storage temp and filtering?

[kamkamdac]

question 1: whats the best temp to store cider, or what temp are you supposed to store it at? ive heard some people say it should be stored at room temp others say it should be stored in the fridge. does where you store it affect aging time?

i live in socal and ive been storing my cider in the garage. winter temps are around 40-50f and summer temps are around 80-90f. is this ok or could it ruin the cider.

question 2: im thinking about filtering my cider. nothing to fancy, just planing to use a coffee filter. at most i was thinking of maybe putting it through a Brita filter before bottling to cut down on sediment and yeasty flavors. whats your guys take on this? anyone else try it? anyone know what to expect?

 

[Tnoodle]

I can't answer # 1. #2 though, you have to be careful with filtering, it can cause oxidation of your cider. Running your cider through a brita filter will strip all the flavors, this happened to me with a strawberry wine I made. The carbon filter in the brita pitcher is designed to remove all the bad flavors and other chemicals from tap water and it does the same thing to fermented beverages. I suggest using a piece of fine mesh cloth and attach it to the end of your racking cane or siphon hose that is in the fermentor. Also racking it several times seems to be the mos effective way to clear your drink.

 

[eric1229]

Using gelatine works really well for clearing cider too. I put a quarter tsp in cool water for 1 hr then bring to a quick boil to dissolve then let cool. Add to ur cider n let sit. Did this right after a second racking. Very noticinle diff on just 24 hrs but kept letting it work. Clear as glass

 

[GinKings]

I think your summer temps are way too high. I try to store mine in the low 60's. Mother Nature sometimes pushes the temp up, but I try to avoid lengthy temps over 75.

I would not filter with a coffee filter or a Brita filter(oxidation, flavor loss, aroma loss, etc). Excessive sediment and yeasty flavors could be from bottling too soon. You should let it clarify before you bottle.