Sounds perfect to me! You're jus witnessing the violent beauty of a vigorous primary fermentation
Sit back, grab some popcorn, take some photos and videos if you can. And in 10 days or so, everything will have dropped and its time to bottle!
Caramel Apple Hard Cider
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Sounds perfect to me! You're jus witnessing the violent beauty of a vigorous primary fermentation
Sit back, grab some popcorn, take some photos and videos if you can. And in 10 days or so, everything will have dropped and its time to bottle!
I am wondering when it is time to stop the yeast instead of stove top pasteurization could I possibly use cold crash my brew by putting outside. I realize that it will depend on how cool it is, but what temps does it take to crash the yeast and how long will it take? For instance, if it gets to 30 degrees at night, will that be too cold and will overnight work, or will it need to be longer?
Okay, I went ahead and looked at some other posts for cold crashing and am now more confused than I was before I started. I am going to let you guys know what I am planning on doing and you let me know if my thought process is incorrect or correct please. When my brew gets to the correct FG I was planning on bottling it and waiting until it is carbonated enough and either pasteurizing or cold crashing (which ever would be the best method) then it would be finished. Am I thinking incorrectly or what?
Cheesy_Goodness
Well-Known Member
Welcome slamer 
If you want it carbonated after it hit the FG, you will need to prime your bottles before bottling. If you want it dry, just add a priming solution to your bottling bucket and bottle as normal. If you want it sweeter, you can follow the modified recipe on page 42. When it gets to the right amount of carbonation, pasteurize and you're done!
If by "cold crashing" you mean simply refrigerating your carbonated bottles, I'd stay away from it in favor of pasteurization. Those bottles still have edible sugars for the yeast to consume. While refrigeration temps drastically slow down activity, over time you could run the risk of bottle bombs. You'll hear people say that refrigerating is fine at this stage, especially for the short term, but I'd be hesitant especially if you plan on aging your batch (HIGH:Y recommended. This stuff gets incredible with age).
Hope that helped. Good luck
If you want it carbonated after it hit the FG, you will need to prime your bottles before bottling. If you want it dry, just add a priming solution to your bottling bucket and bottle as normal. If you want it sweeter, you can follow the modified recipe on page 42. When it gets to the right amount of carbonation, pasteurize and you're done!
If by "cold crashing" you mean simply refrigerating your carbonated bottles, I'd stay away from it in favor of pasteurization. Those bottles still have edible sugars for the yeast to consume. While refrigeration temps drastically slow down activity, over time you could run the risk of bottle bombs. You'll hear people say that refrigerating is fine at this stage, especially for the short term, but I'd be hesitant especially if you plan on aging your batch (HIGH:Y recommended. This stuff gets incredible with age).
Hope that helped. Good luck
welcome slamer
If you want it carbonated after it hit the fg, you will need to prime your bottles before bottling. If you want it dry, just add a priming solution to your bottling bucket and bottle as normal. If you want it sweeter, you can follow the modified recipe on page 42. When it gets to the right amount of carbonation, pasteurize and you're done!
+1
Sounds perfect to me! You're jus witnessing the violent beauty of a vigorous primary fermentation
I love watching a vigorously fermenting carboy!!!
I agree with this advice, and as far as pasteurizing, I admire the "dishwasher method" over the "stove-top method". Having said that, I have not done the "dishwasher method", but have heard lots of success stories. I have not had good luck with the "stove-top method", so I don't do it anymore.
I do choose to chill my bottles. I have done this with 6 batches now, having used Nottingham every time and I keep the bottled cider at 38 degrees. And while I can imagine this cider ages very well, mine has never survived more than 2 months. Anything with other than Nottingham yeast or keeping longer than 2 months would be uncharted territory for me.
Duplicate post
I have slight emergency that I need someones opinion on. I checked my gravity tonight to see how close it was to bottling. Funny thing is, it is ready to bottle. I was not expecting that and do not have my caramel syrup ready and do not have the cinnamon extract for it. I was wondering how important it is to make the syrup the day before you bottle. Is there any way I can make the syrup as soon as I get home and possibly bottle later tomorrow night?
Cheesy_Goodness
Well-Known Member
+1.
What's your rush though? It can handle staying in the carboy well after it reaches FG. I've got a batch in a carboy that I started...about 3 months ago I think. This stuff gets way better with some age behind it.
Thank you for the info guys. The rush is actually that I have been so excited reading all these posts of people finishing their ciders and I have a lot of people wanting to try it. I know you said it gets better with age, but I am also at the ABV that I want (right at around 6.5%). That is good enough for me. We I stole some out of the carboy last night, it was not sweet, but the taste was good. It tasted like a dry/semi sweet apple wine. I still need to find extract today and I may make and bottle tonight and I may just make tonight and bottle tomorrow night. If I bottle tonight, my day 3 and 4 for carb time will be this weekend (as I do not want to be needing to stove top it while needing to go to work) so that is the plan.
I know you said it gets better with age, but I am also at the ABV that I want (right at around 6.5%). That is good enough for me. We I stole some out of the carboy last night, it was not sweet, but the taste was good. It tasted like a dry/semi sweet apple wine. I still need to find extract today and I may make and bottle tonight and I may just make tonight and bottle tomorrow night. If I bottle tonight, my day 3 and 4 for carb time will be this weekend (as I do not want to be needing to stove top it while needing to go to work) so that is the plan.
Cheesy_Goodness
Well-Known Member
Sounds like it might be time to get the second batch going
Sounds like it might be time to get the second batch going
I would, but I need more bottles for that.:cross:
For those that have kegged this brew, has anyone had issues of the syrup and FAJC settling over time and making the later pours sweeter than the first??
So, I bottled last night and it kind of sucked. The cider was really good (not as sweet as expected, but still good). I did a 5 gallon batch and used the syrup and 5 cans of concentrate and it was still not really as sweet as I expected, but again tastes amazing. Everything was going great until I went to start capping. I filled the bottle up and put the cap on and all but 4 ended up not going down tight (meaning I could turn the cap on the bottle), obviously this is not a good thing. I am pretty sure that my capper is not working correctly. What I ended up doing was tightly duct taping the cap to try to get it air tight. My friend from work brought his capper today and I will try to use his to tighten more so I can hopefully take the tape off. I ended up having an extra quart and pint. I chilled it and my wife and I drank the pint last night. It was great. I am not getting it tasting like apple pie, but still amazing.
Nope. Everything mixes fine, for me.
So that post from earlier I was wrong. I had the quart and pint left that I did not bottle and put in the fridge. I put the pint in the fridge last night right after I was done bottling and drank it later that night. I was expecting it to be a little sweeter. My wife and I drank the quart tonight and it was absolutely amazing. It got better over night. It got sweeter and it just tastes so much better after already tasting good last night. That is how good this recipe is. Thank you so much for this wonderful gift. Bottoms UP! 
Can you do the aging in the carboy? I was thinking it had to be aged with the syrup, thus in the bottle or keg.
The reason I'm asking is I have two 15 gallon fermenters that I acquired but haven't found a use for. I could see tripling this and forgetting about it in my basement for a few months.
BTW, 3 days to get through 198 pages. Now I can go back to being productive at work.
-----------------------------
Primary - 90 minute Citra, Carmel Apple Cider
Secondary - Mad Murphy
Bottled - Schwaggy Must
Cheesy_Goodness
Well-Known Member
The best answer there as far as I can tell is is "both"
I'd tend to age it more in bottles than carboys though. Let it ride for a month or two in the carboy then bottle with the syrup, pasteurize, and forget about it is my method.
I'd tend to age it more in bottles than carboys though. Let it ride for a month or two in the carboy then bottle with the syrup, pasteurize, and forget about it is my method.
It's been a while since I've made this one. Had one in the fermenter for 4 weeks. Between the juice and the dextrose, hit 1.060 and then 1.000 for 8%. Super clear.
Up to now I have always used the carmel syrup recipe verbatim. Today I used the following due to a lack of ingredients and a wish to change based on some other posts:
1.25 cup of Brown Sugar
.75 cup of Dark Brown Sugar
2 cups water
^ this was my "priming solution"
Added 2 cans of FAJC with -
.5 cup of Fireball whiskey
.25 cup of Pure vanilla extract (i make my own with vodka and vanilla beans)
Bottled today.
When tasting the end of the bottling bucket (.25 of a 12 oz bottle) I was very pleased. In 4 days I'll check the carb level.
Up to now I have always used the carmel syrup recipe verbatim. Today I used the following due to a lack of ingredients and a wish to change based on some other posts:
1.25 cup of Brown Sugar
.75 cup of Dark Brown Sugar
2 cups water
^ this was my "priming solution"
Added 2 cans of FAJC with -
.5 cup of Fireball whiskey
.25 cup of Pure vanilla extract (i make my own with vodka and vanilla beans)
Bottled today.
When tasting the end of the bottling bucket (.25 of a 12 oz bottle) I was very pleased. In 4 days I'll check the carb level.
I just finished stove top pasteurization on my 2nd batch. I changed it up a little by using brown sugar instead of dextrose. Everything else except the yeast was pretty much the same even using the syrup recipe before I bottled. I let it set for 2.5 weeks and had it at 7.25%, which is high enough. I used grolsch bottles and tried the whole getting them to 190. This made them let air in through the top (and water) but I found some info that says yeast dies at about 140 so I got the temp up to 150-155 and let it sit for 10 minutes. I was able to do this on about 25 bottles and put them in a plastic container in case of bottle bombs. When I went to that temperature, I had no leaks. I am hoping I solved the problem by changing the temperature. My first batch I got impatient and did not let it carb enough, but I let these set for just over 6 days before killing the yeast and the carb level was awesome. Oh and FYI, the cider tastes amazing.
but I found some info that says yeast dies at about 140 so I got the temp up to 150-155 and let it sit for 10 minutes. I was able to do this on about 25 bottles and put them in a plastic container in case of bottle bombs. When I went to that temperature, I had no leaks. I am hoping I solved the problem by changing the temperature. My first batch I got impatient and did not let it carb enough, but I let these set for just over 6 days before killing the yeast and the carb level was awesome. Oh and FYI, the cider tastes amazing.
I'm having a hard time getting enough cinnamon flavor in my cider. I've now resorted to using about a shot of cinnamon whiskey in each glass to get the level of cinnamon to what I want. Any suggestions? I've got an experiment going now to "dry-hop" my cider with cinnamon sticks that have been soaking in rum. I don't have a lot of faith in that, but we'll see.
Cheesy_Goodness
Well-Known Member
My old man used to make pumpkin pie wine with a cinnamon stick right in the bottle. I'd guess you could use half a stick per beer bottle, since I have a hard time believing it will ever decompose like fruit would
Well, I'm "dry-sticking" in the keg. We'll see how that works.
I just hoped maybe someone had a source for some super-strong cinnamon extract. Might have to dissolve some red-hots in some vodka or something.
Anyone know how well red-hots will dissolve in alcohol? Looking on Amazon, I can get 'em in bulk fairly easily.
Cheesy_Goodness
Well-Known Member
Could you add a bunch when you're heating the syrup? I would think heat would help dissolve those little buggers.
Hmm... that's an idea... warm up some apple juice and melt the red-hots in it.
I may have to buy a couple packages at the grocery store and try to figure out which method works best.
I decided to try an experiment... Kroger was having a sale on Old Orchard bottled fruit juice.. 1/2 gallon for a dollar (with card.) I bought 10 bottles... 6 or 7 apple and the rest Cranberry / Black Cherry. I plan on using this recipe and fermenting 5 gallons of this. If it doesn't turn out well, I'm not out that much. Still, I thought it would be a fun experiment. Not sure if I'll use the "Cinnamon Caramel" sauce or not.
Still, I thought it would be a fun experiment. Not sure if I'll use the "Cinnamon Caramel" sauce or not.
Interesting experiment so far... it seems to be fermenting, but no krausen at all! I dumped a couple teaspoons of yeast nutrient in it this morning (about 72 hours after I started it) and it really off-gassed, so I'm guessing that it *is* fermenting, but not real actively. That, to me, is surprising since I dumped two packets of yeast in there, and it's at 70* F.
So I started this as my first brew and hope I didn'r screw it up.
This is the point where I realized that the original recipe only called for 7 96 oz bottles not 8. Please tell me the extra bottle won't throw off the recipe....
- Opened 1 bottle of Wellesly Farm apple juice, got a gravity reading of 1.0590. adjusted for temp.
- Poured first 2 bottles of juice into my 6.5 gal fermenter.
- Opened bottles 3 and 4 of apple juice. Poured half of each bottle into fermenter. Added 1 pound dextrose per bottle to the remaining amount of apple juice in bottles 3 and 4. Shook bottles like crazy to mix sugar and apple juice. Then added bottles 3 and 4 into fermenter followed by bottles 5 and 6. New OG of 1.0633
- Added nutrient and then the Nottingham. Followed by last 2 bottles, capped fermenter, added airlock and then placed in my spare bedroom.
This is the point where I realized that the original recipe only called for 7 96 oz bottles not 8. Please tell me the extra bottle won't throw off the recipe....
You'll be fine. It'll be a little less strong and you'll have more to drink. Bonus! I just started another myself, but only used 6 of the 96oz bottles.
I just started another myself, but only used 6 of the 96oz bottles.CheerfulHeart
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I found these cinnamon candies on Amazon. I asked about them dissolving in alcohol and was told they do.
Not sure if you have tried it yet but the candies will dissolve nicely in alcohol. I have made "Red Hot" infused vodka several times. Just dump the candies in the alcohol of your choice in a jar and let it sit overnight or for a couple of days. Just shake or stir it once in a while. Also, you might need to filter it through a coffee filter to remove the cornstarch coating that might sink to the bottom.
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Thanks. I did try some in a glass of cider. Interesting flavor, I'll say that much. Not quite what I was hoping for. May have to go back to cinnamon extract or some cinnamon schnapps or something like that. Don't really want to add more alcohol, but I want more cinnamon flavor.
mcbethenstein
Well-Known Member
Newsman ~ If you have a carbonated cap you can try this. Take a small clean soda bottle and stuff it full of fresh (new) cinnamon sticks. Fill with vodka. Put your carbonator cap on and hit with around 30 psi. let sit for 10 min.... I might let it sit a day or two. This will be your super potent cinnamon extract. Denny Conn and Drew Beechum showed this technique at NHC. Instead of waiting weeks or months for a strong extract you can make one in a few minutes. The Pressure drives the alcohol into the cinnamon (or whatever you are trying to extract). He suggested giving it a shake and then depressurizing. then run the vodka out through a fine mesh strainer... instant extract.
from personal experience I always get better extracts from vodka than from rum.
from personal experience I always get better extracts from vodka than from rum.
Newsman ~ If you have a carbonated cap you can try this. Take a small clean soda bottle and stuff it full of fresh (new) cinnamon sticks. Fill with vodka. Put your carbonator cap on and hit with around 30 psi. let sit for 10 min.... I might let it sit a day or two. This will be your super potent cinnamon extract. Denny Conn and Drew Beechum showed this technique at NHC. Instead of waiting weeks or months for a strong extract you can make one in a few minutes. The Pressure drives the alcohol into the cinnamon (or whatever you are trying to extract). He suggested giving it a shake and then depressurizing. then run the vodka out through a fine mesh strainer... instant extract.
from personal experience I always get better extracts from vodka than from rum.
Cool. May have to invest in a carbonator cap.
Update: I "dry-hopped" with about 3-4 cinnamon sticks in the keg and set it to carbonating at room temps. One of the kegs in the kegerator kicked a couple days ago so I moved the "dry-hopped" keg into the kegerator. I tried a sample last night. I can actually taste the cinnamon. I think I'm going to transfer to another keg tonight to get it off the cinnamon sticks. Or I may do it sometime this weekend before I leave on vacation on Sunday, to make sure it has plenty of cinnamon flavor. I expect the cinnamon to dissipate somewhat over time.
I really loved how this recipe turned out in the fall so I kinda took this and ran with a new version.
In November I went to a local orchard and picked up 6 gallons of fresh pressed cider. I left it as it was in the fermenter. I wanted to see what the wild yeast and bacteria would produce and by June I had a nice tart cider. I pulled off the cider and kegged it but left the cake. I then went to Costco and picked up their apple juice and a couple new additions to this version. I went with Costcos cran-raspberry blend. Poured 2 gallons of the cran-raspberry and 3 gallons of the apple mixed with 2lbs of corn sugar on top of the cake. It took a little while to start up but by the next day it had a nice frothy krausen
Can't wait to see how it turns out!
In November I went to a local orchard and picked up 6 gallons of fresh pressed cider. I left it as it was in the fermenter. I wanted to see what the wild yeast and bacteria would produce and by June I had a nice tart cider. I pulled off the cider and kegged it but left the cake. I then went to Costco and picked up their apple juice and a couple new additions to this version. I went with Costcos cran-raspberry blend. Poured 2 gallons of the cran-raspberry and 3 gallons of the apple mixed with 2lbs of corn sugar on top of the cake. It took a little while to start up but by the next day it had a nice frothy krausen
Can't wait to see how it turns out!
