starting first cider tomorrow

should I just pitch 1 gram of yeast into the gallon jug of pasteurized cider and sit the stopper on top with the airlock? I have red star premeir cuvee yeast on hand.

You can just put the whole pack in.

Psychobilly451 said:

should I just pitch 1 gram of yeast into the gallon jug of pasteurized cider and sit the stopper on top with the airlock? I have red star premeir cuvee yeast on hand.

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Shake the juice well to aerate it.

Follow the directions on the pack to hydrate it and pitch it all in. The opened packet won't keep longer than a month in the fridge.

Fix the stopper and airlock.

If you're planing on another batch when this is done just put the new juice on the old yeast cake.

Yep, works like a champ. If you're using ale yeast, pour a little out to give some headspace. (You don't need as much space as I have here though. This is headspace plus some sampling) Cheers!

I started it today. SG was 1.059 so if my info is right I should be at around 7% alcohol when it finishes. I shook up the cider to aerate it. Its been a little over an hour and when I went to look it bubbled. Wish me luck!

I am also curious if I can use the yeast cake when this is done to try hard lemonade but in a 6.5 gallon bucket. Will the yeast cake from a gallon of cider be enough to start a big bucket of lemonade?

Psychobilly451 said:

I am also curious if I can use the yeast cake when this is done to try hard lemonade but in a 6.5 gallon bucket. Will the yeast cake from a gallon of cider be enough to start a big bucket of lemonade?

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It should be fine, I plan on doing just the same for some Skeeter Pee.

Thanks cyberlord, now I just have to settle on a hard lemonade recipe!

Check out Daze's recipes. He has a scaled down, easier-to-work-with version of skeeter pee that comes out at 6ish abv instead of 10. I've had good luck with it.