1 Gallon cider help

[supermarket]

I recently started a 1 gallon batch of cider. I bought a 1 gallon glass jug of fresh apple juice (no preservatives) and added 1 cup of brown sugar, some raisins, and yeast. It began bubbling nicely in under 6 hours (didn't keep a super close watch). Now this is where I'm stuck. I don't know how to proceed.

I've tried doing multiple Google searches but nothing seems to answer my question, and I get many different results.

Currently I have it in a closet with an approximate temperature of 18-20ºC (64-68ºF). I would like to bottle it when the time is ready (no idea when that is) and I would like to have a mildly dry to semi sweet cider, carbonated, not still.

If anyone could walk me through the next steps it would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[aprichman]

Making a cider that remains sweet while having carbonation may pose a problem. If you're using bottles your best bet would be to add in some unfermentable sugar (lactose is one I believe) along with your priming sugar. This will allow the yeast to "eat" the priming sugar in the bottle which builds carbonation and would leave some residual sweetness with the sugar that doesn't ferment out.

If you were kegging (with a 1 gallon batch this probably doesn't apply to you) you could filter out the yeast and then add some more apple juice or any other sugar source to sweeten the cider.

I'm not sure how unfermentable sugars will taste, I think lactose gives a kind of "milky" taste or something. I've never used it but it's a common ingredient in many stouts.

The easiest solution is to just make a dry cider

 

[aprichman]

Here's a thread on lactose and cider - looks like people do use this technique after all

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/lactose-cider-412066/

 

[supermarket]

Ok say I were to go the dry route, would I be able to bottle directly from the primary after fermentation slows/stops? I have some dextrose lying around, just stir it in and bottle?

 

[banks741938]

This site is very helpful. I will be using it for my first cider batch.

http://www.howtomakehardcider.com/index.html

 

[Jim311]

Ok say I were to go the dry route, would I be able to bottle directly from the primary after fermentation slows/stops? I have some dextrose lying around, just stir it in and bottle?

Yeah but you need to make sure fermentation is totally stopped. Do this by taking a gravity reading with your hydrometer three times in three consecutive days. If the reading is the same, it's safe to bottle. If it's fluctuating/changing it's not ready to bottle. Also, yes you can use that dextrose but obviously you need to boil some water, add the dextrose to it, and then just put it in your bottling bucket after it's cooled and siphon your booze on top of it to thoroughly mix it without overly aerating it.

 

[fuelish]

Yeah but you need to make sure fermentation is totally stopped. Do this by taking a gravity reading with your hydrometer three times in three consecutive days. If the reading is the same, it's safe to bottle. If it's fluctuating/changing it's not ready to bottle. Also, yes you can use that dextrose but obviously you need to boil some water, add the dextrose to it, and then just put it in your bottling bucket after it's cooled and siphon your booze on top of it to thoroughly mix it without overly aerating it.

This^^^ ...I usually spread my gravity readings out over many, many days (not taking one every day on my meads, but, yeah....a hydrometer is your best friend when it gets down to the nitty gritty of botttling time. I don't even bother with waiting for the sugar water for carbing to cool...I just pour it in the bucket, and by the time I'm ready to rack into it, it's cool enough. Gravity readings are your best friend.....