I've been crafting cider in small 5gallon carboys and love making it. A friend found me some discounted cider and bringing to me in a 275 gallon IBC tote. I'd like to do the primary fermentation in the tote it arrives in and then transfer the cider into a secondary tote and leave it for a few months. Any suggestions about this process and doing it on such a big scale?
Help! 275g Tote on the way? What's next?
- Thread starter lushcider
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LeBreton
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Look into getting a small pump and hoses for transferring, as you're not going to be able to lift this sucker onto the counter like a typical gravity siphon. Also, consider getting a CO2 setup to purge the second tote of air for long-term aging post-fermentation, since IBCs have lots of air/cider contact.
Or build a platform to put it on if you need to utilize gravity siphon transfer.
That's so cool BTW...
That's so cool BTW...
aNYbrewery
Well-Known Member
Any idea what apples were used? What the pH, TA, O.G. are?
If your O.G. is low and your pH high you'll have to make some decisions as to if you want to chaptilize and/or add any acid additions or you could end up with 275g of something nobody will want to drink.
If your O.G. is low and your pH high you'll have to make some decisions as to if you want to chaptilize and/or add any acid additions or you could end up with 275g of something nobody will want to drink.
Here is what a Tote looks like. http://www.nationalcoatings.com/Portals/118964/images/Container - 275 Gallon Tote.jpg
Not to rain on your parade, but you do realize that there are limits to how much you can legally ferment in a year, right? The Feds allow us to make up to 100 gallons per person per year (or 200 gal per household with two adults).
I went to public school, so my math skills are lacking, but I think you might want to reconsider how much of this project you discuss. Some people could get the wrong idea and think that you were going to ferment this cider all in the same batch, when most of us know you are saving some for next year.
I went to public school, so my math skills are lacking, but I think you might want to reconsider how much of this project you discuss. Some people could get the wrong idea and think that you were going to ferment this cider all in the same batch, when most of us know you are saving some for next year.
aNYbrewery
Well-Known Member
Grab yourself some pH test strips. Ideally you want to be in the pH 3.5 range but no higher than pH 3.8 if you can avoid it. The pH will rise during fermentation so anything above 3.8 will result in something that has the potential to spoil during aging. Assuming that you won't drink it all in a month. 
TA is a little more complicated to measure but you can get a simple kit from you LHBS if you want to go that route.
You'll be wanting a S.G. north of 1.045 too if possible.
Depending on those figures you'll want to manage your S02 levels closely as well.
I'd start thinking about blending plans also as single variety dessert fruit such as Johnathon could be a pretty challenging drink.
This doesn't mean you can't potentially make something very drinkable but you just want to get it right when its that much obviously.
If it we're me, I'd use malic and chaptilize to reach desired levels pre ferment if needed then after fermenting blend something for sweetness to balance out. High carbonation and you'd have a nice sparkling drink for yourself and a few hundred of your closest friends.
Good luck!
TA is a little more complicated to measure but you can get a simple kit from you LHBS if you want to go that route.
You'll be wanting a S.G. north of 1.045 too if possible.
Depending on those figures you'll want to manage your S02 levels closely as well.
I'd start thinking about blending plans also as single variety dessert fruit such as Johnathon could be a pretty challenging drink.
This doesn't mean you can't potentially make something very drinkable but you just want to get it right when its that much obviously.
If it we're me, I'd use malic and chaptilize to reach desired levels pre ferment if needed then after fermenting blend something for sweetness to balance out. High carbonation and you'd have a nice sparkling drink for yourself and a few hundred of your closest friends.
Good luck!
Fortunately for me, I won't have to keep track of my brew production (unlikely I'll get to the point where I'm brewing over 200 Gallons a year.
Ontario regs don't state anything about quantity limits that I can find. Only that you can't sell it it. you can give it away for free though at a private venue.
Ontario regs don't state anything about quantity limits that I can find. Only that you can't sell it it. you can give it away for free though at a private venue.
Hey I am from Ontario too where do you find that info on the legal ?
Archer
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Lush...I assume its arrived and you are up to your eyeballs in fermenting cider by now. Keep us posted how this turns out, what kind of yeasts, whether you blend the jonathan juice with anything else, etc. What are you going to rack it into after primary? Thanks! 
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