Clearing?

[BigAndo]

Ok, my first, basic recipe cider has been fermenting for nearly two weeks. Activity has slowed right down. (I've not taken an SG reading, I will at the two week mark though) Since I've never done this before, I don't really know what to expect!

Right now it tastes like cider (yay!) but it is pretty damn sour! Also, it is very cloudy. My plan ATM is to wait until three weeks and then back sweeten, add sugar for carving and bottle, missing out the secondary, since I can't see any reason for it.

1. Does this sound like a good plan, or does it need longer in the Demi John? Will it likely start to clear up soon? (Not that I mind if I turn out with a cloudy cider, that's ok)

2. Taste. Are most ciders sour at this stage? Will this change with time? If I leave it longer before bottling, will this affect the final flavour, or does time in the bottle post carbing and pasteurisation have the same effect on flavour?

3. If I do leave it longer, will there still be enough yeast left viable to carb, or would I have to pitch more?


Thanks guys!

Ps, this is an excellent forum, with a lot of knowledgeable, helpful people! Well done


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[buzz1670]

I always secondary cider.You can see it start to clear in a couple days.

 

[oljimmy]

Hey Ando, at two weeks all ciders are cloudy because there is a ton of yeast left in suspension (as Carl Sagan would say, "billions and billions of cells...") so that's not a concern. If you move to secondary, add some pectic enzyme and it will help to clear up any haze that remains. Cold temperatures also do wonders for clearing, a week in 35F will do a lot.

Ciders are often sour when they're 'green' because of malic acid content, which in some juices can be twice as much as the ideal level. Unless you test the acidity of the juice beforehand with a titrable acidity kit, you'll never know what you'll end up with (apple sugars balance out the acid and make it hard to tell the difference between high and low acidity). If you end up with a sour cider, you just have to let it sit in secondary for longer. Or, you can add a small amount of potassium bicarbonate to reduce acidity, but this can add a 'chalky' flavour.