Carboy vs. Bottle Conditioning

[Copernicus]

I recently made a batch of cider/apfelwein using the following recipe.

-4 gallons White House Apple Juice (no preservatives, but it is from concentrate)
-½ gallon Trader Joe’s Apple Juice (no preservatives)
-½ gallon Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider (no preservatives)
-2 lb Turbinado Sugar
-5 gm packet of Côte de Blancs wine yeast

It's been in the carboy for about 2 weeks now. As far as I can tell, fermentation is pretty well done. (no bubbling, although I haven't taken gravity reading)

I've learned that this stuff needs to sit a good 6-9 months to really shine. My question: is it better to sit in the carboy or in bottles? Is there an optimum time in the carboy before bottling? Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[Brewbear]

My only worry would be about getting an off taste from the lees. I've heard aging in bulk is better but as long as its done fermenting you could bottle.

 

[Copernicus]

My only worry would be about getting an off taste from the lees. I've heard aging in bulk is better but as long as its done fermenting you could bottle.

Pardon my ignorance, but what are "the lees"?

 

[cruckin78]

I would just prime and bottle it, then let it carb and age at the same time.

 

[Yooper]

Pardon my ignorance, but what are "the lees"?

"Lees" is the word for the sediment on the bottom of the carboy. You don't want to age on the lees, although a light dusting is ok. I rack (siphon) the cider whenever there are lees 1/4" thick after 60 days, and then start the aging time when no new lees fall. By then, the cider is clear and ready for aging.

I'm a fan of aging in the carboy, for a couple of reasons. One, it's less likely to be suseptible to temperature fluctuations since a bigger container takes longer to change temperature, and two, it keeps me from drinking it too soon! I also don't like sediment in my bottles, and if I wait until it's completely clear and not dropping any more lees, then there won't be any sediment in my bottles.

 

[cappy]

I just bought juice for my first batch of apfelwein today. I saw lees mentioned on another thread, but I couldn't figure out what is was either. I plan to let it sit in the bucket for 3-4 weeks and then bottle.

 

[soundsandsuds]

Edwort's recipe suggests at least a month in the fermenter. Leaving the cider on the yeast for a while allows the yeast to clean up after themselves, taking care of some off-flavours.
Leave it in the fermenter for a while longer, for sure.

 

[Copernicus]

That is helpful folks. I think I'll let it sit in the carboy for 6-8 weeks before bottling, unless there is a lot of lees/trub. (thank you for the definition, Yooper - I learned something today.)

I could let it sit longer but I suspect I will want the carboy for something else by then. Of course, that could be a good excuse to get another carboy, which would most likely result in:
Wife: "Don't you already have one of those?"
Me: "Actually, I already have two...this is the third."
Wife: "When did you buy a second one?"
Me: "Last week, for my English IPA"
Wife: "Oh, the one in MY closet, next to that cider that smelled like farts two weeks ago."
Me: "Yup, that one"
Wife: "Ugh."

God bless tolerance.

 

[roadymi]

I Have 10 carboys (a 6.5, 2-5's, 2-3's, and 5-1gallon glass jugs) and my wife was just grilling me about the 4 corny kegs the UPS driver dropped off today. Yup I'm addicted to the hobby but it's all her fault.....she asked for a wine making kit for xmas last year. Until that point I had no interest. She makes wines and I make ciders and meads. It's a good time, relatively cheap and if the wine turns out well.....very painless. We have 3 g. of red wine, 3 g. cyser, 5 g. mead and 10 g. cider in various stages. And the 128 bottle wine rack I built last winter is full.......what to do?

 

[minerkj]

How about PVC pipes in a cupboard? Cheap, easy and bottle-bomb proof!

Or an old map/plan/something storage unit (at 36" deep, it holds three bottles per slot or 264 total)