Cider maker begginer needs help

[Snowkid]

hi im new to cider making and my cider is cloudy and a bit yeasty.
i used white lab english cider yeast enough for 5 gallons and 2.25 gallons of white house apple juice. i fermented about a week and i hydrometered it and it was at 1.00. idk what i did wrong if someone can help please.

 

[MarkKF]

That sounds about right for that yeast. It's what I used my first year. It's at 1.000 now? What temps are you at?

It just might need to age somewhere cool & dark for a few months.

 

[Snowkid]

it was at about 50F to 70F and then i moved to mason jars doing a four part straining process

 

[cidersage]

it was at about 50F to 70F and then i moved to mason jars doing a four part straining process

Can you share your overall process with us?

Cider will be yeasty and cloudy right after fermentation, and won't taste great. It just needs some time to settle out. Siphoning the cider (while leaving the junk at the bottom of the fermenter--the 'lees') to another vessel after primary fermentation and allowing it to age for a month or two will usually clear it up. Then you can generally bottle it from there without the need for straining.

Pectic Enzyme powder--added up front prior to fermentation--can also help clarify the cider, but it will still be cloudy until some time after primary fermentation as there will be suspended yeast particles in the cider that will eventually drop out.

 

[Yooper]

it was at about 50F to 70F and then i moved to mason jars doing a four part straining process

Unfortunately, pouring to mason jars and straining (if that is what you did) will ruin the cider pretty quickly by oxidation. So, I'd try to drink that sooner rather than later if it's palatable.

Next time, make sure to siphon "quietly", without any splashing, to a new vessel when the cider is finishing up and allow it to clear without any headspace in the carboy. The cider will be much better for it, and the time will allow the flavors to come together and the weird products of fermentation (like sulfur, yeasty flavor, etc) to go away.

If you haven't seen this yet, you may find it helpful: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/cider-beginners-508303/

Cidermaking is very much like winemaking, in that it needs to be protected from headspace (due to oxygen contact), light, and should be siphoned (called "racked" by winemakers and cidermakers) when it's moved off of the sediment to a new vessel. It's not hard at all, but the product is better with a little bit of time and a few simple techniques.

 

[Powhatan]

"Next time, make sure to siphon "quietly", without any splashing, to a new vessel when the cider is finishing up"


Can you explain "splash racking". I've seen this recommended before. I'm only asking out of my own curiosity.

 

[MarkKF]

"Next time, make sure to siphon "quietly", without any splashing, to a new vessel when the cider is finishing up".

Do you think it's as important with higher alcohol cider such as jack? I've never been very careful when working with cider below freezing and after it's jacked and haven't noticed anything. I am very careful with my usual cidermaking.

 

[Snowkid]

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Powhatan]

Do you think it's as important with higher alcohol cider such as jack? I've never been very careful when working with cider below freezing and after it's jacked and haven't noticed anything. I am very careful with my usual cidermaking.

I honestly know very little about cider making. That's why I was asking Yooper about splash racking. Her knowledge on brewing and cider making is really extensive.