How did it turn out? Did the second pitching of yeast get the fermentation going?
My process for cider:
- Sanitize primary, pour cider in, install airlock.
- Add 1/12 teaspoon potassium metabisulfite per gallon, stir to dissolve.
- Boil 3 cups of fruit juice (any kind without preservatives). Allow it to cool (covered) to about 70-80 degrees.
- Rehydrate yeast (per instructions on packet). Pour cooled fruit juice into sanitized gallon jug, aerate (shake), pitch rehydrated yeast and install airlock. Consider using Lavin 71B or D47 wine yeast to help preserve the apple flavor.
- Wait 24 hours for SO2 to kill bacteria and wild yeasts. This also allows the free S02 levels to drop enough to avoid harm to the chosen yeast. This also gives time for the yeast starter to get going.
- Add sugar to adjust specific gravity to desired level (1.060-1.070 for beer strength cider, 1.080-1.095 for wine strength cider).
- Add tartaric acid if needed to achieve around 4 to 5 grams/liter (acid titration kit reading of 0.4 to 0.5) depending on how tart you like your cider.
- Add pectic enzyme (per instructions on bottle, perhaps 1 teaspoon per gallon). This will reduce the chance of cloudy cider.
- Add 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient (Urea/DAP blend) per gallon.
- Optional. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of wine tannins per gallon.
- Aerate cider (shake primary, or beat with sanitized whisk, etc.) Pitch yeast starter into cider. Install air lock. Fermentation should be well underway in 6-8 hours.
- Rack to sanitized secondary after about 5-7 days.
- Rack to bottling bucket when fermentation is complete. For sparkling cider use beer bottles and add carbonation sugar as desired (about 1 ounce per gallon), bottle and cap (I use beer bottles). If a sweet cider is desired, consider using artificial sweetener to taste before adding carbonation sugar. For still dry cider, just bottle. For still or sparkling cider sweetened with real sugar you will need additional steps not described here.
- Ready to drink in a 3-4 weeks, but will continue to improve for a year or more.