Pitched my first batch on the weekend

[ThatITGuy]

Hi everyone,

First time poster, first time making cider myself. (I've assisted with some batches previously)

I am doing a batch of cider using the following recipe:

18L "Allen's 100% Apple Juice"
1 KG Yellow (light brown) sugar
2 TSP Yeast Nutrient
1 pk Lalvin EC-1118

I dissolved all sugar in 6L of warm juice, poured remaining juice into primary ferm bucket at height for aeration. Took my OG reading, came in at 1.056 then added my yeast nutrient then stirred well. Rehydrated then pitched my yeast.

I had a tiny bit of foam coming through my airlock on the first day, but it has stopped after a couple of minor clean ups and replacing the airlock. I anticipated this, as I only had about 2" of headspace in my bucket.

It's been happily bubbling away, today is only day 2. I'm mainly posting this to document the process for myself. I wanted to add Pectic Enzyme during fermentation but I couldn't this time. I may still do this when I rack to secondary.

Planning to use Xylitol for sweetening and Dextrose/Corn Sugar for carb. I'll be bottling to 1L PET bottles.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments, always looking for C&C!

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Welcome, and congrats on your cider! Just remember the longer they sit the better they are. Mine really shined around the 3-4 months range.

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi ThatITguy - and welcome. Pectic enzyme does not work well in the presence of alcohol. Best to add the enzyme about 12 hours before you pitch the yeast. Warming the apple juice will tend to result in even more cloudiness as heat sets pectins but a cloudy cider was what folk would expect when they drank scrumpy back in the day. Personally, I do think that you can taste the difference between a bright clear cider or wine and one that is cloudy but I have not tested this in blind taste tests. Bottom line, I wouldn't lose sleep over not adding pectinase but I also would not add any to the secondary. Not sure if this will help clear pectic haze but you might try adding Bentonite (it's a clay that carries a negative charge). It certainly helps drop fruit particles out of suspension.

 

[ThatITGuy]

Hi ThatITguy - and welcome. Pectic enzyme does not work well in the presence of alcohol. Best to add the enzyme about 12 hours before you pitch the yeast. Warming the apple juice will tend to result in even more cloudiness as heat sets pectins but a cloudy cider was what folk would expect when they drank scrumpy back in the day. Personally, I do think that you can taste the difference between a bright clear cider or wine and one that is cloudy but I have not tested this in blind taste tests. Bottom line, I wouldn't lose sleep over not adding pectinase but I also would not add any to the secondary. Not sure if this will help clear pectic haze but you might try adding Bentonite (it's a clay that carries a negative charge). It certainly helps drop fruit particles out of suspension.

Good to know, I'm not concerned either. I did see a YT video where a fella used Bentonite, (it has interesting origins BTW) and it seems like too much effort for my first batch.

 

[bernardsmith]

Good to know, I'm not concerned either. I did see a YT video where a fella used Bentonite, (it has interesting origins BTW) and it seems like too much effort for my first batch.

Curious. - What are the origins of Bentonite that makes them so interesting?

 

[ThatITGuy]

Curious. - What are the origins of Bentonite that makes them so interesting?

My understanding is that it's basically volcanic ash that has evolved over thousands of years. Kind of intriguing to know it has many uses from beer & winemaking, medical, construction (Steel/Iron Foundry, Concrete forms, etc) & as an oil absorbent in auto mechanics.

Edit: also explosives!

 

[ThatITGuy]

I took a sample on Day 6, airlock has stopped bubbling. Gravity was 0.994 down from 1.056 If my calculations are correct I'm looking at about 8% ABV

Some observations: Cider smelled like sour apple & wine, Colour was a light staw colour, very cloudy. Taste was dry and tart (as expected) Slight "hooch" after-taste. Visually there was some natural carbonation already which surprised me.

I plan to let it sit another week at the very least before I rack to secondary.