????Cider Start to finish in just 2 weeks????

[brewsbrothers]

Dose anyone have a method or advice on brewing a batch from start to finish in only two weeks?? I have made a few batches of cider now but will not have any ready for a Halloween party and wanted to see if i could brew something in a short time for it. Any advice of recipes would be greatly appreciated, or even just anyone saying NO NO NO ITS IMPOSSIBLE.

 

[Lunarpancake]

it can be done....get a fast fermenting yeast. Be ready to back sweeten it and either keg carbonate it or serve it un-carbonated.


I have a batch carbonating right now that just needs a little sweetening but was started on 10/8/09 tastes good and has a nice kick because I freeze-distilled about a gallon of it too.

 

[brewsbrothers]

Awsome thank you. Any advice on a fast yeast???? I have never heard of freeze distilling thats a first for me. In short what is the process?

 

[Lunarpancake]

I used Safale S-04 on my batch.


Make sure the batch stays at a decent luke warm temperature and does not get too cold because that will slow the yeast down.

 

[brewsbrothers]

Sounds good! Now what is involved in freeze distilling?

 

[Lunarpancake]

Sounds good! Now what is involved in freeze distilling?

After your cider is finished fermenting you siphon off some of it. For my 5 gallon batch I siphoned off about 1 gallon. You put the cider into a bottle that is seal-able like a soda bottle or two. (make sure they are cleaned and sanitized) Then put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen the alcohol and most sugars and flavor will still be a liquid. Discard the ice and pour the liquid back into the rest of your cider.

Basically you have boosted the ABV content of your cider by removing some water while leaving the flavor and alcohol.

 

[Lunarpancake]

PS: I would start this cider ASAP because 2 weeks is still cutting it very VERY close even with fast yeast, freeze distillation, and kegging for carbonation.


With my batch that was started the 10/8/09 I was unsure it would be ready for Thanksgiving.

 

[david_42]

Simple, don't add any sugar. Straight apple juice will ferment in a couple days and settle in a week.

 

[CvilleKevin]

Use Muntons Ale yeast - it is faster than S04 and tastes pretty good. Normally I would not recommend Muntons because it goes so fast and is hard to control, but if you are trying to get somethng done by Halloween, that would work. Starting around day 4 you will need to check it once a day, maybe twice a day, because it will ferment the juice down to nothing if you dont keep an eye on it. Make a starter or follow the pitch instructions a few pages back in the sticky so that you get a fast start.

Dont add any sugar to your juice - you will get more apple taste and it will be done faster. Cold crash arouind 1.010.

You need to start now. Figure 7 days for the ferment, one day for the cold crash and two days to carbonate. It wont be as good as if you had started two weeks ago, but it will be very drinkable. If you are lucky, it will be fermented in 5 or 6 days and you can spend more time letting it settle out and carbing

 

[brewsbrothers]

Is there ever a time that you would ferment apple cider to hard cider with out yeast that you wouldnt use an air/vapor lock??

 

[jcobbs]

+1 on the Munton's Ale Yeast--it goes really well with apple juice, to my taste anyway. It's also fast. I pour out some of the juice, pitch the yeast dry into the juice jug, shake the crap out of it, and pour the rest of the juice back in. Put an airlock on and it's bubbling within an hour.

 

[Teromous]

Here are some suggestions:
-Don't start with a really high gravity.
-Use a yeast that ferments at a higher temperature, and ferment it at that temp.
-Use yeast energizer.

Using WLP775 starting at 1.065 with temps in the low 70's will ferment to around 0.999 in about 7-8 days for me.