Graff - how long should I leave fruit in the secondary?

So I just bottled 2 gallons of this stuff, backsweetened it a little. Boy was it tart. I picked up some 1 gallon carboys to use for experimenting, so I have a gallon 3 gallons sitting on either 1 lb strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

I don't know anything about secondary fermentation or fruit additions so any advice would be helpful.

let it sit on the fruit for a month then rack off. i hope you added some pectic enzyme or its never going to clear.

TipsyDragon said:

let it sit on the fruit for a month then rack off. i hope you added some pectic enzyme or its never going to clear.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, I was thinking a month but I wasn't sure. I don't care about clearing at this stage of the game. Besides, I doubt it will clear anyway because I heated some of the apple juice to dissolve some of the ingredients.

I looked at my blueberry cider this morning and the blueberries looks as if they're turning stringy and fuzzy. Really strange and unlike any type of mold I've seen before.. anyone know what that might be?

I have high hopes for these brews...the fermentation room smells GREAT

psychedelic_brew said:

I doubt it will clear anyway because I heated some of the apple juice to dissolve some of the ingredients.

Click to expand...

It will clear up even though you heated it if you use pectic enzymes. My graff comes out very clear.

LightningInABottle said:

It will clear up even though you heated it if you use pectic enzymes. My graff comes out very clear.

Click to expand...

I see... I've read that ideally pectic enzyme should be added at the beginning of fermentation. I might give it a shot anyway (given the price) and because a couple of these will be gifts.

psychedelic_brew said:

I looked at my blueberry cider this morning and the blueberries looks as if they're turning stringy and fuzzy. Really strange and unlike any type of mold I've seen before.. anyone know what that might be?

Click to expand...

it is mold. yeast is a type of fungus. its normal i had the same thing with a blueberry melomel i did. they will probably float to the top and form a thick mat on the surface of the cider. just leave it be it will fall back in on its own.

so i take it there was no campden used since wild yeast was present. i was wondering if that will sour the taste of the graff?

The pectins are actually good for your digestion. Don't get rid of them if you can help it.