Labradork
Active Member
So...
I did my first batch of cider today, roughly following the recipe for "Johnny Jump-Up". The recipe calls for 6 gallons of store-bought cider, 12 cups of sugar (6 white and 6 dark), 3 tsp. tannin, 6 tsp pectic enzyme, 10 tsp tartaric acid and 6 tsp yeast nutrient added. The recipe also called for a can of frozen Welches grape juice mix, but I subbed it out for 2 cans of frozen apple juice. The yeast used was a Red Star Premier Cuvee' and my OG was 1.085.
My hope is to split this batch into 5-7 smaller bottles which will each get flavored differently. I am thinking about using ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, maybe some fruits, honey...not all sure yet. Some I willl pasteurize sooner, some I will let get more dry, some I will prime and carbonate, others may stay still. I plan to experiment. I may end up back sweetening some if they come out too dry. Again, this is my first attempt at cider, and only my 3rd attempt at brewing at all, so any help I could get with my questions would be very much appreciated.
My questions:
Should I be keeping the cider in the dark, as I do beer?
What would be the ideal temperature to ferment this stuff? The yeast is good from 45-95 degrees or so, but what would be the best temp to get the best result?
What sort of time scale should I be looking at here? When would be a good time to split this into the 3-4 quart bottles and flavor it? I can use the smaller jugs as secondary fermenters, I have enough airlocks and such. How long until this should be drinkable?
I may have inadvertantly poured in way too much yeast nutrient (not sure, it may have been 8-9 tsp instead of the 6 called for). Will that be a problem?
Anything in particular I should look out for or make a point of doing?
Thank you all in advance for any guidance you can give me.
Labradork
I did my first batch of cider today, roughly following the recipe for "Johnny Jump-Up". The recipe calls for 6 gallons of store-bought cider, 12 cups of sugar (6 white and 6 dark), 3 tsp. tannin, 6 tsp pectic enzyme, 10 tsp tartaric acid and 6 tsp yeast nutrient added. The recipe also called for a can of frozen Welches grape juice mix, but I subbed it out for 2 cans of frozen apple juice. The yeast used was a Red Star Premier Cuvee' and my OG was 1.085.
My hope is to split this batch into 5-7 smaller bottles which will each get flavored differently. I am thinking about using ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, maybe some fruits, honey...not all sure yet. Some I willl pasteurize sooner, some I will let get more dry, some I will prime and carbonate, others may stay still. I plan to experiment. I may end up back sweetening some if they come out too dry. Again, this is my first attempt at cider, and only my 3rd attempt at brewing at all, so any help I could get with my questions would be very much appreciated.
My questions:
Should I be keeping the cider in the dark, as I do beer?
What would be the ideal temperature to ferment this stuff? The yeast is good from 45-95 degrees or so, but what would be the best temp to get the best result?
What sort of time scale should I be looking at here? When would be a good time to split this into the 3-4 quart bottles and flavor it? I can use the smaller jugs as secondary fermenters, I have enough airlocks and such. How long until this should be drinkable?
I may have inadvertantly poured in way too much yeast nutrient (not sure, it may have been 8-9 tsp instead of the 6 called for). Will that be a problem?
Anything in particular I should look out for or make a point of doing?
Thank you all in advance for any guidance you can give me.
Labradork