My ciders have been in primary for months

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1fastdoc

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I'm wondering if they will still be able to carbonate in the bottle.

One is a five gallon batch of Ed's Apfelwein using the Montrachet wine yeast and 1lb of sugar instead of 2. It is on week 9 or 10.

The other is a one gallon batch of pear cider using the Cote de Blanc yeast. It is probably on week 12.

I had planned to bottle the pear cider at 4 weeks in late December but it was still very cloudy so I waited a bit. Unfortunately, life got a little busy and the ciders were essentially forgotten. A friend of mine recommended adding a little yeast when I bottle.

My guess is that the Apfelwein will be fine if I just go ahead and bottle it but the pear may need a little help. Should I add yeast when I bottle?
 
That length of time shouldn't be a problem at all. Some people have left stuff for a year or more and still carbonated. With your perry, was it straight juice/yeast, or did you add ther ingredients to your recipe?
 
placervilledan said:
That length of time shouldn't be a problem at all. Some people have left stuff for a year or more and still carbonated. With your perry, was it straight juice/yeast, or did you add ther ingredients to your recipe?

The pear was just a gallon of Gerber pear juice, about 4oz of corn sugar and the yeast. I'm concerned that the yeast will be dormant at this point.
 
Although many have gone a long period of time, there have been quite a few reports of lack of carbonation after something like the 3 to 4 month period. To play it safe it wouldn't hurt in the least to sprinkle some yeast (you only need a light sprinkling) to give you some extra insurance. If you want to carbonate it in a cool area, then Lager yeast is a great choice. I have only ever added yeast after extended Lagering to ensure carbonation, other than that most everything has carbonated fully.
 
I gererally wait 1 full year before bottleing my cycer and have never had it not carbonate in the bottle (with the typical 1 cup sugar per 5 gal). It takes a good 4-6 weeks, but it happens.

Good luck, and cheers!
 
12 weeks is the norm for my cider. I do not need to add any additional yeast.

I would advise patience w/ carbing. Wait at least 3 weeks before popping the first one. Keep it warm for several months too. It gets monumentally better with time. I never fridge my cider until I getting below a 6er in the fridge.
 
I left mine in with the yeast for about a year now... was wondering if I could get a good cider still, or toss it. Sounds like it’s still going to be good. Does anyone prefer their cider non-carbonated? Maybe with fall upon us, it could be a good “warm” drink? Thoughts?
 
I left mine in with the yeast for about a year now... was wondering if I could get a good cider still, or toss it. Sounds like it’s still going to be good. Does anyone prefer their cider non-carbonated? Maybe with fall upon us, it could be a good “warm” drink? Thoughts?
DO NOT TOSS IT! For the love of God, please do not throw it out. It's probably delicious. Give it a taste, you'll know immediately if something isn't right.
If you want it carbonated, do what's recommended above and sprinkle yeast before adding priming sugar.
I prefer my ciders well carb'd with the exception of bitter ciders which I like half carb'd, probably at 1.5 volumes.
 
DO NOT TOSS IT! For the love of God, please do not throw it out. It's probably delicious. Give it a taste, you'll know immediately if something isn't right.
If you want it carbonated, do what's recommended above and sprinkle yeast before adding priming sugar.
I prefer my ciders well carb'd with the exception of bitter ciders which I like half carb'd, probably at 1.5 volumes.
Haven’t bottled yet. Will take your advice!
 
I found with beer after extended rest that a little fresh yeast added at bottling helps not just with carbonation but also with yeast precipitation and keeping it on the bottom of the bottle so the bear stays crystal clear.

The reason is that any residual yeast still floating around has properties suited to floating around and not sticking together and falling out of solution as sediment.

I've also noticed that the longer it takes for the bottles to carbonate, the smaller the bubbles are for some reason. You can get a very fine carbonation this way.
 

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