Cider clarity

How do I get my cider to clear out? It's fermented out completely, just cloudy...

usually, leave it in the keezer for about a month does the trick.

motobrewer said:

usually, leave it in the keezer for about a month does the trick.

Click to expand...

Yeah I thought so, but that would require me racking off into smaller containers because I don't have a deep freeze... Just an upright. I hate the thought of 5 gallon jugs of cider in my freezer lol no room for anything else

Keezer and freezer is not the same thing. Motobrewer was suggesting you refrigerate, not freeze, the cider to speed up clearing. You can leave it at room temp, but it tends to take longer. There are clarification aids that will speed things up if you are really impatient.

GinKings said:

Keezer and freezer is not the same thing. Motobrewer was suggesting you refrigerate, not freeze, the cider to speed up clearing. You can leave it at room temp, but it tends to take longer. There are clarification aids that will speed things up if you are really impatient.

Click to expand...

Yeah I found that out after I looked up keezer... I thought it was a typo when I responded.

It's just been sitting in the secondary for 3 months and is still not clear and there is still slight fermentation I guess. The airlock still bubbles occasionally.

Maybe I'll just set it outside. It's gonna be cool enough I think... I'd rather not add anything to it though.

It also depends on what is causing the cloudy-ness....

If it's pectin haze - then chilling it will help, but it won't ever clear perfectly clear without pectic enzyme....

If it's just yeast haze - let it sit....

Either way - letting it sit in the fridge will help, but may not cure it for Pectin...

It was a 6 gal batch with 4# brown sugar. Used wyeast cider yeast.

Racked off 3 gal and sorbed for sweet still cider and let the other three ferm out. It's been sitting for about 3 months bubbling about once a minute or 2.

I racked a very small bit off and froze it to a mush then thawed and it settled and cleared after thaw.

I just think there should be a better way the freezing it... Maybe I'll try setting it outside. It should hold about 40 degrees outside I think

yeah, i meant at fridge temp, 40F or so.

if it's been 3 months it's probably as clear as it'll be.

motobrewer said:

yeah, i meant at fridge temp, 40F or so.

if it's been 3 months it's probably as clear as it'll be.

Click to expand...

Ew I don't like that at all. Like I said, I put a little in a bowl and froze it (trying to make apple jack... Fail) but when it thawed, the top was crystal, and the sed was hovering around the bottom.

That being said, would chilling work? Or should I just bottle and let age for a while?

Might also depend on the apple cider used, some are more clear to begin with.

it's been sitting at room temp for 3mo?

put it in a 40F environment for at least a month and check again.

and, stop freezing it.

Yeah its been at 68 since November 2nd.

Oh gosh I didn't freeze the whole thing!! Just a small bit. I fail at applejack or whatever. Lol

I'll set it outside. I live in PA so the temps are about right, right now.

See.. You have way too many things going on all at once and are mixing them all up without a plan.....

Decide what you want to do.... Then - come up with a plan to do it...

If you want it to clear - Figure out what sort of haze you have and deal with that....

If it's Pectin haze (Cloudy cider from cloudy juice) - then the only thing that will clear that is Pectic enzyme... No matter how many times you rack or curse at it or whatever... Pectic enzyme is the key...

If it's yeast haze - then rack it off good and let it sit A WHILE... If you want it to not turn to vinegar while it sits - you will need to add Sulphite (Campden tablets)... You will see stuff slowly settling to the bottom... DON'T shake it or stir it.. just let it be.... When you see a layer of junk on the bottom - rack it off carefully again. Add more sulphite every 2 rackings to maintain the protection from infections. Patience is your friend... The longer you leave it be - the better it will clear....

If nothing is settling out after you let it be a LONG time - then it's pectin haze... Either get some pectic enzyme or decide you don't care about that and drink it.

Now..

Once it's cleared real good - you can try Jacking it....
Pour some in a bowl and freeze it ONLY till a sheet of ice crystals start forming on the top... Not till it's a solid lump.... Scoop off the ice crystals and freeze again till some more ice crystals form on the top... Lather, rinse, repeat.

Now... Remember that your goal is to remove WATER, but as little of everything else as possible... You are concentrating everything else - for better or worse... You are concentrating everything that tastes icky and bad as well as everything that tastes good too.. and all the sediment, pectin, and trash....

What you will find is that Pectin will react with the Alcohol and the cold - and you will get these little gummy pectin blobs sinking to the bottom.... While it's ice cold and still liquid - you can rack that clumpy mess off and get rid of some of it there.... but you will loose more cider this way too....

This is why it's not worthwhile to do it on any but your BEST quality cider - It takes forever and you magnify all the icky, off, horrible flavors that were there before....

Thanks

You are incredible! Thank you do much!!!