After reading about cold crashing, aging, and other techniques, I want to try and make sure I'm speaking the same language as the more experienced brewers here.
I did my first batch of cider following the Quick Cider instructions in the book Cider. Pour in various juices, added the Lavlin EC1118, and then wait 3 weeks and then bottled. No hydrometer readings, just went down into the basement every day (sometimes multiple times a day) to look at the cool bubbles that were coming out of the airlock. I added a tsp of sugar to each bottle, then bottled the cider, kept it in the basement for a few more days, and checked the bottle carbonation. When it was at a level that I liked, I moved all the bottles to the fridge and they have stayed there.
At first, the cider didn't have much apple taste to it, and there was a high yeast flavor. After about a week in the fridge, I could see the sediment in the bottom of the bottles, and the apple flavor had increased and the yeast flavor decreased, making things much better. BTW, I love how dry it is. I used to love Strongbow, but after drinking a couple bottles of this home version, I can't stomach Strongbow, far too sweet for me.
My second batch of cider is nearing completion, (starting gravity was 1.070, and it is still dropping). So, here is where I want to verify that I'm not totally confused.
I am not going to try to bottle carbonate my next batch. Just to see which I like better. After bottling the last time, I saw the sediment that formed in the bottom of each bottle. I filter the cider into a new bottle each time I open a bottle so I don't have to worry about the sediment. Yes, I could use a glass, but I don't like the aroma from the cider, has a strong champagne aroma, and I don't care for that. Out of a bottle I don't get the smell as much and I like the flavor much better.
My question, if I age the cider in a secondary carboy, will a lot of the sediment that I see in my bottles now fall to the bottom? I have always assumed this was yeast that became the sediment. Does the cold do that? Does cold help lower the yeast flavor more quickly?
Thanks for all the info. I am also doing a batch of hard lemonade right now, and it's done fermenting, has a good flavor, just too much yeast flavor.
I did my first batch of cider following the Quick Cider instructions in the book Cider. Pour in various juices, added the Lavlin EC1118, and then wait 3 weeks and then bottled. No hydrometer readings, just went down into the basement every day (sometimes multiple times a day) to look at the cool bubbles that were coming out of the airlock. I added a tsp of sugar to each bottle, then bottled the cider, kept it in the basement for a few more days, and checked the bottle carbonation. When it was at a level that I liked, I moved all the bottles to the fridge and they have stayed there.
At first, the cider didn't have much apple taste to it, and there was a high yeast flavor. After about a week in the fridge, I could see the sediment in the bottom of the bottles, and the apple flavor had increased and the yeast flavor decreased, making things much better. BTW, I love how dry it is. I used to love Strongbow, but after drinking a couple bottles of this home version, I can't stomach Strongbow, far too sweet for me.
My second batch of cider is nearing completion, (starting gravity was 1.070, and it is still dropping). So, here is where I want to verify that I'm not totally confused.
- Aging: I can rack it to a secondary, or keep it in the primary to allow it to age. This should allow the apple flavor to increase, and the yeast flavor to go away. Length of aging time can be 1 week to 6 months, depending on personal taste.
- Rack to secondary: This might help with clearing as it will pull the cider off of the sediment (trub? lees?) at the bottom of the fermenter. Some say that this can leave a bit of an off taste.
- Cold crash: More effective on a different style of yeast than the champagne yeast. On an ale yeast, cold crashing would slow or stop the yeast.
I am not going to try to bottle carbonate my next batch. Just to see which I like better. After bottling the last time, I saw the sediment that formed in the bottom of each bottle. I filter the cider into a new bottle each time I open a bottle so I don't have to worry about the sediment. Yes, I could use a glass, but I don't like the aroma from the cider, has a strong champagne aroma, and I don't care for that. Out of a bottle I don't get the smell as much and I like the flavor much better.
My question, if I age the cider in a secondary carboy, will a lot of the sediment that I see in my bottles now fall to the bottom? I have always assumed this was yeast that became the sediment. Does the cold do that? Does cold help lower the yeast flavor more quickly?
Thanks for all the info. I am also doing a batch of hard lemonade right now, and it's done fermenting, has a good flavor, just too much yeast flavor.