How to make Cider Champagne?

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Olli

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Can someone give me a hint what the best way is to turn cider into champagne, preferably someone who done it before with good results?
My questions are:

1. when is the best time to bottle. When the fermentation has finished or just before?

2. How much sugar do i need to add to the cider for a standard (750ml) champagne bottle?

3.How long do i leave it in the bottle before consuming?

4. Any other hints would be very much appreciated

Cheers guys

Olli
 
Hey man-

I made a cider that wound up, essentially, being a champagne. It turned out very dry, and very sparkly, though I did it in beer bottles, not champagne bottles (and beer bottles work just as well, btw).

I believe, though I don't remember exactly, that I mixed in a cup of sugar to the still cider after all the fermenting was done, and bottled it right away.

So far, no explosions, and it's very very fizz-tacular.
 
My cider accidentally turned into a champagne. Sorry that this isn't any help- I either bottled to early or got a bit of the malolactic fermentation. If you do figger out how, though, you won't be disappointed.
 
Thanks guys.
Since i'm making my cider in the true south german style (drink it straight from the barrel) and never bottled any before should i wait until fermentation has completed before bottling or should i bottle shortly before fermentation is completed to finish it off in the bottle? Do i need to add sugar to both options?
 
I would let it ferment out, definitely. It would probably be difficult to determine exactly when to bottle otherwise, and the result would easily be either bottle bombs or insufficient carbonation.

You would have to add priming sugar before bottling. I'm not sure how much, but surely someone on here would know.
 
Definately wait until fermentation has stopped. That way you are carbonating it with just your priming sugar. Otherwise you will have unpredictable results.

I would use ~1 pound of honey or 1/2 -3/4 cup of priming sugar.

1 cup sound like too much, however I'm basing this upon mead and beer.
 
I used a heaped, and I mean heaped, 2.5g meassuring spoon with standard cane brown sugar per 630ml bottle as a prime and ended up with a very sparkling cider. I bottled it straight from the primary but had allowed the primary to run its course, it took about 2 weeks. The cider has really improved with age. Now after 4 weeks in the bottle it is more like champagne than beer. Dry and fizzy.
The bottles i use are very strong Japanese Yebisu / Asahi bottles they cost about 20JPY /10p / 40 c each from my local old lady off licence. I would be a little wary about using that amount of sugar in weak bottles. if you bottle too early i reckon you will end up with a rank cider. It certainly smells pretty foul early on in the fermentation.I was amazed that what had at times stunk out my kitchen could become such a quality drink.
By the way, I used 1Kg Honey as the primaries fermentable addition.
 
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