Help with first batches

I make beer al the time, but Last night I deiced go ahead a try to make Cider.

I made to batches at the same time roughly following 2 recipes I found on this site.

Batch 1
3 Gallons of %100 Apple Juice from Costco (no additives)
1.5 lbs Dextrose
1/2 package Wyeast Champaign Yeast

Batch 2
3 Gallons of %100 Apple Juice from Costco (no additives)
2 LB Light Malt Extract
.5 LBS Crystal 10l
.25 Chocolate
1/2 package Wyeast Champaign Yeast

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I have couple of questions:

1) I placed each batch in a 5 gallon Glass carboy w/ Air Stop. This means that there is about 3 Gallons of cider with 2 Gallons of air. Will this be an issue?

2) The OG on both came out to 1.080. Is that to high? I'm not trying to make something with a real high alcohol, I just want cider.

3) If the 2 questions above are issues, could they both be fixed by adding another Gallon or 2 of cider to each Carboy? Or am I overly concerned for nothing and I just need to relax and have a homebrew?

Thanks in advance,

-erin

 

The batch with the sugar, being more fermentable, will be drier that the batch with the extract.

However, both will be pretty dry, considering that you have used that much with only 3-gallon batches.

I consider that much headspace to be excessive, but it shouldn't be a problem while in primary, since co2 is heaviler than o2, and a protective blanket of co2 will cover the top of the cider until you disturb it.

I'm thinking that these batches, especially the dextrose one, will be VERY dry. Adding 2 more gallons of juice to each batch will help, but even then, you will have some DRY, in my opinion, cider. Way over 10% ABV as you have it now.

Pogo

 

I agree with Pogo,

IMHO, though depending on what you are looking for - you may want to consider topping up your #1 3 gal. batch with an additional 1.5 gallons of juice and filling up the excess space in the carboy - your second batch contains stuff that I haven't worked with, so I cannot offer any useful advice on it.

if you top batch #1 the result will be a dry apple cider/wine reminicent of a champange. which is pretty damn good as is - and you can always backsweeten with a non fermentable sugar/sweetner and still bottle carb, if tart and dry isn't your cup of tea.