I am brewing a hard apple cider and would like to know how can I increase the ABV % in a cider ? or is it the same process in a beer ?
3 Answers
The best way to increase the ABV of cider is to add more fermentables to it. Table sugar is most commonly used, although you can also use things like honey, agave syrup, etc.
answered May 7, 2014 at 16:00
Another common method would be freeze concentration, where you partially freeze the finished cider, and remove chunks of ice, concentrating alcohol and unfermentables in the remaining liquid.
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'Back porch concentrate' as it used to be called 'way back when. Commented May 9, 2014 at 23:11
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This stuff is not the same as distilled, don't drink too much or you will get what's been called Apple Palsy (a really bad hangover). While distillation draws the alcohol out of the cider, freeze separation does the opposite. It removes the water but leaves everything else behind, that includes all the methenol, fusels, aldehydes, acetalhydes, etc etc etc...leading to a mean hangover. limit drinking this stuff to two shots to enjoy the taste of, but not for getting drunk.– EscoceCommented Sep 10, 2019 at 18:56
Alcohol is a byproduct of yeasts metabolism, if you increase the concentration of fermentable material you will (to a certain point) increase the ABV.
The best results are in general achieved by increasing the concentration of natural fermentables, maybe by decreasing the amount of water. If this is hard to do then pouring some extra sugar into the mix will do the trick albeit on the possible expense of flavour.
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1You don't generally use water when you make cider, so that won't work. Adding sugar will. Commented May 7, 2014 at 15:59