What should I use as a primary fermenter? And OG question

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tristanlaugher

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I have 70 liters of pressed apple juice sitting with campden in it. I am pinching the yeast tonight.

The question.... What should I use as my primary fermenter?

Previously for beers and wines I have just used a plastic bucket with the lid on loose. Should I do the same for the cider or should I put it in a carboy with an airlock?

Also my juice is at a 1.05-1.052 OG.
For the highest alcohol content (I imagine that should get me to around 6% maybe a little higher) I should wait for the OG to be a flat 1.00? Right? If thats what I do how long should that take with a champagne yeast?
 
tristanlaugher said:
I have 70 liters of pressed apple juice sitting with campden in it. I am pinching the yeast tonight.

The question.... What should I use as my primary fermenter?

Previously for beers and wines I have just used a plastic bucket with the lid on loose. Should I do the same for the cider or should I put it in a carboy with an airlock?

Also my juice is at a 1.05-1.052 OG.
For the highest alcohol content (I imagine that should get me to around 6% maybe a little higher) I should wait for the OG to be a flat 1.00? Right? If thats what I do how long should that take with a champagne yeast?
Click to expand...

A bucket would work fine for a primary.

Champagne yeast should take cider to .990 or so. If the yeast are happy, it wouldn't take long at all.
 
Never pinch your yeast. You'll just piss it off and ruin the mood.

You'll be needing something VERY large for 18 gallons. Many have used properly coded RubberMaid trash cans.
 
At a SG of 1.050 your looking at 6.7% if you ferment out to 1.000, this will be a very dry tasting Cider so you may wish to sweeten after fermentation.

Depending on your end type of cider would depend on whether to airlock or not, If you want very traditional farmhouse cider 'rough stuff' IMHO then don't airlock and you will get something which is a cross between vinegar and cider.

I recommend you airlock your buckets and seal down. Cider and air do not mix well, the less time they are in contact the better.

Time of fermentation will very depending on the temperature of the cider
 
I plan on running it down to about 1.00 or 1.005. Pretty much right to the bottom.

I am not going with the vinegar route though so hopefully the air won't ruin it. The primary buckets have the lid on them (not clamped down) and are not being lifted except for 30 seconds to test the OG. I was under the impression that the fermentation would create enough of a CO2 layer to keep most of the air away. As soon as it gets past 1.00 I am dropping in the campden and moving it to the secondary fermenter.
 

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