First 4 batches update

With this being my first go at making anything like this I am just looking for any input, criticism, or even a hey I think you are on track. Four batches detailed below(All 1 gallon batches):

Batch A: 12/28/16 Primary Fermentation started - 1 gallon store juice, 1.5 cups white sugar, Red Star Distillers yeast

1/10/17 Hydrometer reading .9997 and rack to secondary. Bubbling in airlock stopped

Batch B: 12/28/16 Primary Fermentation started - 1 gallon store juice, 1.5 cups honey, 1.5 tsp yeast nutrient, Red Star Distillers yeast

1/10/17 Hydrometer reading 1.02, racked to secondary, Bubbling in airlock stopped

Batch C: 1/5/17 Primary Fermentation started - 1 gallon store juice, 1.5 tsp yeast nutrient, Lalvin EC-1118 yeast

1/10/17 Broke hydrometer so no reading Racked to secondary, Bubbling in airlock stopped

Batch D: 1/4/17 Primary Fermentation started - 1 gallon non pasteurized cider, 1.5 cups brown sugar, yeast nutrient, Lalvin EC-1118 yeast

1/10/17 Racked to secondary. Bubbling in airlock stopped. No hydrometer reading as I broke it trying to measure batch C.

Questions......

1) Planning on leaving in secondary until this weekend so about 3.5-4 days. Should I let Batch B with the honey age in secondary for longer(like months)?

2) I want to flavor a batch with cherry, any suggestions on what to use? Link to Amazon product you have had success with?

3) I want to sweeten one up that is a little tart right now. Should I do this at bottling with a little store bought juice? Maybe frozen concentrate?

4) I would like to bottle carb since these are small batches and do not have a keg setup yet, though it is coming soon. Just add a little sugar to the bottle and then pasteurize when I get the carbonation level I want?

Any thing I'm missing? Any other commets?

Thanks in advance!

Best,

Bruno

I'm pretty new to cidermaking myself, but with a one week primary, you're going to want to let the ciders age in secondary for more than just 3-4 days. Depending on your yeast they might not be finished until they're well under 1.000.

From what I've ready you want to let the fermentation finish and bottle carb by adding a little priming sugar. Bottling as early as you plan to may result in exploding bottles.

I let my first batch (a 5 gal. batch) go in primary for 6 weeks and plan to leave it in secondary for about 2 months, then bottle condition for at least 2 months more, but many recommend 6mo-1yr min for bottle conditioning.

Thanks, Kyle. I have heard and read many of the same things. Then.....I read a lot about shorter aged recipes. I am not in any real hurry as all of my hobbies tend to lean to the be patient and wait side. I do like the dry aged idea, especially for my tastes. My girlfriend likes things a little on the sweeter side and my thinking was that the shorter time would keep the cider from going too dry. My airlocks all stopped which is what leads me to believe that the fermentation has stopped on them. Trial and error will likely be my friend here and with four batches I can definitely leave a couple longer and try to sweeten on up a little quicker and just see what happens. As far as bottle bombs go, I am planning to stove top pasteurize as presented on this site, so hopefully I do not have to deal with bottle bombs. Thanks for the response.


Best,
Bruno

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=265986

This is a thread to a 5 day cider recipe that only ferments for 2-3 days. Hoping to keep it a little less dry for the misses.

No worries then, the stovetop pasteurization should take care of the concerns I mentioned. Ferment away and let us know how they turn out!

I've considered trying a faster batch as well but my wife and I both prefer dry cider. I picked up a few gallon jugs, maybe I'll do some experimenting...

Forget about time schedules and numbers, taste your cider and see if, you like it. If it tastes good, go ahead and drink it and make some more.
I noticed you didn't take any original gravity readings? If you get your OG, you can then determine what your ABV is.
If the taste doesn't suit you, aging the cider is usually the best option.
Some off flavors will age out, some won't. It takes some experience to figure out what you like/dislike and then figure out what to do.
The usual complaints are that the cider is too dry or too acidic/tart, or that there is a yeast flavor/aftertaste.
Since you are making small amounts, you can "blend in the glass" as you drink it, or mix up small amounts that you will drink within a week or so. I usually make up 1.5 Liter bottles of back sweetened cider and then keep them in the refrigerator so the yeast doesn't re-start. I use Cherry/Apple frozen juice concentrate to back sweeten some of my cider. It comes in 355ml containers, so I put half of that, about 175ml in a 1.5L wine bottle and add the cider. That comes out about right for my taste, you can add more or less depending on what you like.
I usually don't add any extra sugar, but sometimes I do and that higher ABV cider can be blended with store bought carbonated flavored drinks to have a "carbonated" cider. You can get 2 liters of store brand soda for less than a dollar and you can get all kinds of flavors.
If you want to experiment with bottling, that's ok, but use one of the on line priming sugar calculators to determine how much sugar to add to the batch, not the individual bottle.
The method I use is simply boil a cup or so water to sanitize the water and the pot, maybe start with 2 cups because it will evaporate fast, then turn the heat off and add your measured sugar. I then let this cool somewhat, dump in the sanitized bottling bucket and add the cider.
I submerge the cleaned bottles in a bucket of star san, dump the star san out and immediately fill and cap. Then put the bottles in a warm place for a couple of weeks or more to carb up,
For small amounts of less than a gallon, this seems like a total PITA and not worth the set up time involved, but you'll have to experience that yourself.

I agree small batches <1 gallon can be a lot of extra work, and I have used 1 gallon batches many times when experimenting with different flavors or adjuncts. If I have a batch I don't like I am a lot less sad about dumping 1 gallon than I am dumping a 6 gallon batch. I make a lot of applejack and if the cider doesn't taste good at regular strength, it will certainly not taste good when freeze concentrated.

I have some 5 gallon glass carboys and 6.5 gallon plastic fermentation buckets. I wanted to "play" with these one gallon batches before going bigger. I will likely start some bigger batches this weekend. I have a couple of 4 gallon plastic water bottles to rack my 5 gallon carboys in to after primary. Thanks for the feedback!

Madscientist451 wrote

If you want to experiment with bottling, that's ok, but use one of the on line priming sugar calculators to determine how much sugar to add to the batch, not the individual bottle.
The method I use is simply boil a cup or so water to sanitize the water and the pot, maybe start with 2 cups because it will evaporate fast, then turn the heat off and add your measured sugar. I then let this cool somewhat, dump in the sanitized bottling bucket and add the cider.
I submerge the cleaned bottles in a bucket of star san, dump the star san out and immediately fill and cap. Then put the bottles in a warm place for a couple of weeks or more to carb up,
For small amounts of less than a gallon, this seems like a total PITA and not worth the set up time involved, but you'll have to experience that yourself.

Click to expand...

Planning on some Cider in the fall (made my wife a whizbang cider press for christmas!), and Ive found that you comment quite a bit about Cider. Can you elaborate on your bottle carbing? You are using a standard brewing carb calculator? What Vols do you shoot for? Do I need to ferment out to bottle?

We are drier to dry cider folks, and like some carbonation. Im also a bottler, and really dont want to go the the Keg.

2Trout

Cider carbs just like beer, the same priming sugar calculators work OK. Anywhere from 2 to 3 volumes depending on your tastes. 2.5 works for me.

One 12oz can of FAJC will lightly carbonate a 5 gallon batch after originally being fermented out dry. I agree with the above poster; calculate the same priming as for beer.