5 gallon batch of local cider

[reltuc]

hey all,

got 5 gallons of local cider from a farmers market, and the cider was pasteurized. basically just dumped 4.5gallons of it into a 5gal carboy, added two packets of red-star montrachet wine yeast and a tablespoon of yeast nutrient.

i pitched it exactly a month ago, and it's certainly not cleared up at all. i was assuming a month of fermenting would be near enough time to get it cleared up, was i wrong there?

how long do you guys usually let the cider ferment out? more than a month?

my plan is to get this all bottled up and ready for christmas, and to give it out as gifts for my family members.

thanks all

 

[Maylar]

Typically we transfer to a secondary carboy and play the waiting game for when it clears. Get it off the lees and leave the yeasties behind. If you had used pectic enzyme up front there'd be a better chance of having it cleared by now. There are other clearing (fining) agents that you can use to shorten that time, but as it stands you're at the mercy of the cider gods. Christmas is certainly do-able even without additives.

Look at the bright side though - cloudy cider can still taste awesome.

 

[bernardsmith]

The cloudiness MAY be caused by CO2 in the liquid. If you degas you may find that the cider will clear. (the basic reason for cloudiness in cider is the presence of pectins and as Maylar suggested the addition of pectic enzymes about 12 hours before you pitch the yeast would break down those pectic chains. In the presence of alcohol the enzymes don't work quite as well...).

 

[madscientist451]

How does it taste? You can speed up the clearing by cold crashing it and storing it cold.

 

[reltuc]

How does it taste? You can speed up the clearing by cold crashing it and storing it cold.

i'm not totally sold on it clearing before bottling, i was just assuming that was the way to go via reading different posts on here. i haven't tasted it yet! should i take a sample before bottling as a reference?

 

[madscientist451]

There's no point in bottling the cider if you don't like the way it tastes. Once its bottled, you can still "blend in the glass" as you drink it. But it would be better to make any adjustments before bottling.

 

[reltuc]

There's no point in bottling the cider if you don't like the way it tastes. Once its bottled, you can still "blend in the glass" as you drink it. But it would be better to make any adjustments before bottling.

sounds like a plan, i need to run to my LHBS and grab a wine thief. also, i froze half of a gallon of the same cider to "backsweeten" for the remaining 4.5 gallons. hopefully that will be enough to sweeten all of the batch! *if i don't like the product i already have concocted

 

[Paps]

Use this stuff.
It works great.

 

[BILTIT]

I second the super kleer, just used it for my first time and its amazing how quick it works (24-48hrs).

 

[Maylar]

Just make sure you wait for it to totally drop before you rack off it - else super-kleer leaves a nasty medicinal taste.

 

[BILTIT]

Good to know, thanks!

 

[kukubau]

You can use food grade gelatin to clear. X times cheaper than all the enzymes commercially available. You can buy it from every grocery store, cheap as hell.The gelatine will bind with the suspended proteins and drop to the bottom of the carboy. Commercial wineries use that frequently.