First time cider

[Jenny P]

I have a gallon of 5-day sweet cider going as my very first try at cider. Never made beer either. So this morning I got up to find it bubbling up through the airlock all over the counter. I am assuming I had too much liquid in the bottle, do I just remove some of it and let it keep going?

I also have a 3 gallon of Apfelwein started and want to avoid this with that if I can.

 

[Maylar]

Yep. Clean it out, replace the airlock and you'll be good. Gotta leave a tad of space at the top for foam ya know.

 

[Jenny P]

Yep. Clean it out, replace the airlock and you'll be good. Gotta leave a tad of space at the top for foam ya know.

Thank you
So in a 3 gallon batch of Apfelwein, how much space should I leave in the carboy?

 

[Maylar]

Depends on the size of your fermenter. Typically 2 inches is plenty.

 

[DerSchopferVonEbbelwoi]

I have a gallon of 5-day sweet cider going as my very first try at cider. Never made beer either. So this morning I got up to find it bubbling up through the airlock all over the counter. I am assuming I had too much liquid in the bottle, do I just remove some of it and let it keep going?

I also have a 3 gallon of Apfelwein started and want to avoid this with that if I can.

Yes; simply pour/siphon enough out to account for the increased volume (from the CO2 bubbles, multiplying yeast organisms, and lees/sediment). I generally haven’t had issues with this, since I simply don’t allow juice to reside in the neck of the carboy.

Fortunately, there is generally no “krausen” (glutinous froth) in fruit-only fermentation, but perhaps some bubble retention from the pectin and other natural particulates, or perhaps any additive-carriers like corn starch and emulsifiers in certain tablets and dry yeasts.

Again, this isn’t even close to being a problem if you avoid filling juice into the neck of the carboy. The rule of thumb is
to stop at the “shoulders” of the 5 gal. carboy, or the handle of a 1 gallon.

Offhandedly, I’d say as a rule for cider:

Use the number of gallons (total volume, including sugar, etc.) you’re fermenting, and multiply that number by 3 and make that total your cubic inches of airspace between the liquid and the mouth bottom of the airlock. (i.e. 5 gallons: 5x3=15 cu. in.)

However, in everyday practice, make sure your fermenter can hold enough volume to account for what you’re putting in it, and then some airspace (see above formula)

 

[Jenny P]

Yes; simply pour/siphon enough out to account for the increased volume (from the CO2 bubbles, multiplying yeast organisms, and lees/sediment). I generally haven’t had issues with this, since I simply don’t allow juice to reside in the neck of the carboy.

Fortunately, there is generally no “krausen” (glutinous froth) in fruit-only fermentation, but perhaps some bubble retention from the pectin and other natural particulates, or perhaps any additive-carriers like corn starch and emulsifiers in certain tablets and dry yeasts.

Again, this isn’t even close to being a problem if you avoid filling juice into the neck of the carboy. The rule of thumb is
to stop at the “shoulders” of the 5 gal. carboy, or the handle of a 1 gallon.

Offhandedly, I’d say as a rule for cider:

Use the number of gallons (total volume, including sugar, etc.) you’re fermenting, and multiply that number by 3 and make that total your cubic inches of airspace between the liquid and the mouth bottom of the airlock. (i.e. 5 gallons: 5x3=15 cu. in.)

However, in everyday practice, make sure your fermenter can hold enough volume to account for what you’re putting in it, and then some airspace (see above formula)

UGH....MATH!!!!! Thank you! LOL! I think I am good I would post a picture, but I haven't worked out how that works here yet.