Hi, there! This is my first post, so please forgive me if it isn't being posted in the correct place. I made a 5 gallon batch of EdWort's Apfelwein last November. It has been aging in the carboy since that time. I am now ready to bottle it. When bottling, is there enough yeast in suspension to get away with just adding sugar? Or should I probably add some yeast to each bottle to kick start the yeast since it has been so long? Appreciate the help!
Apfelwein Bottle Condition Question
- Thread starter Willnel11
- Start date
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I don't think I've ever let mine go quite that long, but I've certainly let it drop clear. Maybe 3-4 months/. Never had a problem with carbing...
I would think there should be enough yeast... When you rack to the bottling bucket, you'll likely disturb the yeast cake a little and stir up a small amount anyway... But adding a little extra won't hurt either.
If it were me, I'd probably just bottle w/out adding more yeast, but I'm just that way
I would think there should be enough yeast... When you rack to the bottling bucket, you'll likely disturb the yeast cake a little and stir up a small amount anyway... But adding a little extra won't hurt either.
If it were me, I'd probably just bottle w/out adding more yeast, but I'm just that way
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
Always the contrarian, I would pitch some more yeast (best to use a champagne yeast in this case) but add the yeast to the carboy and if you are hoping to bottle prime add the sugar to the carboy , too. Just make certain that you have stirred the syrup well so that all the sugar is equally distributed both horizontally and vertically throughout the carboy.
I wouldn't add yeast neither, it may just take a little more time to get carb but it will works.
Watch out if you add yeast in Apfelwein, especially champagne yeast. If your OG is verry high (if you add a lot of sugar) the yeast you use to ferment may have been stopped by the alcool. If you drop a new yeast that can eat some more sugar into that level of alcool, it will eat this sugar + the priming sugar and you can finish with bottle bomb.
Also, in this case, if you add priming sugar but no yeast, it will probably stay still. So wathever you decide, OG, FG and original yeast are important to take into account.
Watch out if you add yeast in Apfelwein, especially champagne yeast. If your OG is verry high (if you add a lot of sugar) the yeast you use to ferment may have been stopped by the alcool. If you drop a new yeast that can eat some more sugar into that level of alcool, it will eat this sugar + the priming sugar and you can finish with bottle bomb.
Also, in this case, if you add priming sugar but no yeast, it will probably stay still. So wathever you decide, OG, FG and original yeast are important to take into account.
teddyearp
Well-Known Member
Conditioning/bottling yeast.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
Best yeast to add to a fermented wine is a Champagne yeast. To make a finished wine "sparkling" is precisely what they have been cultivated to do. They are fine being pitched into a relatively high ABV environment which is also fairly low in pH.
I think the "rule of thumb" is that if the cider is less than 5 months old there will be enough yeast to bottle condition without adding more. I have bottle conditioned totally clear cider after 3 months of bulk aging without issues.
