Double Checking

Hey Guys,
I'm new here and new to making cider. I want to double check and make sure my steps are right and that I have the correct ingredients:
5lbs white sugar
2 1/2 oz. Acid Blend
5 Camden Tablets (Crushed)
5 tsp. Yeast Nutrient
2 1/2 Tsp. Pectic Enzyme
1 tsp. Grape Tannin
1 Pack Champagne Yeast

1.Mix sugar in 1 gal. Cider in a pot on the stove until sugar has dissolved.
2. Add this and the other 4 gal. to my primary vessel
3.Add chemicals and stir in

Pitch Yeast at 65 - 75

So my question is :
1.Do I add the yeast in right away or do I let the chemicals and juice sit for about 24hrs??
2.What is the diffences in Yeasts??
3. Can I add concentrate juice at the time I start the secondary.
4. How do I use this sanitizer??

I have the first time jitters

I'm not sure what all that stuff is for. I just made a batch of cider, it's sitting in the secondary right now. All I did was take five gallons of apple juice, put five campden tablets in, and put yeast in 24 hours later. Where did you get that recipe? That's a lot of fermentables my friend, apple juice already has a lot of sugar in it...so if you go that route be prepared for it to knock you on your ass. :cross: And usually people don't like to use white bakers sugar because it can add some strange flavors - if you must, use corn sugar. Some people like to use honey in their cider for more fermentables.

Is your apple juice pasteurized or not? If it isn't, be careful boiling. The pectins will congeal. I guess this is what the enzyme is for, but I've never used it before.

1) Campden tablets are used to kill wild yeast. I don't think you need to crush them, they will dissolve on their own. For this purpose you add one per gallon and let it sit for 24 hours before adding your yeast.

2.) A champagne yeast will ferment completely leaving you with a very dry, almost wine-like cider. An ale yeast will make for a bit sweeter cider.

3.) There are two reasons to add concentrate. One is for extra fermentables, which will boost the ABV%. If this is what you want, put it in the primary. The other reason is to sweeten it up. If you go this route, you will want to kill your yeast off with campden tablets before adding it. You also won't be able to carbonate it in bottles if you go this way.

4.) What sanitizer do you have? Basically make a bucket of it and coat everything that comes in contact with it for however long the directions say. That includes the primary fermenter and the fermenters lid. I have a 5 gal bucket I like to fill with it, and sanitize anything that comes into contact with my brew.

White sugar is fine in cider - you won't get any off flavours, it'll just increase the ABV. You'll be looking at approx 10% with that amount. You mentioned heating the 1 gal of cider just enough to dissolve the sugar, spot on - no need to boil.

1. If your cider is pasturised you don't need Campden tablets (no wild yeasts to worry about) but if it isn't you definately need to crush them unless you want to spend an age stirring to dissolve them (and that's only practical in a brew bucket not a glass carboy!).
The acid blend is usually used to balance out flavour and increase acidity to help the yeast, if it's a 'drinking juice' you've used you could add a little but i wouldn't add that much - cider is acidic anyway.
Grape tannin is used mostly in helping age wines - I use it for wines which I age for years but I've never used it in cider. You can use it but at the recipe rate of 1tsp per 5 gallon I don't think it would be of any benefit.
The acid blend, Pectin enzyme, tannin and yeast nutrient should go in at the same time as the campden and left for 24hrs before pitching. If you don't need to use campen just put it all in (including the yeast).

2. Different yeasts have different effects on ABV and flavours. Champagne styles will eat all the fermentables up and manage to still survive in higher alcohol brews. 18% ABV with champagne yeasts (if you kept adding sugar) are easy to achieve where as a simple ale yeast may struggle to reach 11% before the yeast died. The best way is to experiment and find something that suits your taste.

3. You can add concentrate then but not sure why you'd want to unless as Pariah said you wanted to increase ABV or sweeten it. Campden won't kill yeast, you'd need sorbate for that.

4. Whatever sanitizer you use just follow the instructions with it and you'll be fine.

Thank you guys. I got the recipe from a home brew shop. I am just looking to make a simple cider. I have the champagne yeast, but I am not looking to make a dry cider. I want a sweet cider. What ale yeast do you recommend?
Thank you

BrodieBrewer said:

I want a sweet cider. What ale yeast do you recommend?
Thank you

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Most ale yeasts will finish dry in cider - I use safale04 as it's a neutral tasting one and as it's dried I always have a few sachets in. If you really want a sweet version you'll either have to get some sweet cider yeast or sorbate to kill the yeast and back sweeten it

Is it alright if I put 5 gallons of unpasturized juice in a 6 - 61/2 gallon vessel? Should I be filling the pail all the way up??
I will add the yeast in 24 hours.
I have the top in the pail without the airlock in. Do I need the airlock in yet.
I thought I needed it after I add the yeast.
What happens if you add the yeast to early??

Is it possible to make the cider in a 1 gal jug?? Couldn't I just add a camden tablet and a airlock with yeast and let sit for a couple of weeks and then siphon into a secondary "milk" jug until ready.

This way you have more of an opportunity to expirement with differnt yeasts and sugars.

BrodieBrewer said:

Is it alright if I put 5 gallons of unpasturized juice in a 6 - 61/2 gallon vessel? Should I be filling the pail all the way up??
I will add the yeast in 24 hours.
I have the top in the pail without the airlock in. Do I need the airlock in yet.
I thought I needed it after I add the yeast.
What happens if you add the yeast to early??

Click to expand...

Don't fill it up! More head space in primary is good, it avoids over spills and the need to clean up. Before you pitch the yeast just make sure the top is on loosely but covered up well enough to stop anything getting in. As soon as the yeast is in put an airlock on.

BrodieBrewer said:

Is it possible to make the cider in a 1 gal jug?? Couldn't I just add a camden tablet and a airlock with yeast and let sit for a couple of weeks and then siphon into a secondary "milk" jug until ready.

This way you have more of an opportunity to expirement with differnt yeasts and sugars.

Click to expand...

This is one of the best way of experimenting - small batches with lots of control to find what you like.

Caplan said:

Most ale yeasts will finish dry in cider - I use safale04 as it's a neutral tasting one and as it's dried I always have a few sachets in. If you really want a sweet version you'll either have to get some sweet cider yeast or sorbate to kill the yeast and back sweeten it

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How much sorbate should a guy add?

so, what does campden do then?

God Emporer BillyBrew said:

How much sorbate should a guy add?

so, what does campden do then?

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You need to add about half a teaspoon of sorbate with the same of sulphite (campden) to kill yeast for sweetening.
Campden only 'suppresses' the wild yeasts on unpasturised juices and fruit so that when you pitch your own yeast it can take off with no competition.

Thanks for all of your help.
two more quick questions:
1. Could I add cinnamon sticks to my secondary
2. I would like to do a batch with berries, what would that proceedure be?

Cheers

Caplan said:

You need to add about half a teaspoon of sorbate with the same of sulphite (campden) to kill yeast for sweetening.
Campden only 'suppresses' the wild yeasts on unpasturised juices and fruit so that when you pitch your own yeast it can take off with no competition.

Click to expand...

I'm wanting to sweeten mine and add some more apple flavor with some concentrate before I keg it. So a half a tsp of sorbate and campden per gallon before I keg? And it should set 24 hours?

God Emporer BillyBrew said:

I'm wanting to sweeten mine and add some more apple flavor with some concentrate before I keg it. So a half a tsp of sorbate and campden per gallon before I keg? And it should set 24 hours?

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Sorry Billy, missed this one - add the sorbate and campden and then give it at least 24hrs (a few days wait would be better, and you could add up to 1 tsp of each per gallon to ensure the yeast has been killed) before you add the concentrate - add it and check for no airlock action after a further 24hrs. You'll have a sweeter cider you can then force carbonate by kegging.