First time question

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bristolcity

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
78
Reaction score
1
Hi after reading a few threads on cider making do u need to rack to a secondary container or just bottle straight from primary.
I have made wine in the past and always use a secondary container.
Any advice would be very helpful.
Thank you
 
Hi bristolcity, I generally rack to help clear the cider and remove the yeast but quick cider (ready to drink in a month) doesn't need to be racked into secondary vessels. It won't taste as good as it might but there is no requirement, IMO, that you use a secondary.
 
I'm new to the world of brewing and cidering. I have some cider in my primary and don't own a secondary. How long can I leave my cider in primary? If I leave it in primary to long will I get off flavors?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Thank you Bernard I will use a secondary as with wine it helps it to clear and settle how long roughly would you suggest I leave the cider in the secondary 1-2 weeks
 
I'm new to the world of brewing and cidering. I have some cider in my primary and don't own a secondary. How long can I leave my cider in primary? If I leave it in primary to long will I get off flavors?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Yes you will get off flavors. Depends on the yeast you use and other factors. Some people like yeast flavors, some don't. Most cider makers rack to secondary after primary has slowed down noticeably, with SG below 1.010. For me that takes about 2 weeks and I won't go more than 3 weeks.

Racking to secondary lets you wait for all fermentation to stop and gives the cider a chance to clear and age a bit without worries. I rack to about an inch above the lees.
 
I agree with Maylar. I generally ferment my apple juice in a bucket and rack the cider into a carboy with no headroom between the top of the cider and the mouth of the carboy when the gravity falls close to 1.005. Into this carboy I will have added k-meta to inhibit oxidation. I then seal the carboy with a bung and airlock and may allow the cider to age 2 -3 months before racking this onto K-meta and allowing the cider to age about the same amount of time again.
 
This might sound stupid but if I don't ask il never know what's the purpose of k-meta is it to stop or kill off infection in your cider
 
Thanks guys for the good info! I saw food grade buckets at menards while picking up some stuff for work. Would these 5 gals bucket make good secondary fermenters?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
No need for the secondary unless you are going to let sit longer than a month. Esspecially as new brewer. Its like the difference between a t bone steak and a riveted. Yea the t bone will be amazing but the ribeye will be good also. And no menards buckets are not good for secondary. My personal belief is the secondary should never be in plastic.
 
Bristol id look up a post by topper that explains it and how to use it.
 
I am at a loss as to why you guys are not cold crashing your cider. There are many fining agents that will hurry along the process of clearing along with a cold crash. Why should you have to worry if you will get clear cider or not?
Bloom some gelatin, add it to your primary/cider fermenter, place it in a fridge for a few days and the trub will be "stuck" to the bottom while you rack your cider into the next vessel. This is the method I have used with great success.
 
You're assuming that everyone has either A: enough room in their fridge to fit their fermenter or B: an extra fridge specifically just for cold crashing. I have neither. I also don't have room for an extra fridge even if I was willing to spend the money on one. So cold crashing is not an option for me and will never be an option as long as I live where I do right now.
 
Back
Top