Bubbles

Hi,

I'm new to brewing, and recently just got myself some pure apple juice from concentrate. 5 Litres in total.

I used Champagne Yeast, as well as Pectic enzyme during the process, and its happily fermenting as I type this. My OG was 1.056

I plan on bottling the final product, but I would like it to have a sparkle. In the UK we have a cider called Strongbow, which is very fizzy, and I'm wanting to try and get this type of finish for my Cider, but I'm not sure how I go about this.

Its not that important for my 1st batch, but Id like to try anyway, as if it turns out good, I plan to make a bigger batch and then Keg it :rockin:

Any advice greatly appreciated.

I've never made cider, but I do make beer. I think the carbonation process is the same. Once your cider is done fermenting, you add priming sugar to the cider in your bottling bucket (Boiled for 15 minutes in water) before bottling. When I do this, I pour the sugar in the bucket before I rack my beer and let the motion of the liquid stir the sugar into my beer. Then you let it sit in the bottle for 2 or more weeks, and you have carbonated cider.

But, as I said, I've never worked with cider, so I can't help you with calculating how much sugar you need or how to make sure the cider is sweet enough. I bet, however, there are a few people on this forum who can help with that.

Uziyahu said:

I've never made cider, but I do make beer. I think the carbonation process is the same. Once your cider is done fermenting, you add priming sugar to the cider in your bottling bucket (Boiled for 15 minutes in water) before bottling.

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Forgive me......You boil the sugar and water for 15 minutes?

You don't need to bring it to a boil to pastuerize it, you just need to bring it to a high temperature for some time. At boiling, you don't need much time, plus you know (more or less) what the temperature it. You should be good after boiling it for a minute.

I'm not sure what Strongbow tastes like, but what you are going to end up with is similar to a dry white wine. It will take a fair amount of conditioning time in the bottle. If you want a higher level of carbonation 50 grams of table sugar should do the trick.

ruralbrew said:

I'm not sure what Strongbow tastes like, but what you are going to end up with is similar to a dry white wine. It will take a fair amount of conditioning time in the bottle. If you want a higher level of carbonation 50 grams of table sugar should do the trick.

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^this.

You should try using an ale yeast, like Nottingham if you want sweet cider.

AgentHubcap said:

You should try using an ale yeast, like Nottingham if you want sweet cider.

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Notty will still ferment apple juice dry. Fermenting just apple juice, or juice and sugar will get you a dry apple wine. You need to put something unfermentable into the recipe with the juice to keep it a bit sweet. It's kinda tough to make a carbonated, sweet cider when bottling. You could try lactose, but it's kinda creamy tasting, IMO. Maltodextrine, but that's not too sweet. Some folks use artificial sweeteners, but they taste like artificial sweeteners. IME, if you're bottling a sweet cider, it's best to make it still. Knock the yeast out with k-sorbate after you reach FG, rack to the bottling bucket a few days later. Use juice, sugar or wine conditioner to back sweeten to taste and bottle.

NordeastBrewer77 said:

Notty will still ferment apple juice dry. Fermenting just apple juice, or juice and sugar will get you a dry apple wine. You need to put something unfermentable into the recipe with the juice to keep it a bit sweet. It's kinda tough to make a carbonated, sweet cider when bottling. You could try lactose, but it's kinda creamy tasting, IMO. Maltodextrine, but that's not too sweet. Some folks use artificial sweeteners, but they taste like artificial sweeteners. IME, if you're bottling a sweet cider, it's best to make it still. Knock the yeast out with k-sorbate after you reach FG, rack to the bottling bucket a few days later. Use juice, sugar or wine conditioner to back sweeten to taste and bottle.

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The cider I made for my wife using Nottingham was much sweeter than when I'd used wine yeast. Sweet enough that she'll drink it without sweetening it.

Here was my process:

1. Boil sugar / juice solution for 15 mins.
2. Add leftover juice and sugar solution to the fermenter.
3. Ferment using Nottingham or S-04 yeast for 1 month.
4. Sample prior to bottling to determine if any back-sweetening is needed. I use lactose to back-sweeten when needed.
5. Use 2/3 cups of table sugar for a 5 gallon batch to prime. You can up that to 3/4 if you want it a bit more bubbly.
6. Leave it for a month in bottles.

Thanks for the replies, it helps.

If I use 500 ml Bottles is it 50g sugar per bottle?, I will also try AgentHubcaps recipe also. Like I said this is just a test really. At the moment it smells nothing like Cider.

In relation to those that haven't heard of Strong-bow. Its a very Dry, bubbly Cider here in England. It's 5.2% ABV, but much Stronger I feel. Theres others but this is the most famous one, unless you live in the south west. If you like Cider, Highly recommend you try it.

I'm also thinking of moving from Kit's. My Beer kit was my 1st attempt, and it turned out good, but i've since been watching a guy who makes beer using mashing, hops, and boiler. Its something that im interested in trying, so I might be back for some more advice soon.

Most common question on cider forum is how to make a sparkling sweet cider.

There are lots of posts about how to do it, here's one way...

If you purchased the juice from the store, it is pastuerized. Pastuerized juice does not need to be boiled before fermentation begins. Add some sugar to up the alcohol content. add some pectic enzyme for clearing. add some yeast nutrient cause apple juice on its own doesn't have alot of nutrients for your little guys.

Keep an eye on your gravity. Start in the 45 to 65 range. When you get to the 5-10 range you will still have enough residual sweetness for a sweet finish. Now rack to bottles.

Start testing bottles, when you have reached the desired carbonation level, it's time to pastuerize. Here's a sticky from the cider forum on stovetop pastuerization. Personnaly, I just stick them in the oven, bring the temp up slowly to 150, leave them in for 25 minutes, then turn off stove, open door, and let the bottles cool to room temperature.

Now you have a Cider that has enough residual sugars from the juice/must to give you a sweet finish, and its carbonated because you let the yeast go in the bottle till you had the right amount of bubbles, and then you killed those little suckers by pastuerizing so they wouldn't create bottle bombs or turn your cider dry by eating all the residual sugars in the bottle.

VIOLA!! Sweet Sparkling Cider

If you want extra dry like Strongbow, let it ferment in primary 10 days or so, then move to a secondary and let it sit for a month and it will finish as dry as those little yeasties can make it. Prime it and bottle it and give it enough time to carbonate. No need to pastuerize or bother killing the yeast because they will only serve to make it dryer. To get it even dryer, add a little nutrient and pitch some fresh yeast a day or so before priming and bottling. Now you have DRY sparkling cider.

XombieDeath said:

Most common question on cider forum is how to make a sparkling sweet cider.

There are lots of posts about how to do it, here's one way...

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Awesome info there, them Ciders look awesome, will definitely be trying this technique. :rockin:

Will keep you all posted on the success of this no doubt, now ive found a new hobby