How's about this for quality control?

BeardySi

As an aside, anyone got any interesting ideas for spiced cider? Heavy on the cinnamon sticks is a must I suppose - anyone else do anything good?

I'll probably start with a few mulled wine spice bags and work from there...

BaZmO*

In fairness though, it happens all the time with most beers, probably not as extreme as this example though.

Funnily enough, one of the fairly new(ish) Irish micro breweries posted a pic of their new beer (3 in a row) on Facebook and the levels in each wasn't consistent. I jokingly commented that I'll have the one in the middle please (the fullest one) and my comment was taken down straight away.

noby

Bazmo, just so you know, that was at the request of the photographer who was mortified that it hadn't been spotted in post-production. Sorry, I should have messaged you to let you know.

We try to keep fill-level variation to a minimum, but those bottles in the pic are a bit extreme - you could play a tune on them!

BeardySi

In fairness from a microbrewery it's not really a problem (though this would be rather extreme!) but from an industrial bottler supplying one of the UK's biggest supermarkets?

How and ever, spice ideas!!!

the beer revolu

I'd say cinnamon sticks, cloves and maybe star anise.
Allspice berries, cardamom and vanilla seem to pop up in recipes too as does orange zest and nutmeg.

I'd say any combination of the above will taste good.
Saw one recipe adding dark rum too which would be nice.

BeerNut

I've done mulled cider exactly the same as mulled wine and it turned out great: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, sugar, oranges, lemons and a splash of brandy.

rubadub

A long thin neck exaggerates the look of different volumes. i.e. it might be only 5-10ml difference in the volume which is 10-20mm difference in height.

I noticed this with high strength vodka before, I had a bottle filled high up and popped it in the freezer, it contracted when cooled and I thought somebody had been drinking it on me.

You see big variations in soft drink 2L bottles too, I select the fuller coke bottles as I believe they will be fizzier, moreso than wanting more coke.

irish_goat

I make mulled cider year Christmas along with wine and use pretty much the same recipe.

Heat a small amount of cider with about half a cup of sugar and bung in your spices, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 star anise, about 10 cloves, nutmeg, 1 vanilla pod, 1 orange, 1 lemon and a few bits of fresh ginger. Your aim is to boil this mixture and make a thick syrup that acts as a flavour base before adding the rest of your cider and a glug of brandy or whiskey if you want.

the beer revolu

irish_goat wrote: »

I make mulled cider year Christmas along with wine and use pretty much the same recipe.

Heat a small amount of cider with about half a cup of sugar and bung in your spices, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 star anise, about 10 cloves, nutmeg, 1 vanilla pod, 1 orange, 1 lemon and a few bits of fresh ginger. Your aim is to boil this mixture and make a thick syrup that acts as a flavour base before adding the rest of your cider and a glug of brandy or whiskey if you want.

That's a very clever idea - you get to extract the spices without boiling off all the alcohol. I like!
Oh yeah, I forgot ginger in my list - would be very good with cider.

BaZmO*

noby wrote: »

Bazmo, just so you know, that was at the request of the photographer who was mortified that it hadn't been spotted in post-production. Sorry, I should have messaged you to let you know.

See, that's why I love micro brewers! They always come back with the answers.

I wasn't actually having a pop, I just thought it was funny.

There was a home brewing company on Facebook that took down my comment(s) when they put up a post asking for advice about a customer complaint about their lager kit having a twangy taste to it. I very politely gave the reasons for a possible twangy taste in my experience, that being, 1) Infection, 2) The general taste you get from kits that macro lager drinkers don't like/recognise, and I also pointed out lager kits are in fact ales.

irish_goat

the beer revolu wrote: »

That's a very clever idea - you get to extract the spices without boiling off all the alcohol. I like!
Oh yeah, I forgot ginger in my list - would be very good with cider.

Works well with wine too. And if you want to make a non-alcoholic version for children you can add some of the syrup mix to warm apple juice.

BeardySi

Am liking the rum idea! good excuse to buy a bottle of dark rum!

Some great ideas there folks, thanks a million!