Hey Cider Makers,
After a bit of experience with beer making, I've decided to try my hand at cider.
I don't have any kegging equipment (I bottle condition all of my beers, and actually prefer/enjoy it this way - unlike many, I find the bottling process very cathartic), and while I appreciate a dry cider, I didn't want something that was going to taste like prison hooch for the first year. After researching options, I settled on a slightly modified, halved batch of the famous Graff recipe:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-malty-slightly-hopped-cider-117117/
Here's my variation (~2.5 gallon batch):
.4lb of Crystal 90L (steeped)
1 oz torrified wheat (steeped)
2 gallons of apple juice
.5 gallons of water
1 lb extra light DME
0.25 oz of US Cascade @~4.5AAU
Wyeast 4766 - http://www.wyeastlab.com/he_c_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=62
The original gravity was just above 1.060. After two months and two weeks at a steady 68dF, the gravity has arrived at 1.006. The cider is very clear (much more so than any beer I've ever produced), and shows zero signs of activity.
It smells quite alcoholic, but it tastes *fantastic* - perfectly dry, and a very slight hint of sweetness. However, I'd like to carb it up just a bit (not sparkling, just a fizz).
If I want to bottle this, is it safe at this gravity, or should I wait it out for further fermentation? I've read that ciders can generally ferment down to below 1.000, but a notable portion of my recipe is *not* apple juice, but extract, so I'm curious if I should expect much more progress past 1.006.
If I decide to bottle, should I add any priming sugar (how much for a 2.5 gallon batch), or just let it carbonate slowly over time with whatever residual sugar remains? I've read horror stories of bottle bombs with cider, but they generally seem to be caused by people who attempt to bottle *sweet* cider that has not fully fermented. I've also read plenty of people that have had good experiences bottling at final gravities several points higher than mine.
Please offer your advice, and help me not blow my hand(s) off.
After a bit of experience with beer making, I've decided to try my hand at cider.
I don't have any kegging equipment (I bottle condition all of my beers, and actually prefer/enjoy it this way - unlike many, I find the bottling process very cathartic), and while I appreciate a dry cider, I didn't want something that was going to taste like prison hooch for the first year. After researching options, I settled on a slightly modified, halved batch of the famous Graff recipe:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-malty-slightly-hopped-cider-117117/
Here's my variation (~2.5 gallon batch):
.4lb of Crystal 90L (steeped)
1 oz torrified wheat (steeped)
2 gallons of apple juice
.5 gallons of water
1 lb extra light DME
0.25 oz of US Cascade @~4.5AAU
Wyeast 4766 - http://www.wyeastlab.com/he_c_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=62
The original gravity was just above 1.060. After two months and two weeks at a steady 68dF, the gravity has arrived at 1.006. The cider is very clear (much more so than any beer I've ever produced), and shows zero signs of activity.
It smells quite alcoholic, but it tastes *fantastic* - perfectly dry, and a very slight hint of sweetness. However, I'd like to carb it up just a bit (not sparkling, just a fizz).
If I want to bottle this, is it safe at this gravity, or should I wait it out for further fermentation? I've read that ciders can generally ferment down to below 1.000, but a notable portion of my recipe is *not* apple juice, but extract, so I'm curious if I should expect much more progress past 1.006.
If I decide to bottle, should I add any priming sugar (how much for a 2.5 gallon batch), or just let it carbonate slowly over time with whatever residual sugar remains? I've read horror stories of bottle bombs with cider, but they generally seem to be caused by people who attempt to bottle *sweet* cider that has not fully fermented. I've also read plenty of people that have had good experiences bottling at final gravities several points higher than mine.
Please offer your advice, and help me not blow my hand(s) off.
