Ok so I am pretty new to brewing in general and would love to dive into the world of cider making (my girlfriend insists that I make cider for her if I am going to be making my own beer). So far I have made one cider that turned out great only downside was it was just a tad too sweet for me and could have used a bit more carbonation, would a yeast with a higher attenuation fix both problems? I used the generic yeast that came with the beginner kit for the last batch but this time around I am using a White wine yeast that is recommended... but as far as water, carbonation, yeast, etc.. what's some good reading material I can begin with??? any suggestions?
Basic/General/Newbie Cider info
- Thread starter Timo21
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
gratus fermentatio
Well-Known Member
Good cider reading material eh? This is a good start:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/results-juice-yeast-sugar-experiments-83060/
It'll give you the answer(s) to several of your questions.
You asked about water; unless you're using frozen juice concentrate or making graff, there's not really a need to add water to cider. That being said, your water should be clean & chlorine/chloromine free. Water chemistry isn't as important in cider as it is in beer. Lots of folkes use bottled water or the treat it themselves in some fashion at home. RO & filtration is pretty standard. A lot also just use tap water with no problems at all. It's really up to you.
As for yeast, yes, a higher attenuating yeast will take your cider drier. The above link/thread will help with that, there's also a list of wine yeast strains & their properties here:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp
The recipe section may also be useful to you:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/
For more carbonation, you can increase the amount of priming sugar, just be aware there is a limit: too much & your bottles go boom.
Here's some priming/carbing info you might find useful:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-4.html
It's for beer, but it works great for cider too.
Hope this info helps. Regards, GF.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/results-juice-yeast-sugar-experiments-83060/
It'll give you the answer(s) to several of your questions.
You asked about water; unless you're using frozen juice concentrate or making graff, there's not really a need to add water to cider. That being said, your water should be clean & chlorine/chloromine free. Water chemistry isn't as important in cider as it is in beer. Lots of folkes use bottled water or the treat it themselves in some fashion at home. RO & filtration is pretty standard. A lot also just use tap water with no problems at all. It's really up to you.
As for yeast, yes, a higher attenuating yeast will take your cider drier. The above link/thread will help with that, there's also a list of wine yeast strains & their properties here:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp
The recipe section may also be useful to you:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/
For more carbonation, you can increase the amount of priming sugar, just be aware there is a limit: too much & your bottles go boom.
Here's some priming/carbing info you might find useful:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-4.html
It's for beer, but it works great for cider too.
Hope this info helps. Regards, GF.
