Blending different apple varieties for hard cider (uk)

Has anybody experimented with blending different varieties of apple for "hard cider"?

Locally I have an apple variety called "Blenheim Orange" and also an unidentified cider apple. Using just the cider apple produces a very vigorous fermentation even at 20°C but the result is pretty bland. The B.O. apple ferments much slower and unpredictably but produces a more interesting flavour.

I'm trying a blend of the two this year and just wondering what success others may have had in blending eating / cooking apples for cider making?

Thanks.

Topic recipe ingredients flavor cider homebrew

Category Mac

1
answered at

I once bought ready to ferment juice from an Orchard, and they mixed 3 different variety of apples to make the juice. I think it is common practice.

The goal is to get a balance of acidity and taste. Since sugar is fermented, the acidity of the apple remains and becomes stronger, so mixing different types helps to balance this.

I think you really need to try it to know what works best. If you can split your batch into 2 or 3 small fermenters, you can try different proportion of each variety of apples (50%/50% or 75%/25%).

Other options

Some people also add some dry malt to their cider and even some hops. You might consider these options as well.

Addendum

I remember using 2 fermenters with the same juice using different yeast in each (one dry, one liquid). And the results where slightly different. So yes, the yeast also has an impact on the final result. The liquid yeast (I think it was WYEAST 4766 for Cider) produced a more mellow cider, better in my opinion.

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