Another First time Cider maker

Krelja · 01-20-2011, 12:28 PM

So the recipe for my cider was basically 4 gallons of fresh cider and 2 lbs of honey. Some spices were added later and now I'm ready to keg it. It's drier than I wanted it bo be so at first I was just going to add splenda to sweeten. Now I was wondering if I just add some sugar when racking it to the keg will the temps stay low enough to keep it from refermenting? That seems like the easiest way. I don't have a lhbs that is close enough to get sorbate or whatever I need. I fermented the batch with safale us-05 yeast.

**Edcculus** · 01-20-2011, 12:30 PM

If you are kegging, that would probably work. I usually rack my ciders to the keg and cool them down to keg temps when the gravity reaches around 1.005 to 1.010. Just to be safe, I rack, cool for 24 hours, then add gelatin. Wait for a few days, pull he huge yeast slurry at the bottom then I'm good to go. At this point, you could add some sugar back in since most of the yeast is gone.

GinKings · 01-20-2011, 12:43 PM

I think you'll be fine as long as you keep the keg refrigerated. I would dissolve the sugar in a little hot water first rather than adding it directly to the cider.

Krelja · 01-20-2011, 05:39 PM

I have some gelatin so I guess I'll go that route. Rack it, Chill it, Add gelatin, Pull out slurry, Add simple syrup of my choice, then carb it up. I'll report back with what happens

PSUinDC · 01-20-2011, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edcculus

If you are kegging, that would probably work. I usually rack my ciders to the keg and cool them down to keg temps when the gravity reaches around 1.005 to 1.010. Just to be safe, I rack, cool for 24 hours, then add gelatin. Wait for a few days, pull he huge yeast slurry at the bottom then I'm good to go. At this point, you could add some sugar back in since most of the yeast is gone.

I'm a newbie, and have seen people mention gelatin. What exactly makes gelatin useful? Does it bind the yeast up so that you can easily extract it?

**Edcculus** · 01-20-2011, 07:59 PM

It has a certain electrical charge, which attracts the yeast cells in suspension. When the gelatin naturally falls to the bottom, it pulls the yeast down too. If you keg, all of that yeast sitting at the bottom means that the first pint you pull will be full of yeast. From there, you will have very clear beer. You can also gelatin in the fermenter, then rack off of the yeast.

**Edcculus** · 01-20-2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krelja

I have some gelatin so I guess I'll go that route. Rack it, Chill it, Add gelatin, Pull out slurry, Add simple syrup of my choice, then carb it up. I'll report back with what happens

I'm thinking since you are back sweetening, honey might be nice...

**CidahMastah** · 01-20-2011, 08:05 PM

I never have issues with clearing without using an addative. If you let your cider rest, the sediment will drop out on its own. That is, unless you have heated the cider.

Since I don't use this method, not sure about this. But I thought you put pectic enzyme early on, not after fermentation.

"you should add the pectic enzyme 12 hours after sulfites (if using) and 12 hours before the yeast is added."

Pectin doesn't do anything to the yeast as far as I understand (pulling yeast out of suspension doesn't do much for clearing cider). Perhaps there is something different between unpasteurized and pasteurized juice. I only use the former.

Krelja · 01-21-2011, 12:26 PM

The cider is clear already, its been sitting for 3-4 months. The gelatin for me is not so much to clear the cider rather pull some yeast out of suspension. I may try a honey and brown sugar mix. I have a couple days to decide on the sweetening part of it