbler so that is more than enough. England's famous Bass Ale is made in open limestone troughs and the head on the fermentation effectively prevents infection. CO2 is heavier than air so there is always a layer on the surface interface to prevent air contamination and the krausen (German for "crown") of foam blocks most airborne contamination. If you can find a fermentation vessel with some head space so it isn't full to the top, that's worth doing, but I love your modification of the store-bought cap for the fermentation lock too. Simplifies a lot really and then you can use it over on the next batch. However you still have a volume problem with the filled-up bottle and no head space so if you can find a larger vessel you don't have to worry about clogging or even a blow-off tube. The plastic frosting buckets from the grocery baker should work well with the top drilled for a stopper and airlock.

[@peterboyle946]

Been watching your videos for several months now and since I`ve bottled my first batch of cider and jack I haven`t been to a liquor store since. My first batch of cider came out to 11.5 % abv so I mixed it with some ginger ale to cut it a bit and the taste was great so I came up with the idea to add ginger to the cider recipe. I washed, cut up, ran it through a blender, about 2lbs of ginger root ,boiled it for an hour, strained it through cheese cloth and added it to the apple juice, cut back the sugar to 6.5 % abv and fermented it out, back sweetened it with concentrated apple juice and bottled it a couple days ago. I couldn`t wait and I cracked a bottle tonight. Man is it good for being so green. You should try it out. Keep up the great vids. Tried your black cherry recipe, turned out great, my wife loves it too. waiting for what`s next. Cheers.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks for sharing this recipe! Sounds like a winner. I'll have to try it:-)

[@peterboyle946]

@@BeardedBored the 2 lbs of ginger was for 18 litres of apple juice ( just about 5 gallons eh ) enjoy

[@ZacPope]

Your videos are so informative!!! I watched one of your older videos which inspired me to make 2 different batches batches with different sugar levels. Your coke bottle tester/pasteurization recommendation is genius and pushed me to finally take the plunge to cider making! I plan on bottling next weekend with used Grolsch bottles. Thank you for walking us amateurs through the process. Your content is HellaHelpful! Cheers my dude!!!

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother. Glad I could help get you into the hobby:-)

[@ZacPope]

Your video editing skills are also getting much better...keep up the good work!

[@bonolopatiencesebego1911]

Im so glad that I found this channel, It is super helpful. Like that its straight to the point. Thank you very much

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@thedude4795]

I figured out the perfect compression and equalizer settings for Bearded and Bored's sudden high peak intro, and the following ambience so I can watch the whole video without annoying my neighbours (we are wall to wall). Compressor: set threshold to at least -40 dB. EQ: 26 Hz minus 8.3 dB and 163 hz to minus 10-11 dB I can watch without having to adjust for high peaks, and lows are "Loud". I use pulseeffects as my software "DAW" or whatever you want to call it

[@BeardedBored]

I never noticed that. I use earbuds when I edit and it never sounds that loud to me.

[@qubaissalam4273]

To stop an explosion put a cloth in the pan

[@Archer1182]

Just made this recipe X5 if you get too Wyoming stop in and help drink it lol

[@mikemcpherson6492]

Awesome

[@Just_The_Average_Dude]

Good to have you back Bearded! I was drinking some plum wine I made over 7 months ago. It is about 12% and started at a high gravity so it would finish sweet. I use bread yeast almost exclusively and agree that while young it isn't great. However, the taste vastly improves with age much like any wine, cider or mead. Great video! I think it was your original hard cider video that made me a subscriber. Come back a little sooner next time.

[@BeardedBored]

I'll be posting more frequently this year. Been away too long. That plum wine sounds good! Bread yeast definitely requires some patience. Once I figured that part out I made some good cider with it. But I'm too impatient to wait, haha:-)

[@StillIt]

And now I find out how the stuff was made I got to taste....oh.....wait..... what....spoiler?

[@BeardedBored]

Haha, there he is! Posting the tasting vid tomorrow:-)

[@colinmacvicar2507]

Thanks again for all the tips. Now I’m going to get to making some apple jack.I’m real glad I found your channel. Can’t wait to try your other recipes as well.

[@kurplop3589]

Don't forget, stepping herbal tea in hot juice, cool and add to give it the extra special something! Great job on the videos.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks!

[@michaelgutman4910]

Yup. Happened to me a few days ago for the first time. The swing cap popped on two bottles. Thank goodness the bottles didn't break. Now it happens to everyone! LOL!

[@BeardedBored]

Yeah, it's a hazard of the hobby. I'm going to do some research to see if I can work out a more reliable method to pasteurize and minimize the bombs;-)

[@michaelgutman4910]

@@BeardedBored I was thinking maybe I put in too much sugar before bottling. Maybe I should put in half. Maybe you could put in less of the apple juice concentrate.

[@johnschaefer3563]

@@michaelgutman4910 Has the great eruption ever occurred using the thicker Grolsch pop-top bottles during pasturizing?

[@michaelgutman4910]

@@johnschaefer3563 No, I wasn't using those bottles. I was using Otis Classic. I was racking into a half gallon pitcher from a gallon fermenter. I added a tablespoon of sugar to the pitcher before bottling. Those bottles did not pop. When I racked the rest, I forgot to add the sugar to the pitcher, so I added it to the bottles directly. Those bottles popped, but not completely off. I was able to salvage most of it. The bottles that didn't pop were great. I just have to remember to add the sugar to the pitcher. I think there was too much pressure building with the sugar being added to the bottles. I hope this helps.

[@bluesteelworx]

I've making home brew and hard cider for over twenty years. I use the keg to carbonate for the most part , but after seeing how you pasteurized I'm gonna give it a go. Great tips, I was always afraid of rupturing bottles but after seeing you do it and having it happen it's not so intimidating. Great channel, great instructions. Thanx

[@shadow4280]

Sounds delicious! I'll have to at this one to the list!

[@brandondunn7981]

Next on the myths and legends podcast.... Can't wait for the tasting video. The 3 of you are KZbin gold!!!

[@BeardedBored]

It was definitely a fun day. I'm editing that video now:-)

[@coltonjohnson9472]

I love that podcast

[@brandondunn7981]

@@coltonjohnson9472 when I heard that music that was where my mind went. Someday they'll tell of the great bearded one with his sidekicks Jesse the wayfarer and George the wise.

[@BeardedBored]

@@brandondunn7981 Wait, I thought I was the sidekick! Bearded the Dork.

[@RussellBallestrini]

I think you rock bearded, that concentrate is awesome if you plan to bottle, it's so cool! It really works! Making it at home is Anno brainer, I should have thought of that! I learned how to brew cider from you. thank you for this update on this great series.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother! Glad I could help get you into the hobby:-)

[@AlbeeSoaring]

I am definitely gong to try this. My wife and myself love hard cider. Ive thought about home brewing beer but once I started doing research it was so over whelming. This seems almost too easy. Thanks for the videos.

[@BeardedBored]

Cider is definitely the gateway for brewing. At least it was for me. For beer, look into 1 gallon brewing kits. They use extracts and it's the easiest way to get started and learn the process. Amazon has some good kits, also More Beer.

[@AlbeeSoaring]

@@BeardedBored Yeah I have already seen this be the beginning of the rabbit hole for myself. Ill be trying your recipe for sure pretty soon.

[@julianfoncea]

Hello B'n'B! I discovered your channel not long ago and I already started my first cider. Now with this video I was able to clarify how to get apple concentrate, which I couldn't find in the local market. So great help! I wanted to know if you know "Sima" (a Finnish fermented drink). If so, it would be interesting if you could show us a way to get a higher alcoholic graduation, in order to have an "alcoholic lemonade". Thank you very much. Your channel is the best.

[@BeardedBored]

I just looked up Sima. Sounds fantastic. I'll add it to the list of project videos. Thanks so much:-)

[@lazyplumber1616]

Dishwashers...who knew they make a great table?!?

[@BeardedBored]

Started doing that after a few viewers suggested it;-)

[@joedogmckeel]

Great refresher course. I still use the crimp cap lids. And wife still gives me grief about the one stuck in the ceiling over our stove from nearly two years ago. But dang you have a tasty recipe. Now I am locked in the house for the past month it is time for a new batch.

[@BeardedBored]

Haha! I had to mop a brown ale blow-off off the ceiling, but never had to dig out any caps:-)

[@joedogmckeel]

@@BeardedBored I may have "forgotten" to check my coke bottle for a week and half. That "may" have been a factor.

[@BeardedBored]

@@joedogmckeel Hmmm, possibly;-) Dude, you gotta set a reminder on your phone, LoL!

[@timkirk3736]

Great video. I'm about a day away from racking my first batch of apple cider (1 month). It's super dry and I'm trying to figure out how to back-sweeten it. This is perfect!

[@BeardedBored]

Glad I could help. Also, check out my ginger beer video for a safer pasteurization procedure. Haven't lost a bottle yet with the new process:-)

[@timkirk3736]

@@BeardedBored Will do! Played last night with some flavorings with a few cups. Added some honey, a little brown sugar, and mulling spices...tastes great. Going to add spices now then honey just before bottling...then pasteurize.

[@BeardedBored]

@@timkirk3736 Sounds great:-)

[@sulli2055]

Hey Bearded, just used your affiliate links on Amazon to get my starter kit. Hope it helps. Thanks for the vigits! Keep up the awsome videos.

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks brother! Good luck on your batch:-)

[@michaelpritchard2469]

I normally leave some headspace when making a cider. Hold back on some of the juice. Wait for the most active fermentation to die down then top up. Never had the problem of the brew coming through the airlock. Which I know you pointed out. Just letting other people know 😊

[@johngolding4229]

This one is definitely going on my list and get made this month for next. 🍹🥴❤️

[@revthebarber1492]

Your video are awesome. They have been a huge help.

[@BeardedBored]

Glad to help:-)

[@paulsapper]

Great instructive video, yes apple juice concentrate here in Perth Australia is super hard to get also. I will definitely be giving the concentrate boil down a go, that and the Black cherry +apple cider looks awesome. Thanks once again

[@pjstartv6798]

Love you videos. I've watched your original Hard Apple Cider video from the middle of 2018 several times now. I haven't pulled the trigger yet to do this myself but I'm considering doing it soon.

[@BeardedBored]

DO IT!!!! Best hobby there is:-)

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

Great video! When I saw you boiling down that apple juice I did a facepalm. Why didn’t I think of that? Apple juice concentrate is hard to get, usually only available in health food stores and really expensive. Apple juice with only juice and perhaps some citric acid is really cheap. D’oh! My daughter is pressing me to make cider. She’s torn between cherry and strawberry. Cherry might he lots easier as there are juices out there. Strawberries would involve using the whole (frozen) fruit and I’m not such a fan of faffing around with a fruit cap.

[@BallisticJell0]

Dang, black cherry apple cider sounds good. Also, I was thinking that a sous vide machine would be great for pasteurizing cider, since you just dial in the temp you want the cider to hit and just leave it. No worry about getting too hot or not hot enough...

[@BeardedBored]

You're the 3rd person to mention it. I'm definitely going to get one:-)

[@phillip6083]

Interesting you chose to boil your extra juice to concentrate it.i would think a lot of aromatics evaporated in the process. Have you ever considered fractionalisation of your juice?I do this.i ferment in gallon jugs and the excess juice I I fractionalize to add after fermentation and get good results.

[@BeardedBored]

I hadn't thought to try that. Great idea:-)

[@wldtrky38]

Decided to go thru some old videos, this 1 is great ! 😉 I've never made cider of any kind, wine, beer and mash, but no cider. Sure wish I had some fruit tees and a press, but I've used a bunch of concentrate for wine. I've also used quite a few different fruits, but not grown on my place. Oh well. Gonna have to try some cider 1 of these days. I hope all is well with the kin after the Hurricane.

[@BeardedBored]

Cider is really rewarding. Makes great holiday gifts too. My sister has a standing order for it, haha:-) Rest of the family are all ok. Some house damage and dozens of tree to cut up, but we're working on it. Thanks brother.

[@heavenhellspirits6723]

Awesome. I know you have met George and Jessie. Would love to meet them The cider looks awesome thanks for the video 👌 tell Jesse and George I said hello I'm Patrick from New York

[@BeardedBored]

Will do!

[@heavenhellspirits6723]

I have bought a heat element from George and I'm really into what Jesse makes

[@heavenhellspirits6723]

Sorry it was a heat controller from George that he made me

[@paulalarocca8315]

could you not use a sous vide water bath to pasteurize in. That is, you can put the bottles (at room temp) into the water that is at room temp and heat the bottles up to the desired temp (165 degF) using the water circulator that is set for 165 degF. Then leave the bottles in for 10 to 15 mins or so. What do you think?

[@BeardedBored]

I have heard from other viewers that sous vide is definitely the best way to do it. I don't have one, but I really want to try it.

[@williamjohnson8146]

That's a great idea

[@Firstclassdrink]

Just found your channel and it’s epic so you got that going for you, which is nice.

[@BeardedBored]

"So I says to him 'Hey Lama, how about a little something for the effort?' And he says, 'Oh there won't be any money, but you'll have a KZbin channel that people will really dig.' So, I got that going for me, which is nice." - Carl the Groundskeeper if he were me, probably;-)

[@MrScottsearles]

I don't have very good luck making hooch.

[@lancehobbs8012]

My cider is finished bone dry by day 7 and it has gone from clear to cloudy back to pretty clear, using the standard champagne yeast, then at day 7 back sweeten with 2L of real juice not concentrate, bottle condition for 5 days , chill/cold crash in fridge for 2 days and its clear as a blue sky. Im not getting better cider with the long wait ,just exposure time for spoilage ,and occupies my FV for the nex5 batch

[@BeardedBored]

The extra time allows the yeast to clean up some of the byproducts of fermentation. The difference can be fairly subtle, but there's some science behind that recommendation. But if it tastes good, then keep doing your method. This hobby is all about experimentation and building new recipes and processes.

[@donmilleriii7399]

Just finished bottle conditioning a batch, great recipe B&B!

[@BeardedBored]

Congrats on the batch:-) Thanks!

[@ignacioaranedarifo9653]

Your videos are so interesting and useful 🙌🏽 Grettings from Chile ✌️

[@drypotatoandjam4180]

Wow looking goooood

[@BeardedBored]

Thanks. I've been working out, LoL!

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

Bread yeast works fine .. yeast is yeast is yeast just some have higher tolerance to make stronger alcohol. I don't know where people get that it makes a brew taste like bread because it doesn't..

[@BeardedBored]

Every time I tried it, I always got a lingering bready flavor, even if I racked it off the trub after two weeks and let it mature in secondary for another month. But that's just my taste buds I guess.

[@MrDalgard]

You should get urself a Cornykeg for the Cider.

[@michaelnichols1977]

Beaded! Missed you brother! I thought Jesse may have kidnapped you! Man, those are the nice bottles too!

[@BeardedBored]

Nope, not kidnapped, just really good at procrastinating:-)

[@markcottrell4058]

i will try this black cherry one. i do same recipe but black berry good shit bro. i been making my own brew we will call it lol. i make everything from flavored shine to hard ciders. just a shout out to you. awesome vids. i really liked your apple jack freezer vid. i did it and wow thats some good drinking.

[@BeardedBored]

Blackberry sounds great! Gonna give that a try:-)

[@micahcarey3042]

Gunna have to give this another go

[@BeardedBored]

Worth it!

[@micahcarey3042]

@@BeardedBored I wasnt toooo psyched about my first batch of just straight hard apple cider, but I think the cherry might do it for me

[@BeardedBored]

@@micahcarey3042 I'm going to post the tasting in a day or two so you can see what sort of flavors to expect. It's quite different from the straight apple cider. Delicious, but markedly different from the plain apple.

[@adamw2785]

Any reason why you put the bottles into the hot water, and not put the bottles into the cold water while it's heating up? You would significantly reduce the thermal stresses of the glass by putting the bottles into the cold water and heat it up with the water.

[@BeardedBored]

Surprisingly, I lost a batch that way. My suspicion is that since the bottles were in contact with the metal bottom of the pot while the heat was on, they heated too quickly. One viewer suggested a wire rack to keep the bottles off the bottom while heating. I haven't tried it yet, but it's worth testing.

[@tisonminium393]

This one you say ⅕ packet of yeast and the cider you do a whole packet. Is there a difference? I'm assuming ⅕ is fine for either batch? Thanks for making the videos

[@BeardedBored]

That packet was already opened and down to its last 5th so I just dumped it in. Sometimes I'm not super careful with my measurements on the yeast, but too much or too little isn't that big of a problem. The yeast adjusts to its environment.

[@blakeslack]

WELP...Know what I'm doing this weekend to go along with my Coffee Mead I have going right now :D. Also, don't know if you have a sous vide, but they are great for pasturizing and avoiding bottle bombs.

[@BeardedBored]

Everybody keeps mentioning the sous vide machine. Going to get one! So...any chance of you sharing the coffee mead recipe?

[@hohop]

Thought about getting a sous vide thing. But they are too expensive just for brewing once or twice a year 😅

[@BeardedBored]

@@hohop Use it for cooking and you'll get a lot more use out of it;-)

[@CarlPapa88]

Walmart online has a cheap one for ~$40 maybe. Thought about it too.

[@OriginalHitta]

B&B, loving the content, bro. Really cool stuff you're making here. Two quick questions for you. 1. After you back sweeten and pasteurize, do your bottles have any sediment in the them? 2. Do you screw the cap on your bottle tester on tight or keep is loose?

[@BeardedBored]

1. Yep, the yeast always reproduces as it eats the sugar to carbonate the bottles. After it does that, it falls to the bottom and makes a thin layer of sediment. All bottle conditioned home brew beer and cider will have a little. 2. Keep it tight. You need to trap the CO2 in there to build pressure so you know when it's ready to pasteurize. BTW, in my ginger beer video there is a lower temperature method to pasteurize bottles. Less chance of breakage. Thanks so much:-)

[@OriginalHitta]

@@BeardedBored Got it. Thanks for replying.

[@spikelove9533]

I really like making my own concentrate for back sweetening. Blackberry reduction is one of my favorites. I've started uesing pale ale yeast in cider US-05 and O4 the 04 clears alot better also Coopers 15 gram. Its a little more expensive vs red star or Lanvin. Im finding if I rehydrate at right at 100 degrees and use firmaid O when I rehydrate and like when half way threw the fermintation i can get it to ferment to 14% pretty consistently even though the ale yeast top out around 11% then im getting 9 or 10% abv after I back sweeten. I've been meaning to try a blk cherry it looks yummy!

[@BeardedBored]

I've had good results with SO4 too, also got a nice residual fruity character with K1 V116. All this time I've never used a "cider" yeast, so I think I'll have to get some to play with next. Love the idea of that blackberry reduction!

[@spikelove9533]

@@BeardedBored i try keep a small jar of it in the fridge its good to make mixed drinks to. IKR everytime I go to experiment with yeast i think about getting cider yeast but I Always end up getting something else. Red star Clasigue is very good in cider also it leaves a really nice fruity flavor. I've been diving in to meads lately so far im really liking Lavlen D47 and I put on a Brochet cizer with 71B I even tried one with Dady it came.out ok but it wouldn't be my first choice. My next ones will be with 04 and 05 I keep meaning to tell you thanks for the bottling bucket tip its very handy way better that siphoning. I bought a 10 quart one with Fluid OZ scale on the side its handy for mixing mead also. And its just the right size to elevate a gallon jug to siphon into secondary.

[@BeardedBored]

@@spikelove9533 Ok, so it's not just me that skips the cider yeast everytime, haha:-) Just did a mead with 71B. Very nice yeast with no aftertaste. Want to get some d47 too.

[@spikelove9533]

@@BeardedBored I can say from my experience with it giving it organic nitrogen and fermenting it at around 92 to 95 degrees I gets very good results from D47 it dose good if used like the directions but it really wants to shine if you spoil it and give it some attention. Have you tried adding olive oil to your must of wash? There was the whole big thing about it replacing oxygen that didn't really pan out. But I swear I can use dady and never get sulpher smells when I use olive oil you disolve a drop of oil in a drop of 190 then take a paper clip and dip that and that's all you need for a 5 gallon batch the yeast love the fatty acids and nutrients when they are developing.

[@BeardedBored]

@@spikelove9533 Thanks so much for the advice! I'll give all that a try:-)

[@uncleduck5344]

I just bottled my first run of this cider. It tastes good can’t wait till it gets carbonated and cold. 30 bottles is a bit much to do at once tho LOL!!

[@BeardedBored]

Sounds great! Congrats!!!

[@uncleduck5344]

Bearded & Bored as a experiment I added a cup of sugar to one of the gallons I did and after it carbonated and got cold it is awesome it started at 1.068 gravity and finished at .990 that’s 10% alcohol and it tastes awesome, this is gonna be dangerous LOL!!!

[@johnschaefer3563]

When it comes to pasteurizing, is there anything wrong with the concept of treating hard cider like boiling wort when making beer? Wouldn't it accomplish the same thing? Cool it down to fermenting temp for chosen yeast, add yeast, wait for fermentation to stop, transfer to bottling bucket, add priming sugar and bottle? Seems like the whole danger part is avoidable. I'm very close to a 2.5 g attempt at a hard honeycrisp cider but doing all the research I can. Great vids by the way!

[@BeardedBored]

There's no need to boil the juice like wort. I'm not pasteurizing for sanitation like a brewery does. I'm actually adding too much sugar intentionally, then using the pasteurization to kiil the yeast before it eats all the sugar to leave behind some sweetness.

[@indoorroadkill3369]

I thought I was the only one that couldn't find the concentrate. (We have like 7 varieties of orange concentrate but no apple) Luckily I live by the border and grabbed a few cases last time I was over, so I'll be good for the next batch. I made my own concentrate too for my last batch. Unfortunately my juice was quite tart and it made the final product rather beer-like. Not my bag, so now that I have concentrate I pour some in the bottom of a glass then pour the cider over top. Not ideal but not horrible. I also made a 5 gallon batch from orange juice. I find the stuff disappointing but others like it. I let them drink it when we get together lol. It foamed up repeatedly thru the bubbler while I was at work and came home to an orange kitchen. I won't do that again. Working on a batch of watermelon right now... I did, however, have a very successful 5 gallon batch of the Applejack. It's quite effective even on my friends I'd classify as 'professional drinkers'. The 'apple palsy' doesn't even slow them down. I'm just gonna keep tinkering and experimenting!

[@BeardedBored]

Nice dude! Keep experimenting. To me that's the best part of the hobby. The orange juice thing, I've never been able to make that work. I read online that it was a bad idea, but tried it anyway. 0/10 would not try again. Glad your friends have stout constitutions;-)

[@indoorroadkill3369]

@keith moore couldn't agree more. It wasn't exactly cheap, either. I did successfully make the stuff after repeated siphoning etc. but while drinkable I wouldn't call it overly pleasant. Like I said I reserve that stuff for the 'pro-drunks' that don't seem to care about taste, it's just an excuse to get fucked up. Once it's gone I won't make it again.

[@dimash244]

Great video as always! Really like the idea with using dishwasher as space to fill the bottles :) We cant get concentrate in Canada too, but Walmart has 100% juice 1 liter cans for under $1 :)

[@BeardedBored]

It's pretty awesome how good the cider comes out with the cheap juice:-)

[@dimash244]

@@BeardedBored I've bought some cinnamon apple juice on clearance after Christmas, will be bottling soon. Used Kveik yeast 🤯

[@BeardedBored]

@@dimash244 You HAVE to let me know how that turns out:-)

[@dimash244]

@@BeardedBored will do :)

[@BeardedBored]

Update: I just released a Black Cherry Cider video that shows how to make your own juice concentrate for back sweetening. At the end of this video you'll see a link card for the video with the recipe:-)

[@d_manaugust9267]

Love ur recipes man .. I’m using it but with my 5gal carboy instead

[@hohop]

Great Video. Thanks for the many answers. Looked for the apple concentrate here in Germany after my failed attempt with just apple juice But only found some for industrial use (way to big packages). Read about making your own from juice like you suggested in this video but never tried that. In fact I did my second badge overall a few weeks ago sweetening with Xylitol.

[@BeardedBored]

How did the Xylitol turn out? I've had some that was sweetened with stevia and didn't really like it. It had a diet soda taste to it.

[@hohop]

@@BeardedBored it is done next week then I can try some

[@BeardedBored]

@@hohop Awesome!

[@hohop]

@@BeardedBored Greetings, the cider with Xylitol is quit good but I think with apple concentrate it would taste better. Should try that some day. But I got a sous vide cooker now :D Do you pasteurise your Beer the same way like the cider?

[@BeardedBored]

@@hohop No I don't pasteurize my beer because I don't need to leave residual sugar for sweetness. The primary reason to pasteurize the cider is to stop the fermentation early because we deliberately put too much sugar in there for carbonation and sweetness. For beer we only add enough sugar for carbonation. Once the yeast eats all the bottling sugar in the beer, it's shelf-stable for months. There are special "priming sugar" calculators online that tell you how much sugar to add to each style and volume of beer so you get the right carbonation without getting bottle bombs. And now I've given you another research rabbit hole to get lost in, LoL:-)

[@Amberscion]

To avoid the possibility of a cooked apple flavor, instead of cooking down the reserved apple juice simply add some sugar to the juice before doing the back-sweetening.

[@BeardedBored]

I'd have to do some experimenting to get the sugar addition amount right to dial in the right level of sweetness and carbonation.

[@Amberscion]

@@BeardedBored This shouldn't be difficult to calculate. Reducing the fluid doesn't change the amount of sugars added, just the fluid volume. The container for the apple juice has the nutrition information, including the amount of sugars per whatever measure they use. So you know that if you reserve X oz. of juice and reduce it by half you're doubling the sugars per measure. If you aren't reducing, you're still adding the same amount of sugars, but you're adding more fluid volume by ratio, so for a 1 gallon batch and adding say 4 cups of juice you might need to add a bit more sugar, but for a 5 gallon batch there isn't going to be much difference at all and you can just add the juice and call it a day. I've made mead for years and I back sweeten melomels with fresh juice after fermenting to dry. Most of my meads are still, so I'm just looking to reintroduce that fresh fruit flavor that tends to be lost if you ferment to dry. But I do (lightly) carbonate parts of a few batches per year, and fresh juice or juice with sugar added is a fine way to do this.