cider clarifying attempt #4 fail...now what?

I've searched quite a bit on the forums and don't see my particular problem. Hoping to get some help...

I pressed my own cider in September. 5 gal went into carboy with US05. Early november it was still extremely cloudy since I did not use pectin enzyme. Went for the crash cool outside. A week and a half of cool temps (~0-5C) I gave up and brought it back in.
I thought I'd try a shot at adding gelatin. Went with 1 packet of Knox to 1 cup warm water. Added to carboy while still warm (carboy in low 60s in basement). After a week the top half was crystal clear, but the cloudiness seemed to stop falling. I left it for another week and still had a half cloudy half clear cider.
With colder temps outside, I thought I'd try a crash cool again. Major mistake. The carboy was so stirred up it looked like I skipped up the stairs and shook the beans out of the carboy (I thought I was careful too).
Read up about a second dose of gelatin, thought what the hay, and this time added 1 tsp to 1 cup. Added to the still cool, still outside carboy. 5 days later, still cloudy.
I'm lost. Is the cider lost? Do I bottle and let sit for a year?
Oh ya, while it's been outside, it has been protected from light in a black towel. Thanks for any input or suggestions.
Mongcong

I'm not sure that anything will really clarify pressed cider, other than running it thru a micron filter.. I think most people that have the clarified cider here start with apple juice bought from a store, like Great Value, or Motts, etc.

Unclarified hard cider tastes great too. Don't dump it!

I have to ask.. why do you want clear cider so bad? Aesthetics?

My pressed cider is clear as a bell, and I've added nothing to it. I think your mistake was just to dump a whole pack of jello in willy nilly. The idea is that there are negatively charged particles in the cider that keep bouncing off of each other like little magnets. The gelatin is positively charged, and so when you introduce just the right amount of it it bonds with the juice protiens and everything sinks down to the bottom. When you added what was WAY too much gelatin, and then repeated the process, you created the same problem but the opposite. Now there is nothing you can do but wait wait wait. You are probably going to have a fat apple jello cake at the bottom of your fermenter when your done, and you will have learned a lesson. And in the future, find a product called Sparkelloid. It works way better for cider, store bought knox jello isn't even recommended for this.

UpstateMike said:

I'm not sure that anything will really clarify pressed cider, other than running it thru a micron filter.. I think most people that have the clarified cider here start with apple juice bought from a store, like Great Value, or Motts, etc.

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Unless you're trying to make a cider in a few weeks, I have to disagree. I use fresh pressed cider for all my ciders. I usually add pectic enzyme, but have never added Sparkelloid or any other clarification aid and you can read a newspaper through them. Patience is the key. I make cider in the fall and bottle in the spring.

GinKings said:

Patience is the key. I make cider in the fall and bottle in the spring.

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This. If you need clear cider fast, go buy some Hornsby's. It doesn't even taste good sooner than 6 months or so anyway, so why rush it?

Bottlebomber, you are exaggerating. Cider tastes fine before six months. As to three OP, next time, just use pectin enzyme. Fresh pressed clears just fine, I do it all the time.

I'd say if it tastes good...just enjoy it. I'm cloudy most days, but my kids still love me.

My last cider, I racked it once a month for about 6 months until there was no lees. Cider was still cloudy. I let it sit another 6 months and very little lees. so I bottled it cloudy. Once bottled it started settling.

It is still good tasting.

Just outta curiosity and not knowing the recipe u followed...u didn't by chance boil any of the cider during preperation did you?

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rumbler said:

Just outta curiosity and not knowing the recipe u followed...u didn't by chance boil any of the cider during preparation did you?

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No, I did not boil. Pressed about 15 gal of cider, most went directly into the freezer. 5 gal went directly into carboy, dry yeast sprinkled on top. That was it.

Today, I tasted it after bringing it back in. Tasted like a decent white wine with apple-iness. I will do as most suggested (thanks) and just wait patiently.