I'm new and I need some help

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nlg

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Hello,
I'm new and I need some help. I want to make hard cider that is sweet and fizzy but I don't know what recipe to use. I've been searching but there are so many I don't know how to decide. I've never done this before so I need something simple and easy to understand, but by 'simple' I don't want to sacrifice quality(as was the case with the original recipe I found telling me to use the apple juice listed below). Here is what I have (let me know if I need anything else).
•1 gal Old Orchard Organics 100% Apple Juice Pasteurized
•1 gal Trader Joe's 100% Apple Cider No preservatives Pasteurized
•5 gal glass jug
•1 -5 g packet of Lalvin wine yeast Selection ICV D47 Saccharomices cerevisiae 4.5 -23 L (1-5 IMP. Gal/ 1-6 U.S. Gal)
Thank you for your help
Nicole
 
You will need some Corn sugar and you should be good google a hard cider recipes and pick your favorite good luck!:)
 
Oh and you will need an airlock and more apple juice to fill you 5 gallons my first attempt turned out amazing and its currently aging for a few months. you could also pick up some cinnamon sticks and a micky of vodka soak a stickin vodka before you throw it in your cider.
 
nlg said:
Hello,
I'm new and I need some help. I want to make hard cider that is sweet and fizzy but I don't know what recipe to use. I've been searching but there are so many I don't know how to decide. I've never done this before so I need something simple and easy to understand, but by 'simple' I don't want to sacrifice quality(as was the case with the original recipe I found telling me to use the apple juice listed below). Here is what I have (let me know if I need anything else).
•1 gal Old Orchard Organics 100% Apple Juice Pasteurized
•1 gal Trader Joe's 100% Apple Cider No preservatives Pasteurized
•5 gal glass jug
•1 -5 g packet of Lalvin wine yeast Selection ICV D47 Saccharomices cerevisiae 4.5 -23 L (1-5 IMP. Gal/ 1-6 U.S. Gal)
Thank you for your help
Nicole

If you want easy and simple lets state with this:
Looks like you have two selections of juice and if it is easy to go grab the two, great... But don't think you have to. If you can't find one or the other don't worry. Just make sure there are no preservatives.

Airlock (I like to add vodka to the lock instead of sanitizer or water; even boiled water).

You will need to make sure everything is clean and sanitized.

Definitely youtube a few videos on "make hard cider" or "hard cider" and you'll get the hang of it fast.
 
I would suggest that you try just putting a few grams of yeast into one of the original containers. 2 gallons in a 5 gallon jug might be stretching it. This probably won't give you fizzy, but it will give you a starting point for how to scale up.

Dump out about a cup of the juice...then put 3 or so grams of yeast right into the original container and put the cap on loosely. Make sure to check it each day to see if it's building too much pressure. The cap should allow CO2 to be released, but not let air in. You can also put a balloon on top of the container with a small pin hole in it. (homemade airlock)

Give it two weeks to ferment and then transfer it to a clean container and pop it in the fridge. You'll probably need to consume it within a few days. It's nothing fancy, but you'll be able to tell if you like cider making or not. If you can keep the temps around 60-62ºF you should end up with a semi-sweet cider...if it's warm, it might ferment all the way 'dry'.

The most important thing to remember is to sanitize anything that would come in contact with your cider.
 
What i did for my homemade airlock was took a some plastic tubes and attach a lid on the carboy with a small hole in it put on end of the tube in there make sure its airtight the other wnd put into a small bottle with water and vodka and a hole in he lid ill attach pics

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burshaw said:
What i did for my homemade airlock was took a some plastic tubes and attach a lid on the carboy with a small hole in it put on end of the tube in there make sure its airtight the other wnd put into a small bottle with water and vodka and a hole in he lid ill attach pics

Sounds like a project? My airlock was $1.50, Won't this be a little easier to just buy one?
(I forget, not all of us have a homebrew store in their town maybe it's a question of getting airlock quick?)
 
Thats my problem closest store is about an hour drive it was free for me to make and worked fantastic so why not
 
I do however plan on getting one for my next brew in a few months its just a pain in the ass to get into town
 
burshaw said:
Thats my problem closest store is about an hour drive it was free for me to make and worked fantastic so why not

Yes, I figured that was probably the problem.
It did look like a great job however!
 
Thanks man i wasnt to sure what i was gonna do i heard about the balloon airlock but that it also made your cider taste like rubber so i figured this is the same idea as a store bought airlock just more stretched out i mean it worked perfect my wife says shes never gonna buy alcohol again because my cider tasted so good
 
You basically created a homemade blowoff tube. ;) That's fermentation ingenuity at it's best right there.
 
Someone suggested searching for Aphelwine and this is the recipe that I got:

Ingredients

5 Gallons 100% Apple Juice (No preservatives or additives) I use Tree Top Apple Juice
2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) in one pound bags
1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast

Equipment

5 Gallon Carboy (I use a Better Bottle)
Carboy Cap or Stopper with Airlock
Funnel
1.First sanitize the carboy, airlock, funnel, stopper or carboy cap.
2.Open one gallon bottle of apple juice and pour half of it into the carboy using the funnel.
3.Open one bag of Dextrose and carefully add it to the now half full bottle of apple juice. Shake well.
4.Repeat Steps 2 and 3, then go to step 5.
5.Pour in the mixture of Apple Juice and Dextrose from both bottles into the carboy.
6.Add all but 1 quart of remaining 3 gallons of apple juice to the carboy.
7.Open the packet of Montrachet Yeast and pour it into the neck of the funnel.
8.Use the remaining quart of juice to wash down any yeast that sticks. I am able to fit all but 3 ounces of apple juice into a 5 gallon Better Bottle. You may need to be patient to let the foam die down from all shaking and pouring.
9.Put your stopper or carboy cap on with an airlock and fill the airlock with cheap vodka. No bacteria will live in vodka and if you get suckback, you just boosted the abv.
What do you think?

Also do I use apple juice or apple cider? Can I mix them and use both?

And Can I reduce the recipe? Like instead of 5 gals use 2.5 gal?

Thanks
Nicole
 
if you truely want a sweet and fizzy cider then sugar cider and apple juice will work but i wouldn't use that yeast it will finish too dry and you'll end up with apple wine! unless you stop the fermentation by pasteurizing early.. check out this thread for one like your wanting i think it would work perfectly

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/5-day-sweet-country-cider-265986/
 
I tried Ed Wort's apfelwein recipe but despite aging for a year (and tasting as it went along) I never found it particularly appetizing. I'm not sure I understand why everyone wants to add sugar to bump the alcohol of their cider. Well, I guess I do, but I'm not drinking it to get drunk. The recipe I use requires no extra sugar and ends up at about 5.5% abv. It tastes great and is super simple. I have had luck with nottingham, us-05, and s-04 but have used s-04 for the last 4 batches or so. Leaves a tad more sugar than the others.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/sams-choice-sparkling-cider-99923/
 
nlg said:
Also do I use apple juice or apple cider? Can I mix them and use both?

And Can I reduce the recipe? Like instead of 5 gals use 2.5 gal?

Thanks
Nicole

Yes, you can use either, or mix them. It will taste a little different, but as long as it has no preservatives, you'll be fine.
You can reduce the recipe, but you'll need a smaller bottle. You want some 'headspace' in the bottle, but too much could possibly allow oxygen into the mix at the wrong time, turning your hard cider into vinegar.
 
I would suggest that you try just putting a few grams of yeast into one of the original containers. 2 gallons in a 5 gallon jug might be stretching it. This probably won't give you fizzy, but it will give you a starting point for how to scale up.

Dump out about a cup of the juice...then put 3 or so grams of yeast right into the original container and put the cap on loosely. Make sure to check it each day to see if it's building too much pressure. The cap should allow CO2 to be released, but not let air in. You can also put a balloon on top of the container with a small pin hole in it. (homemade airlock)

Give it two weeks to ferment and then transfer it to a clean container and pop it in the fridge. You'll probably need to consume it within a few days. It's nothing fancy, but you'll be able to tell if you like cider making or not. If you can keep the temps around 60-62ºF you should end up with a semi-sweet cider...if it's warm, it might ferment all the way 'dry'.

The most important thing to remember is to sanitize anything that would come in contact with your cider.

So I took your advise and started small, a gal of apple cider, and about 3 g of yeast. But when I bought the packet of yeast 2 weeks about I didn't store it in the refrigerater. Does that matter? and The apple cider was cold right out of the frig. Was it suppost to be room temp.? Let me know.
Nicole
 
nlg said:
So I took your advise and started small, a gal of apple cider, and about 3 g of yeast. But when I bought the packet of yeast 2 weeks about I didn't store it in the refrigerater. Does that matter? and The apple cider was cold right out of the frig. Was it suppost to be room temp.? Let me know.
Nicole

It is a little more ideal to add the yeast to cider or juice that is not that cold, But it's really not a big deal because once it warms up to room temperature the yeast will kick off.... It sounds like you're okay Nicole so don't worry.
As far as the yeast is concerned you're fine....
Give it a couple days and you'll start seeing that little airlock doing it's dance!
 
nlg said:
Ok Thanks. I guess I just have to wait now.
Nicole

Yes, The waiting game is the hardest part...
Sometimes I stare at it for hours with hopes that I can make it go faster with my mind... Lol
Just kidding
:mug:
 
I'm starting to realize why throughout history, Monks, Friars, and the lot are such good brewers: you need patients! I have none, so I had the foresight to make a few 1/2 gallon batches to sip from as the other couple gallons I have sit!

So- after 15 days I racked a few others gallons to new carboys to get em off the sediment. This morning I checked on em, and there seems to be as much sediment as before?!?! Is that more dead yeast?
 
hehawbrew said:
I'm starting to realize why throughout history, Monks, Friars, and the lot are such good brewers: you need patients! I have none, so I had the foresight to make a few 1/2 gallon batches to sip from as the other couple gallons I have sit!

So- after 15 days I racked a few others gallons to new carboys to get em off the sediment. This morning I checked on em, and there seems to be as much sediment as before?!?! Is that more dead yeast?

I don't think so think its just solids dropping out but you way wanna ask the big dogs.... Hopefully they will chime in...
 
I'm starting to realize why throughout history, Monks, Friars, and the lot are such good brewers: you need patients! I have none, so I had the foresight to make a few 1/2 gallon batches to sip from as the other couple gallons I have sit!

So- after 15 days I racked a few others gallons to new carboys to get em off the sediment. This morning I checked on em, and there seems to be as much sediment as before?!?! Is that more dead yeast?
Don't worry, it is just sediment settling out. There might be some dead yeast cells in that sediment, but if your airlock is bubbling, then you have fermentation, and therefore live yeast cells.
 
Sweet. Not a lot of activity. Maybe a bubble every two minutes or so.

Think it's safe for me to prime and bottle in a few days?
 
hehawbrew said:
Sweet. Not a lot of activity. Maybe a bubble every two minutes or so.

Think it's safe for me to prime and bottle in a few days?

Take a gravity reading for a few consecutive days, once it's leveled out, and you have hit your target fg then, yes. Otherwise, bubbles every 2 minutes or so is still fermentation. I would wait.
 
I understand where you are right now. getting into brewing is hard because it turns into an information overload very quickly. I will give you step by step instructions and hopefully that will help.

1. clean your equipment. soak anything that touches the cider in a 1/10 bleach and water solution and then rinse with plain water.
2. you can use either one of your apple juices or even both, but for the sake of simplicity lets say you are just using the trader joe's cider. pop it open and pour off about a cup of juice. don't get anything unsanitised inside the apple juice though as any bacteria in there will like it just as much as the yeast.
3. soak your yeast in a bowl with some water and a little bit of sugar for about 15 mins to get it nice and active. just use the whole packet: im assuming its about 11 grams.
4.mix in about a cup of sugar with the juice. this can be either brown or white sugar, but I would suggest just plain old whit for your first try.
5.add the yeast to your apple juice. now put the cap back on and shake it up. this mixes oxygen up into it so the yeast can breath.
6. put on your airlock. the airlock will prevent outside air with contaminants from getting in while allowing the carbon dioxide building up inside from the yeast out. you can use a storebought one which will set you back a dollar or so or you can make on like burshaw did. some people just loosen the cap enough for the gas to escape, but I wouldn't suggest this as it allows some contaminants in and this can produce a bad taste.
7. Wait. you say you want a slightly sweet cider so let it ferment for about a week and a half or until the bubbles coming out of the airlock appear to have slowed down.
8. very carefully and steadily pour your cider out into another sanitized container. be very careful not to pour any of the yeast that has gathered at the bottom into this new container. clean out and sanitize the old container, and pour the cider back in. wait a day and do this again. the purpose of this is to remove the yeast and therfore stop fermentation. you probably only need to do this twice to get most of the yeast. unless keeping the cider for more than a few days the fermentation will have pretty much stopped.
9. optional. If you want to bottle then you will have to kill the remaining yeast to prevent bottle bombs. what I have done is pour the cider into a large pot (if you dont own a pot this large I would suggest doing it in parts), and heat it up to a slightly bubbling heat. keep it there for about 10-15 minutes. let cool and then bottle!

No one should expect their very first batch to be perfect. the best thing you can do is just get started. good luck!
 
No offense but my first batch was perfect not even kidding my wife said she will never buy store bought booze agian
 
thirsty4cider said:
.
9. optional. If you want to bottle then you will have to kill the remaining yeast to prevent bottle bombs. what I have done is pour the cider into a large pot (if you dont own a pot this large I would suggest doing it in parts), and heat it up to a slightly bubbling heat. keep it there for about 10-15 minutes. let cool and then bottle!

No one should expect their very first batch to be perfect. the best thing you can do is just get started. good luck!

I think you should do this with a floating thermometer, if you get the temperature too high you kill all the alcohol and then the whole point of making your cider is over... 170F will evaporate the alcohol... I think to kill the yeast you only need to get up to 140F
 
Cold crash won't kill the yeast, it just makes it Dormant. They will wake up if you let the bottle warm up a little, and if you leave them in the fridge... Well lets just say the wife probably won't be happy with you after they blow.
 
burshaw said:
Why would they blow if thet are dormant?

Hey reactivate if the temperature gets above your cold crash temperature..... Actually, to my understanding even if you cold crash the yeast is still working just at a very very very slow rate....
I'm sure the big dogs will chime in if this is not hundred percent accurate
 
Ok. I tasted my cider today. Not sure if I like it. Maybe someone could tell me what I need to do next time. This is what I did:
I put a gallon of apple cider in a glass 1 gallon jug with about 3 grams of Lalvin D47 wine yeast. I put the air lock on and let it ferment for about 11 days. The room was around 67°. By then there weren't any bubbles in the air lock anymore. I carefully transferred the cider to another jug making sure not to pour the sediment that was on the bottom into the new jug. I put the air lock back on and let it set for one more day then transferred it once more and put it into the frig. Now I wanted something sweet and bubble but I got something else. It smells like a semi sweet wine with a little hint of yeast. It feels like a semi sweet wine in my mouth. But it has very little taste and is bland... Almost like alcoholic water lol.
What should I do next time?
 
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