Carbonating Cider For Beginner

[A_T]

Dear All,
I am probably the most clueless home brew noob you have ever come across ! Nevertheless, I have just made my first batch of Summer Fruits Cider using a 2l bottle of Summer Fruit Juice, a 2l plastic bottle and a Home Brewing Cap from www.homebrewingcaps.com

After leaving to ferment, it tastes quite good for a first attempt and so I strained the cider away from the active yeast at 8%. I left it to clear for 5 days however my cider now doesn't have much fizz.

Could someone please help me with a solution to achieve a fizz or tell me how to make it carbonated for my next attempt at a cider.

Thanks, Adam

(I am only using the equipment listed on the website above so please don't tell me solutions for larger scale cider production)

 

[trujunglist]

I have something similar. Well, probably exactly the same.

Anyway, the way to achieve carbonation is to add more sugar and seal up the bottle. A good way to do this is to get a new 2L of juice and another empty 2L bottle. Take 25% of the new juice and dump that into the 2L bottle. Very very carefully so as to minimize oxidation of the fermented drink (you've already probably done this with the straining.. in the future, try not to do that), pour (or siphon, if you've got the equipment) the fermented juice until the bottle is pretty full. Squish the bottle so as to remove the oxygen from the remaining space, and then seal it up with the original cap. As the remaining yeast ferments the newly added juice, the bottle willl expand. Once the bottle is pretty hard, throw it in the fridge to stop it from fermenting (and exploding the bottle). Now you have a slightly sweeter and carbonated hooch drink. Take the remaining 75% new juice and add that to the 25% fermented juice bottle. Put the special homebrew cap back on that bottle; boom, that's your next batch.

 

[A_T]

Thanks a lot, great advice and will use that method for my next brewing session

 

[cosmatics]

Was this purely an ad for those homebrew caps? Nahhhhh.

 

[A_T]

no mate, Just the only way to explain the method I was using. Sorry if I did something wrong but I just needed a bit of help with my first home brew.

 

[trujunglist]

Perhaps. I still haven't even bothered messing with the 2 cap drinks I made; 1 cider and 1 cyser. They've been sitting in the 2L bottles for a couple months now. I tried a bit of one at around week 3 and it tasted kinda funky. Perhaps it is the yeast, or the lack of sanitization procedures.. or maybe it was just too young. I've learned a whole lot since I bought those. I figure I will bottle up 1 of 2Ls soon and see how it came out. If it seems to give decent results I may try a small batch of beer or something. Only painful thing I forsee is the siphoning (since an auto-siphon is too big).

 

[cosmatics]

Lol no worries just busting your chops, that product is for the UK or something anyway. Goodluck, just read this site, skeeterpee is also an easy wine to make. As you advance you will find that different methods help refine your booze and allow you to make different stuff. Cheers.

 

[trujunglist]

You can get the similar (exactly the same?) product in the US. It's called EZ Caps. That's what I have.

 

[A_T]

haha ok i'll check it out, although i'll try to get this cider right first. Thanks for all the help, Adam