Busy day in the "cellar"

I've spent most of the day in the "cellar" I racked all of my fall cider from the primaries to the secondaries. I have:

6 1/2 gallons of cyser finsished dry racked onto 1 can of apple concentrate
3 gal cyser racked onto 1 lb corn sugar
3 gal cyser racked onto tbs of real vanilla extract
2 1/2 gal cyser sorbated and sulphited racked with 1/2 gal apple juice,
3 cin sticks, 1/2 tbs vanilla extract
5 gal of cider racked onto mulling spices
5 gal cider racked onto 50 atomic fireballs
5 gal cider racked onto 3 lb frozen rasberries

The cyser was 15 gal fresh pressed juice and 15 lb local honey.
The cider was 15 gal fresh pressed juice with 10 lb of beet sugar.
I'm terrible at note taking so i'm not sure of the yeast, was probably Nottingham.

Oh and just for kicks I bottled 4 gal of my wifes peach wine from last summer.

Your atomic fireball cider, do you add the fire balls prior to secondary or when you start it? I just did a red hots candy cider and added them to my initial carboy, I read somewhere that you want to add additions later, not first, but I also want it to have a kick you know.

I add them when I rack to secondary. They slowly dissolve and the sugars ferment. Add them slowly as geysers may form from the new nucleation points. I've found that backsweetening to around 1.02 brings out the flavors the best.

roadymi said:

I add them when I rack to secondary. They slowly dissolve and the sugars ferment. Add them slowly as geysers may form from the new nucleation points. I've found that backsweetening to around 1.02 brings out the flavors the best.

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Okay thanks man. I'm going to do just that. How much do you use for the 5 gallons was it? ( the fireballs)? This is my first cider, how long until you place into seconday? 15/20 days or so?

HAREEBROWNBEEST said:

Okay thanks man. I'm going to do just that. How much do you use for the 5 gallons was it? ( the fireballs)? This is my first cider, how long until you place into seconday? 15/20 days or so?

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I use 10 fireballs / gallon.

I rack when the active fermentation has finished......or when I get around to it.

roadymi said:

I use 10 fireballs / gallon.

I rack when the active fermentation has finished......or when I get around to it.

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Okay thanks.