Quick turn around cider.

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beerkench

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Can a good cider be made quickly?
If so do you all have any tips?

I've been reading on here that they take months to shine and as I'm a bit impatient and need the buckets, I'd like to have it done quickly.
I was also thinking about using gelatin to fine the cider but there seems to be mixed reactions on it in cider out here in the interweb.
Any thoughts?
 
Buy more buckets!

The yeast will do its thing in the time it takes to do it.

Screen Shot 2015-10-04 at 1.59.31 AM.png
 
Do you keg? I saw a few good threads last week about a quick turn around with crash cooling in a keg prior to terminal gravity.
 
The quick and easy I do.

5 gallons of cider, no preservatives
yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme (optional)
1 lbs of brown sugar
2 lbs of white sugar
(more sugar to get to 1.08 if needed)
Nottingham at 67 degrees F

7 days later should be around 1.03
keg and ready to drink as soon as its carbed or bottle and stove top pasteurize after a few hours

Alternatively add 1/2 gallon of other types of juice for something different. I've used tart cherry, sweet black cherry, and blueberry all with good results.
 
The quick and easy I do.

5 gallons of cider, no preservatives
yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme (optional)
1 lbs of brown sugar
2 lbs of white sugar
(more sugar to get to 1.08 if needed)
Nottingham at 67 degrees F

7 days later should be around 1.03
keg and ready to drink as soon as its carbed or bottle and stove top pasteurize after a few hours

Alternatively add 1/2 gallon of other types of juice for something different. I've used tart cherry, sweet black cherry, and blueberry all with good results.

So you were happy with the results, even after such a short period?
 
The quick and easy I do.

5 gallons of cider, no preservatives
yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme (optional)
1 lbs of brown sugar
2 lbs of white sugar
(more sugar to get to 1.08 if needed)
Nottingham at 67 degrees F

7 days later should be around 1.03
keg and ready to drink as soon as its carbed or bottle and stove top pasteurize after a few hours

Alternatively add 1/2 gallon of other types of juice for something different. I've used tart cherry, sweet black cherry, and blueberry all with good results.

id ferment the notty at a lower temp. i wouldn't go above 65 with it. i always ferment it at 60*
 
So you were happy with the results, even after such a short period?

Very happy, I've done 8+ batches this way and they all turn out great and people prefer it over my dry or dry hopped ciders. To clarify I ferment at 68 liquid temp, ambient is lower and I've never had off flavors.
 
Very happy, I've done 8+ batches this way and they all turn out great and people prefer it over my dry or dry hopped ciders. To clarify I ferment at 68 liquid temp, ambient is lower and I've never had off flavors.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm going to keg my batch soon.
 
I make the "Caramel Apple Cider" recipe by "Upstate Mike" (not "his" recipe, just one he found and posted.) It is ready in about a month for me. Then I keg and carb. I definitely back-sweeten, but I like it sweeter.
 
A slightly sweeter cider cider will almost always taste more like apples than a dry cider will when it is young. But with sufficient aging even a dry cider will come into it's own.
 
The quick and easy I do.

5 gallons of cider, no preservatives
yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme (optional)
1 lbs of brown sugar
2 lbs of white sugar
(more sugar to get to 1.08 if needed)
Nottingham at 67 degrees F

7 days later should be around 1.03
keg and ready to drink as soon as its carbed or bottle and stove top pasteurize after a few hours

Alternatively add 1/2 gallon of other types of juice for something different. I've used tart cherry, sweet black cherry, and blueberry all with good results.

I need to try this. How do you carb in the keg? Can you just rack it in the keg and let it sit in room temperature until your ready? Would you add a little sugar? Have you put any clearing agents in the keg?

I haven't used my keg system in years - just started brewing again.

Been doing some research - guess i could fill up a plasric bottle and when it gets tight i could just put the keg in the fridge..
 
I need to try this. How do you carb in the keg? Can you just rack it in the keg and let it sit in room temperature until your ready? Would you add a little sugar? Have you put any clearing agents in the keg?

I haven't used my keg system in years - just started brewing again.

Been doing some research - guess i could fill up a plasric bottle and when it gets tight i could just put the keg in the fridge..

I would put it in the fridge as soon as its kegged and leave it to keg like beer. While you could leave it at room temp and let it naturally carb there are a number of variables that could make it carb faster or slower than a plastic bottle for testing. It will clear nicely, but the first couple pulls from the keg will have a lot of dregs. I don't typically use clearing agents.
 
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