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I'm really just interested in adding apples, just wondering if there are certain varieties that could improve on the standard cider (it's a mixed bag of apples depending on what they have).

Hi folks, I'm planning on starting another cider this weekend. I'm pretty simple, so would just be looking at taking standard cider up to about 1.060 with brown sugar. I have safale S-04 yeast to use. I'm considering adding some apples to the standard issue cider at my local orchard. I don't...

It's possible. I don't use campden very much so I'm not an expert. It could be that enough campden was left that the unbloomed yeast couldn't get past it. If you hydrate the yeast first in some lukewarm water until it bubbles a wee bit it may help it get past the hump. You could also just wait...

Do you bloom the yeast first in some warmish water? How old is the yeast? Do you give it a mix? It might just need aeration.

Mine wasn't carbed so that probably has an affect. 160 for 20 is also a standard method. The stovetop sticky way just avoids having to carefully control heat.

Yeah, the theory is the temperature drops when you add te bottles. On the same day I used the stovetop method stickied here and the dishwasher method with two different batches. The one I did in the dishwasher was already fermented out, so it was just a test. the ones from the dishwasher were...

Just give them instructions to pour off the lees after a month or so. Ive been successful without siphoning as long as youre careful. If they put it in another bottle/jug in the fridge at that point all will be fine. Maybe suggest they use plastic. If you stick to 1L quantity they'll likely...

You'll likely be fine. They tend to add sulphites to apricots because if you dont' they go brown/black. I expect that cranberries are a bit more resistant to that so they dont' need it...

Does it smell any different? Apparently oxidized cider can smell nutty, sort of like sherry: Cidermaking Oxidized apples do turn brown. One step is sodium percarbonate which is an oxidizing agent. Is there a chance you bunged up your dilutions?

What did you clean/sanitize with?

So about 2 weeks ago I bottled my first cider made as follows: 3 Gallons UV-pasturized cider with Pectic enzyme added 24h before About 3 cups white sugar added to get SG=1.058 Added nutrient Pitched 1 pkg Nottingham Fermented down to 1.000 in about 2 weeks and bottled (racked at one week) I did...

did you do anything to it? Or just let it go? I'm starting to realize that, for the most part, in homebrewing it's best to be a bit lazy. Unfortunately, on top of being lazy, most of us are also anxious...

UV has the annoying property of being easily blocked by liquid. The penetration through probably won't be sufficient to kill the yeast off. I would suppose that cider makers run it through a fairly narrow tube when it's exposed.

So steer clear of old Quaker state jugs and you should be just fine.

Ruckbeat, I think you're right, I've heard ppl talk about the headspace. I also can't see how it matters for primary since the co2 pushes out the air. Secondary on the other hand might be a different story. When I made the above mead I just cleaned out that plastic bottle and did secondary in...

I will say for any newbies (I still am one), that if the choice is between not brewing and brewing in plastic, just give it a go in the plastic. If you hate the process then you haven't wasted your money. $5 for a bung and airlock is pretty cheap for a trial run of a wicked hobby.

Out of curiosity, what relation does the fermentation temp have to the SG drop after bottling? I would assume that depending on the optimal temperature for the yeast just means that it will ferment out faster. Does that temperature have anything to do beyond that (flavour development aside)?

Thats what I figured, just not certain how far Nottingham will take it down. For example, if it could drop it 10 more points, what can the bottles handle? I'm sure many people here will warn agains finishing fermentation in the bottle. Unless you're doing things under essentially identical...

These are just sitting in my apartment right now. It's 21degrees celsius (about 70). I dont' have much option for other places to put this. I didn't want to cold crash since I also don't have enough room to store it in the cold.

I think there's a lot of hooey out there about plastic. I'm sure some people are sensitive enough to taste a difference, and I'm sure there's plenty of types of plastics that are bad for you. I also eat carcinogenic charred meat, and occasionally like the smell of second hand smoke so I don't...