Four gallons in and I maybe hooked on this...

Greetings!
Colorado native here, been in Alaska now for nearly a baker's dozen...and boy is there more to me than that!...and please consider this at least my first attempt as my introduction to you all!
Anyway, about a week ago, a dear and sweet friend emailed me this:
http://readymademag.com/applecider
And I thought to myself, "Why in the hell aren't I doing this?!"
I have brewed some tasty ambers, a lovely rye and some sweet and warming porters and stouts in the past and have the gear kicking around, unused for the last few years (don't hate me for this),...

"Why in the hell aren't I making cider?! I love cider. What in the hell am I doing with my life?"

I know I just said it was the teaser from my friend that got me started on this the other day but the fire under my arse was also lit when I walked down the isle at the "local market" (the smaller of the two mega-Fred Meyers here) and saw the last two one gallon glass jugs of apple cider on the bottom shelf. I swooped in and picked them up. I got them home, dusted off the brew-gear, and got to work.
Bubbling away now is just over 2 gallons of the organic cider, married with three Granny Smith, one Braeburn and two Bartlett pears, all mashed up with some cinnamon and nutmeg, some choice honey and organic evaporated cane sugar...I didn't screen the solids. Impatience and the lack of any cheese cloth or nylon stockings, I figured I would deal with it later.

So after spending too many hours sitting in front of the glowing screen last night wondering...if the ale yeast I used was okay, or if I screwed up not filtering, or if I should or needed to plan on a secondary fermentation, or to find out how long I let it age, etc...I've soaked in a wee bit of the wealth of information on the web, and on this site alone!, and have learned a few things and got excited to do more. Today, I decided to make two, one gallon (courtesy of the empties from the first batch) somethings.
I picked up some (clearer) apple juice from the warehouse store this morning (I hate going there) and came home to get'er going. Oh, and I went into the the local liquor store that is our HBS (Home Brew Shelves) and got a few different yeasts.
It's been too long for my failing memory to recall the yeast education that I'd once had, and considering the variety (using the term fairly lightly) available at the HBS, I simply grabbed a few different packets with which to play around.
Did any of these yeasts I get today sound at all familiar with the strains I read about last night? No. Well, that's not entirely true,...they did have a few Red Star brand packets and I did get a few of those...that's as close to as I could get.
I put a little water on the stove with some of my favourite BC honey (from Honey Bob in Lillooet!) and set it to dissolve. As it heated up, I added a pinch of nutmeg, a drop or two of vanilla and some ginger...two pinches or so. Followed by that, I poured the apple juice that would make up the two gallons.
Not sure that I needed to but I warmed it all up to a slow, roll boil and took it out to cool. Once at temperature, I pulled the required amount out for the SG (1.042) and to start the yeasts.
What I decided to do was to use the same juice mixture for each of the two gallons but to use two different yeasts. For stuff and giggles, I've chosen to use the Red Star Pasteur Champagne for one gallon and the Munton's Active Brew Yeast for the other. Okay, okay,...I also threw a little triple sec in with the Munton's...it was just sitting there and it smelled good. So there's that other little difference between the two.
They are both in the back room now and are beginning to foam away.

I've picked up another 6 gallon carboy to hold the second fermentation, thus freeing up the primary for another batch!

So, there you have it...and I'm distracted by the Rockies and the World Series...

I welcome any advice or comments. Too, I'll try to remember to stumble back to the keyboard to report my success as soon as I begin to sample.

Cheers all!



---dwb

wow... a hell of a first post... LOL

OK, firstly, if they're already taken off, gratz... now you won't need to post a 'what did I do wrong' post... :rockin:

Champagne and Munton's are both good yeasts, I use the champagne for the higher gravity stuff (mead, etc.), and I think there are a good number of people that use munton's for just about anything. From what I've read, it's a good all around yeast. Not sure about the triple sec, it may throw off fermentation a little depending on how much you used (yeast stop working at a certain ABV).

If you are using 1 gallon bottles for fermenting 1 gallon batches, you won't want to use a 6 gallon as a secondary, that much headspace is just begging for problems (read: infections or vinegar). I'd recommend racking them into other 1 gallon containers, or racking them into something that can hold them, washing those 1 gallon bottles real quick, and racking them back into those...

Also, you don't want to boil apple juice before fermentation, as it will release all the tannins, and you'll have a hard time getting the stuff to clear in the end. I hope the juice you used was 100% pure apple juice, without any preservatives...

Bottom line... Welcome to HBT, and RDWHAHB...

Thanks for the quick reply mate!

I have 2.5 gallons in the 6 gal. bucket and was planning to move that to the 6 glass but, duh, are you ever right! I may need to rethink that and find a 3 gallon carboy.
The two one gallons are perking away. No frothy head has formed but they are active and I can see movement in there. I was a little worried about adding the triple sec as well but it assured me it would behave itself in there and not bully the yeasties. So far so good.

With the cider...and since I didn't filter the first 2.5 gallons...when is it advisable to move it to a secondary (and screen for the big stuff then?)? I would be appreciate some feedback on that. I'm specifically wondering about this first batch, considering the volume to space ratio and all the meat that's there. Suggestions?

No worries that the two one gallons aren't foamin' is there? Plenty of movement and bubblin', just no yeasty head...yet, at least.

Oh yea! And yes, I did use 100% juice with only the vit. C added. What else...?

If yer first batch is on sitting on the pulp, then 2 weeks or a month should be ok, then just rack as usual... so long as you have a sediment tip on your racking cane, you should be OK and not need to filter... if anything, you'll want to rack in another month from secondary to bulk storage... Cider really changes when given a few months in bulk storage, and with the honey, you may need it... just be careful of that headspace...

For my New England Hard Cider (fresh pressed cider, sitting on some pulp, with just one packet of Cote de Blancs and no additives or extra sugar), I racked to secondary after 1 month, then racked again after 1 month, and it is in bulk aging status now, hopefully I will be able to let it sit for a good 3 or 6 months before bottling...

As for your two 1g batches, give them a day or two to really take off...

Feel free to ask anymore questions you have, we're all here to help each other...

So you think that the 2.5 gal. in the 6 gal bucket is okay in there for 2 weeks, give or take?

That could mean I could do a 5 gal. batch tomorrow in that other carboy!!

yeah, sitting on the pulp in primary bucket for 2 weeks should be fine... some people leave their wines in completely open top tubs for the week or 2 of primary...

Welcome to the forum. I used to live in AK, and my parents, sister, and an uncle are still up there. What area do you live in?

Good Luck with your cider.