Strong Bow

[imacoming]

Does anyone have a clone recipe for this good stuff?

[celticgladiator]

i agree, this is some of the best cider i have had. i can't find it in South Dakota though.

[Chris_J]

Sorry I can't help with a recipe but it sure is tasty stuff. If you haven't yet, I highly recommend you try Magner's, the LCBO should carry it. Make sure to have it on ice!!!

As a side note, I tried some artisan ciders in Wales and I think that Strongbow is considered the macro swill in the cider world. This one sample I tried was called "Haymaker" it tasted like drinking hay. Very interesting to say the least.

[Gucci Pilot]

Oh boy. I wish Justin would get off his ass ( and JP's) and get another cider show. Strong Bow is awesome, however, it is difficult to "clone" a cider. Much like a wine (no, not JP's whine), there a shot load of variables that go into making an cider. Each variety of apple contributes to each cider. Do you know what local ciders are available to you? That should help in starting you down the right track.

Justin, when's the next cider show?

[jacbop]

Yeah to clone something like this you need to:
1) find a good blend of cider
2) ferment it out cleanly (it will be very dry)
3) back sweeten with apple juice
4) use sorbates to stop further fermentation
5) force carbonate
6) bottle

It is very hard to get something as sweet and clear as Strongbow into a bottle with force carbonating or making bottle bombs. Unfermented cider is not that high in gravity and the sugars are nearly 100% fermentable.

I tried to do this for years and eventually just started to appreciate drier ciders. But I still would like to make a clone "just because". But it is not easy.

jacbop
Midland, MI