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rmonge00

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Does anyone have any good ideas on how to store a massive amount of cider other than bottling. I have heard that you can't cork it like wine, so I am wondering, could you put it in a keg? How much is that equipment approx.? Could you just leave it in a wine barrel?

Thanks for the help!

Ryan
 
Kegs work great, many people on here use them. Pretty much all homebrew supply websites will sell kegging kits.
 
Nice!

How do you kill the carbonation, just campden tablets or yeast?

Thanks!
 
Nice!

How do you kill the carbonation, just campden tablets or yeast?

Thanks!

Option 1 ....Let ferment dry. Rack to secondary and let age until it naturally degasses or mechanically degas with wine whip or vacuum.

Option 2....Let ferment dry, rack from lees, stabilize with sorbate and sulphite, backsweeten to taste, degas and bottle.

Option 3 Let ferment to desired FG, cold crash, rack, stabilize with sorbate and sulphite, degas and bottle. (this is the trickiest method, not always easy to stop the yeast freight train)
 
I like the sound of Option 1! How long do you normally have to wait until it is degassed and how do you test. With a Hydrometer??

Thanks!

Ryan
 
I like the sound of Option 1! How long do you normally have to wait until it is degassed and how do you test. With a Hydrometer??

Thanks!

Ryan
I use vacuum so I'm not sure how long to wait it out, would be somewhat temperature dependent. I would think at least several months.
Basically you are waiting for it to go flat. You can give a little shake or stir to see if it fizzes or transfer some to a bottle, cover with your finger, shake, see if it builds pressure.
 
2-3 weeks should be enough. I just bottled a lemonade I did in the middle of september. Check the SG with a hydrometer and youll know when its done.
 
Another question as well. If I do this, I am going to have very large quantities and will be fermenting in a 20 gallon plastic bucket. Does this bucket need an airlock or can I just throw the lid on it? Does plastic work OK? What does everyone else use to ferment large quantities?

Thanks!
 
I think you need to take a step back and do some more reading. Not trying to be a jerk but yes youre going to need some way to let off pressure. Plastic should be food grade plastic but Ive read people use regular plastic with success.

I think youre getting the cart ahead of the horse. Cider by its very nature in non alcohol form is flat.
 
Yeah it might not hurt to start with a smaller batch size. It's less heartbreaking to make mistakes with a 1 gallon, or even 5 gallon batch than to ruin 20 or more gallons. The reason I think the above poster thinks you are putting the very before the horse might be because you asked if yeast will stop fermentation...

Yeast CAUSES fermentation and therefore CO2, hydrometers help determine alcohol content, and airlocks or some other mechanism is needed to allow CO2 to escape your fermentation chamber.
 
If your going to do this YOU MUST HAVE AND AIR-LOCK! ! If you don't have access to a brew shop no problem . This is what you do go to Home Depot get 6ft of 3/8 plastic tubing next a 20 soda or water bottle with or without cap next you will need a gromit or a rubble seal that has a I.D. Of 3/8 I.D. Is inside diameter then drill a hole in the lid of your fermenting vessel feed the hose threw about 1in then the rest flows into the 20oz bottle add water and PRESTO ! You made an air lock . You should change the water every 48 to avoid any contamination . I hope this helps
 
I have 2-18 gal plastic barrels fermenting. They have removeable lids. I just leave the lids loosely fitted on top with a bit of weight on top to hold them in place. I prefer carbed cider but flat (still) cider is tasty also. If you have the capabilities I would bottle a few cases in beer bottles and carb them up.
 
Dude/girl :) you need an Air lock otherwise it's gonna go to ****! If it hasn't started to already :( see an air lock creates a water wall co2 can exit but O2 can't enter if oxygen or bacteria get to it it will be the end for your cider and you'll be left with vinegar instead :( how far along is it? 2 days 3days even then it might be to late :'( you always need an air lock when making alcohol even vodka moonshine etc.oxygen can not I mean CAN NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH IT ! Do yourself a favor and get on the Internet and buy a starter kit for $90 buck from brewers best in there you will have EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO START BREWING :) I hate to say this but you might have f'd up your batch take this as a learning experience and read up on it before you start . Hey I started with Arizona iced tea and baking yeast after that it was apple juice with raisins honey corn sugar and again baking yeast in an old wine bottle . But the only thing I checked out was the air lock no air lock no alcohol Don't get me wrong it just might work for ya but only by luck I hope this helps :)
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for the tip. That was a miswording with the yeast stoping fermentation - I meant using HEAT to stop the fermentation. Sorry! I have made wine quite a few times in the past, but not cider andnever in such large quantities and never in a plastic bucket. The reason why I am starting such a big amount is because I have access to LOTS of free apples... A few more questions though...

- During my primary fermentation, I have never used an airlock, only a pan with a lid on it, I always use the airlocks during secondary fermentation. Are you guys recommending that I use an air-lock for the primary fermentation as well?

- Thanks for the idea on the homemade airlock, I will try it. And, roadymi, do you not use an air-lock?

Thanks again for the help guys...

Ryan
 
Oh yeah I use one on everything I brew if you think about it adding an air lock can't hurt it . It just keeps everything stable in its own environment , without change , when the co2 stops blowing off then you don't have that invisible gas wall protecting it in a way plus the more of the natural gases come in contact with it the better . Oxygen is what makes vinegar you can make some real nice cooking vinegar this way . You should take some off and try it
 
rmonge00

Airlocks are very cheap. I am only making my first batch now, but I am using one for primary AND secondary (if I go to secondary).
 
Sure airlocks are cheap but.......my clamp on lids won't accomodate them w'o drilling and I don't want holes in my lids. There are no worries fermenting in primary as long as you are careful. CO2 is heavier than air so it will displace all the nasty Oxygen. Oxygen not the bad boy that it is being represented. Air comes into contact at racking and bottling with no ill effects. Just use a campden tab / gallon every other handling to prevent oxidation. Your cider no more susceptible than your wine. RLDAHB! and have fun.

I'm by no means an expert but I have somewhere around 100 gallons of cider under my belt and no vinegar or dumped batches yet......knock on wood...
 
Well the hole vinegar thing when you just let the air touch it after fermentation the alcohol turns . But I can see what you mean that you don't want to drill into your lids . What are you using can you get a picture up somehow ? I'm quite interested in how your doing this . If your just using a bucket then lids with the holes in them they already sell for cheap it's like $3 and the buckets are $10 but that's just 5gal . I want to start with larger batches but I like to do 4 to 5 different brews all at once myself .
 
Well the hole vinegar thing when you just let the air touch it after fermentation the alcohol turns . But I can see what you mean that you don't want to drill into your lids . What are you using can you get a picture up somehow ? I'm quite interested in how your doing this . If your just using a bucket then lids with the holes in them they already sell for cheap it's like $3 and the buckets are $10 but that's just 5gal . I want to start with larger batches but I like to do 4 to 5 different brews all at once myself .

These are 18 gallon food grade barrels I bought from a local online auction for 10 bucks apiece. There is a good rubber gasket under the lids and a galvanized clamp ring for sealing them tight.

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^ Are you just opening them to de-pressurize them every day? Or do you have some kind of air lock on them?
 
NOT OPENING......Tops are just resting in place with a couple of 1/2 gallon jugs to hold them in place. I figure as they build pressure they will burp it out a bit. Temps are averaging around 60F in my garage. I am going to let them go until probably Jan than rack to carboys.
 
Those are sweet! I can see why you don't want to put holes in them but those seals I would recommend in checking the size and buying replacements I only say that cause they dry rot and loose there seal . I say this from experience . My brew went to **** so that's why I only use carboys or ale pails. But those lids look like they could be the same size as a 5 gal bucket if they are Home Depot sells them with that same rubber gasket . Take one with you and check them out if I'm right buy a few and then drill the holes for air locks but I wouldn't do it till you know for sure they are the same sizes . Is there a name on them cause I want to find some of those for myself I really like them
 

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