1st batch of cider

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stormyday

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i have a jug of apple juice with no preservatives, i think my champagn yeast is coming in the mail today so i wanna start my first batch tonight. i have a recipe that calls for one cup of sugar, does this sound right? i wanna get the most alcahol content i can. i have no way to check it cause this is all new to me.
 
What is the jug? 16oz, 32oz, 64oz, gallon? I made 2 gallons, and used 2 cups of sugar. Gravity started at 1074, and i ended up with 9.7% alcohol.
 
Ok 1 cup should be enough, but it's up to you how much alcohol you want. Mix the 1 cup of sugar with the apple juice well, then take a gravity reading. At that point, decide whether you want it higher or not. If so, then add another 1/4 cup and repeat.
 
Also, if you want to be over 10%, you may want to shoot for 1.080 or higher starting gravity.

Here's a good watch on it, if you are bored :)

 
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I am not sure for what type of cider you are aiming. But I would use around .6 lbs of sugar and if you going for still cider (no baubles) I would use wine yeast not champagne. For me the champagne yeast creates nice looking cider but it give a kick like champagne would do and hangover is bad. I am no export just a nob that tried making strong cider :D
 
I used champagne yeast and half a cup of sugar and after 3 weeks it's rough to drink. Tastes very yeasty and strong, hoping that aging will mellow it out. I get the impression of a champagne kick using this yeast like ajoha2003 said
 
More sugar = more alcohol. You can go up to 1lbs per gallon and still have the champagne yeast be fine, but it will taste pretty rough and boozy for a while. I'll be the odd man out and say that IMO champagne yeast is a great choice for cider.
 
well i mixed it up so we will see how it turns out in a few weeks, i put all of a cup of sugar, maybe a little more than a cup. i guess i let it sit till the baloon contracts and then put it int he fridge huh?
 
well i mixed it up so we will see how it turns out in a few weeks, i put all of a cup of sugar, maybe a little more than a cup. i guess i let it sit till the baloon contracts and then put it int he fridge huh?

Do you own a hydrometer? I pour the apple juice in my container, and then a little into my hydrometer jar, and test the apple juice by itself first. Then I add most of my sugar, shake it up a ton, and then take another reading to see if I'm at my desired gravity reading. My first batch, started at 1.074, ended at 1.000. Next time I will probably get it a little above 1.080.

Once your gravity is around 1.000 or lower, then you are good to rack it again, bottle it, or put it in the fridge, up to you.
 
i havent got a hydrometer yet, this cider and a sugar wine in a milk jug are my first ventures in homebrewing. i started the sugar wine not last monday but the one before and the cider last night. i'm as green as it gets with this stuff. just fooling around right now but i intend to get more serious about it.
 
Ok, well welcome to homebrewing :) I would definitely buy one when you get a chance, you can get them for under $10. Also, scroll up, and watch the Youtube video I posted. Also that guy CraigTube, has a TON of beer, cider, wine videos you can watch.
 
i havent got a hydrometer yet, this cider and a sugar wine in a milk jug are my first ventures in homebrewing. i started the sugar wine not last monday but the one before and the cider last night. i'm as green as it gets with this stuff. just fooling around right now but i intend to get more serious about it.

6 bucks well spent...until your wife knocks it over and breaks it...
 
i've got my hydrometer ordered. 24 hours after i mixed my first batch of cider the ballon is standing on end but i dont see much fiz yet. 12 days after i mixed my first milk jug of sugar wine the balloon on it has colapsed. at this point i understand that it is done and i should put the jug in the fridge to stop the yeast, am i on the right track?
 
Hydrometer is the best way to go, since you don't have one yet, 12 days "should" be enough time. So yes you can put it in the fridge if you want. That will "slow" down fermentation, and the yeast will go dormant. Now at this point you can decide if you want to bottle some, adding a little sugar to the bottle, or drink it non-carbonated.
 
not sure what to bottle it in, i have a gallon glass jug i can put it in, how much sugar do u think i should add? i think i would like it to have carbonation but now sure how i am gonna go about drinking it, i may cut up some lemons and make a lemonade with it. should i put the lid on it? thanks for putting up with my questions.
 
Well I got into my sugar wine. Put it in the fridge but not after I sampled it. Defiantly can tell its powerful, has lots of fiz. Kinda nasty tasting stuff but I'm hooked, I can't wait to sample the cider in a couple weeks

image-4150816251.jpg
 
not sure what to bottle it in, i have a gallon glass jug i can put it in, how much sugar do u think i should add? i think i would like it to have carbonation but now sure how i am gonna go about drinking it, i may cut up some lemons and make a lemonade with it. should i put the lid on it? thanks for putting up with my questions.

I know for beer, I used to add 2 1/2 tsp of sugar to a 1L bottle. Now I add sugar to the bottling bucket, and fill all my bottles. I just bottled some cider the other day, and add 2 tsp of sugar to each 1L bottle, plus just put some in the fridge without sugar. I wanted to taste this carbonated and without carbonation. So for a whole gallon, you could try 8 - 10 tsp.
 
Technically it "might" make sense. If it is done fermenting, there is still CO2 releasing from stasis (suspension). In other words: chill out. It's fine.
 
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