How do I know when the hard cider can be racked and should I expect the unfiltered apple juice to clear?

[ShellinTX]

Hi everyone,

I started my first batch of five gallons of unfiltered apple juice. I had an extra sterilized jug, so I poured some off of each to avoid overflowing. I am using Nottingham yeast. I added a little peptic enzyme today. It has been fermenting for 7 days. I have been swirling it each day to make sure the fermenting is going strong. (I am not sure I am supposed to do this.) There are a lot of bubbles still after swirling. To look at the jugs on the counter sitting before the swirl, not much is happening in the gallon jugs. Am I ok to rack to a bigger carboy now? If I am wanting to add fruit for secondary fermenting, should I do it now or wait? Do I have to wait for it to totally clear before racking? I'm sorry for all of the questions. The unfiltered apple juice has not cleared as fast as our muscadine wine, so I am a little worried.

 

[brewSJ]

Fermentation doesn't have to be 100% done when you rack. You just want to get the cider off the bulk of the yeast (the gross lees). Once the airlock mostly stops bubbling, you can rack it at any time (don't wait for it to clear, that can take a few months). It's only when you want to bottle that you have to be 100% sure its done.

I don't use fruit, so I'll set someone answer that one.

Racking to bigger carboys is not good as it leaves too much room for oxygen. If you need to, rack temporarily to something else, clean out the original carboy, then siphon back. Empty headspace is your enemy after fermentation has stopped.

 

[ShellinTX]

Fermentation doesn't have to be 100% done when you rack. You just want to get the cider off the bulk of the yeast (the gross lees). Once the airlock mostly stops bubbling, you can rack it at any time (don't wait for it to clear, that can take a few months). It's only when you want to bottle that you have to be 100% sure its done.

I don't use fruit, so I'll set someone answer that one.

Racking to bigger carboys is not good as it leaves too much room for oxygen. If you need to, rack temporarily to something else, clean out the original carboy, then siphon back. Empty headspace is your enemy after fermentation has stopped.

Thank you so much for your response. I will rack tomorrow!

 

[dmtaylor]

I agree with @brewSJ. You can add your fruit at any time as well.

Please be patient with your cider. It can take months for it to clear to your satisfaction. Often it will clear in just a few weeks, but sometimes it takes much longer. The pectic enzyme won't work after fermentation has begun. It must be added to the raw juice early to have any effect.

 

[ShellinTX]

I agree with @brewSJ. You can add your fruit at any time as well.

Please be patient with your cider. It can take months for it to clear to your satisfaction. Often it will clear in just a few weeks, but sometimes it takes much longer. The pectic enzyme won't work after fermentation has begun. It must be added to the raw juice early to have any effect.

Thanks so much. I didn’t know that about the peptic enzyme. Lesson learned. Would you advise buying filtered apple juice over unfiltered? I wondered how everyone ways in on that. Last night, I racked the apple cider last night and tried one with the additional farm grown blackberry juice. Beautiful color. It did kick off the fermentation again lol.

 

[ShellinTX]

Thanks so much. I didn’t know that about the peptic enzyme. Lesson learned. Would you advise buying filtered apple juice over unfiltered? I wondered how everyone ways in on that. Last night, I racked the apple cider last night and tried one with the additional farm grown blackberry juice. Beautiful color. It did kick off the fermentation again lol.

*weighs in

 

[dmtaylor]

Unfiltered juice is best. It should not affect the clarity of the finished product.

 

[ShellinTX]

Thanks!

 

[DaveC73]

Pectic enzyme added after fermentation will work, but much more slowly than if it were added prior to fermentation. The alcohol inhibits the enzyme, but doesn't "kill" it.

 

[ShellinTX]

Fingers crossed. I’ve put the Carboys in a closet. Time will tell. Do you ever just go ahead and bottle? I’m a little impatient lol.

 

[Srimmey]

I ended up using sparkloid to clear my pear cider. The flavor was spot on but it was still cloudy after 8 weeks. In 4 days it was crystal clear so I reracked off the gunk, stabilized and threw it into the keg to carb over the next 3-4 weeks.

To me, clearing is important to so before bottling. I look at it like this. I’ve had luck with pectin enzymes added both with the yeast pitch and after. Just give it 2-4 weeks to do it’s thing.

1. Is the flavor where I want it. Yes? Time for step 2.
No? Age for longer.
2. Is it clear. Yes? Time for step 3
No? Sparkloid, wait 4-7 days.
3. Bottle or keg.

 

[ShellinTX]

How much sparkling for 1 gallon?

 

[Srimmey]

How much sparkling for 1 gallon?

1 tablespoon of powder dissolved into 1 cup of water (boil for 5 minutes). Will treat 6 gallons.

I always create the standard amount, then divide and use as needed once it’s been dissolved.