First batch almost ready for racking!

Tantalar · 02-09-2010, 03:11 PM

After 11 days of fermenting, I believe my

Test #1
1 gallon cider - 16 cups
(Motts cider only)
3 cups brown sugar
20 raisins
1/5 packet yeast (nottingham)
dash of yeast nutrient

Test #2
1 gallon cider - 16 cups
(empire unorganic, organic gala, mott's cider)
1 1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup cinnamon and sugar
1/5 packet yeast (nottingham)
dash of yeast nutrient
did NOT heat the cider

Test #3
1 gallon cider - 16 cups
(Mott's cider only)
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 white
1 1/2 brown
1/5 packet yeast (nottingham)
dash of yeast nutrient

Are almost ready to be racked! I put them into the refrigerator yesterday and I would like to rack them soon and put them into a secondary carboy. Depending on how cloudy it is in the secondary carboy, I may or may not just bottle it up from there. I am really trying to rush this first batch and don't care if it's not too clear.

How long am I supposed to let it "crash" before I should try to siphon off the cider from the lees? Hopefully after I siphon it and the FG is consistent for a few days I can bottle it up! (If I don't drink it all before then!)

I should note that each of the 3 smells very nice. The one with the most stuff in it (every type of sugar I had!) had a VERY nice aroma to it. I hope it tastes just as well as it smells!! Thankfully they all smell better than the last 2 experiments with orange juice and blendered strawberry-blueberry

Kauai_Kahuna · 02-12-2010, 08:15 AM

Well, I would say at 11 days, they are not ready to be racked, but if your in a rush.
24 hours cold crashing will do to drop most of the yeast, anything over 48 hours is just not really needed. Please keep in mind that your target is around 34F, or just above freezing to compact the yeast on the bottom. No big worries if it is higher.
Also, longer you let the cider ferment, clear, and condition the better it will be so start up another batch that you don't need to rush.

Mcduff · 02-12-2010, 11:11 AM

I have cold crashed my cider for 1 to 3 days. I have tested several yeasts and some are hardier then others and withstand the cold. I think 11 days fermentation is find as long as your happy with the taste of it. I have gone anywhere from 7 days to 21 days depending on where the taste and the gravity was. I usually cold crash at 1.020.

After the cold crash and racking put an airlock back on it and at room temp watch it for awhile and see if the airlock starts to bubble again. I had a few yeast strains that did so. Champange yeast was a tough one for me to get it to stop. I just dropped a campden tablet in and it stopped. After a week or so I bottled.

Good luck!