First batch of cider

Hi, guys!

I finally got my first brew of cider going. I've done 5 batches of beer so far, and I did an On The Rocks Apple Cider kit on Sunday. Had an OG of 1044. I rehydrated the yeast and gave it a little White Labs yeast nutrient before pitching. There was a hickup along the way, which was that my digital thermometer went tits up on me and got stuck in the 40's Celcius. I ended up with a rehydrated yeast sitting at about 15° C. I thought, it would still be OK to pitch it, though.

I topped up to the 21 litres mark on my FV and the stickon thermometer there showed about 18°C, which is on the lower end of the optimal temp for the yeast according to the pamphlet in the kit. The airlock had begun plopping the next morning at 6am. My wife told me it was going constantly by 9am, like with no pause between the plopping. I though 'OK, primary fermentation is on'. When I got home from work it had slowed down considerably again, plopping every 15-20 seconds or so. The ambient temperature has been sitting at 22° C constantly the whole time.

Now, I just wanted to check on it today, to see how far the yeast had come, and I must admit I was a little surprised to find that the SG was now 1046

The top of the cider-to-be is covered in yeasty foam, like a lager type yeast would look like, so I'm pretty sure fermentation is moving along in its own pace, but I would like to ask you knowledgeable and experienced cider brewers if what I'm getting is normal to you. I'm not in a hurry with it or anything, so I will leave for another week and a half if need be (kit says fermentation usually takes 5-7 days, but I leave my beer for 3 weeks so I thought it wouldn't hurt to leave it longer.

Any input to a green noob?

17!

Based on the info you provided, it sounds like it was definitely fermenting. So my guess is that either your OG or your SG readings were wrong. OG sounds about right, so I would take another gravity reading and see if you come up with a lower number.

Did you remove all the CO2 from the measuring cylinder before taking a reading of your hydrometer. That gas will help keep the glass from falling - so if you ask me the reading you took after fermentation started is likely to be inaccurate unless you are confident that you are not measuring a liquid saturated with CO2. If you are confident that the liquid you measured was gas free, then the reading might rise after you pitched the yeast because when you took the original specific gravity the apple juice was not properly mixed with the water and you took a reading from a sample with less apple juice than the overall amount of juice you have would suggest would be in the sample.

Thanks for the quick reply guys!

I sanitized another hydrometer I got, which is bigger and has both Plato and SG and stuck it right into the fermenter. Still 1046. I guess it could be lots of CO2 in it still. I'll just leave it be for now and measure next week. Worst case I'll repitch.

It sounds like fermentation is happy and healthy. Wait until the airlock/ visible signs show that fermentation has slowed down then take another reading.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Thanks for the input, mate! Yeah, I will leave it for a while now and settle for kegging the pilsner on the weekend. Cheers!

Cider update: I grabbed the FV and twisted it a little, not rocking it, but twisting, and today the airlock shows increased activity. I'm guessing the temp was a little low when I pitched. I'll come back with another update over the weekend.

Got this bottled today. FG was 997, and the airlock had evened out. The top of the cider was all cleared from foam and the cider itself was relatively clear already. I added the back additive of flavor and batch primed with 5 ounces of dextrose boiled in some water. It's all sitting dark in room temperature for the next week or so, before I store it cooler.

Big thanks to all who helped me out along the way.

Cheers and 17!

5 oz of dextrose in 21 liters of cider makes me really nervous. I would seriously be afraid of bottle bombs. If you are lucky enough to not have bottle bombs, that is enough corn sugar to produce geysers. Unless I misread your post.

MindenMan said:

5 oz of dextrose in 21 liters of cider makes me really nervous. I would seriously be afraid of bottle bombs. If you are lucky enough to not have bottle bombs, that is enough corn sugar to produce geysers. Unless I misread your post.

Click to expand...

Noted. The instructions did say 5oz though. Pic attached.

I also used PET bottles which I always squeeze all the air out of after filling them. Haven't had bombs yet, so I'm crossing my fingers for this batch as well.

Double post

I think you'll be in good shape.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

May crack open a bottle soon to see how the carbing is coming along. I picked up and squeezed one of the bottles yesterday, and it isn't rock hard, at least not yet. Sitting at about 21° C now, and might move them into the cellar after a week in room temp. Cellar has around 8° C now. (No room in beer-fridge atm)

I saw the instructions, thanks for the picture. I know you did exactly what the label said. I will withdraw my previous comment. I sincerely hope your cider has the amount of carbonation you desire. You might want to leave your bottles where they are now for at least another week. At 8*C carbonation could take a month.