Is it too late to bottle carbonate 8 month bulk aged cider?

kristinklb · 03-30-2010, 04:51 PM

Will there be enough yeast left if I add sugar to carbonate this or does it need more yeast after so much time? It's very still looking right now -- no activity. There are still some lees (is that bad?) on the bottoms, though one looks more like a gel (is that bad?).

Freezeblade · 03-30-2010, 07:40 PM

is this in primary? or in secondary?

8 months is pushing it, but I bet it'd still carbonate given enough time. if you're really worried throw a little bit of dry yeast into the bottling bucket at bottling time. something very flocculcuant like s-04

**Nurmey** · 03-31-2010, 12:58 AM

Eight months is nothing to a cider and would probably carb fine given time. If you are concerned about it, rehydrate a 1/4 to 1/2 packet of yeast and add it to the bottling bucket when you bottle.

What you see on the bottom is the regular old junk that falls out of apple juice when left alone long enough. No worries, just leave it behind when you bottle.

Welcome to HBT!

kristinklb · 03-31-2010, 08:29 PM

Thank you. This is in the secondary. I used champagne yeast. Is that okay? Also, it's technically bartlett perry with some dolgo and wild crabapples mixed in. I haven't tasted it, but I think it's going to be really good and I don't want to mess it up.

Thanks for the welcome!

CandleWineProject · 04-01-2010, 07:16 PM

Champagne yeast is fine.

Oh, bartlett perry! The crabs will help with the tannins. I agree - it has some real potential!

DNW · 04-06-2010, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nurmey

Eight months is nothing to a cider and would probably carb fine given time.

What is "time"?

I bottled a 5 month old cider last weekend. Unfortunately I ran short of caps, so I put the last 1/2 gallon in a jug with an airlock to let the added sugar ferment out at room temperature. I noticed microscopic bubbles for the first two or tree days, then nothing more. So after 8 days I tried a bottle stored at the same temp and there was 0 noticable carb - a slight hiss when I opened it and that was it. I don't recall off hand how much sugar I used, but it was enough (according to Beersmith) to generate about 2.8 vol.

So how long should I give it? Or just try one every week or two?

**Nurmey** · 04-06-2010, 11:21 PM

It usually takes 3 or 4 weeks before I get the carbonation I want but one batch took about 6 weeks.

kristinklb · 04-07-2010, 12:44 AM

How much sugar per gallon should I add? Is this more technical than I think it is?

Fletch78 · 04-07-2010, 01:04 AM

Sort of. When pressure increases inside a bottle, you won't see bubbles forming the same way you would if the gas can escape via an airlock, even though the Co2 is still being created. Bubbles are a visual way for humans to observe gas escaping from dense liquid to open air. When the pressure of the air in the bottle begins to approach the same pressure as the liquid, you will no longer see bubbles. Or something like that.

I think you should add 3/4 cup of corn sugar to 5 gallons and listen to Nurmey on adding a little more yeast that is rehydrated.