Hi I've been makin cider from kits for a wile now and wen I bottle it up I prime it inda bottle bt this leaves a bit of sedament in the bottle that keeps making my cider cloudy anybody got a solution for this?don't no any brewers and only found this site yestarday so I'd be greatful for any help and advise
cider kits
- Thread starter newbee17
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ViperMan
Well-Known Member
The sedament is a product of the yeast consuming the priming sugar that you bottled with. It's unavoidable unless you DON'T want the cider to be "sparkling" (a.k.a. bubbly) when you open it. I've even tried asking some other professional homebrewers about making beers/ciders without sedament, and they are confident it cannot be done.
The only thing that works is time - a good 2+ months in the bottle should let the proteins in the cider settle out, leaving you with a crystal-clear drink. When you pour (never drink from the bottle) leave about 1/4" of liquid in the glass, and the sedament will stay behind. (I also find that it helps to store the bottles at a slight angle, so that the sedemant gets packed into a small corner of the bottle, allowing you to leave all but a drop behind and still have no sedament.)
Hope this helps.
The only thing that works is time - a good 2+ months in the bottle should let the proteins in the cider settle out, leaving you with a crystal-clear drink. When you pour (never drink from the bottle) leave about 1/4" of liquid in the glass, and the sedament will stay behind. (I also find that it helps to store the bottles at a slight angle, so that the sedemant gets packed into a small corner of the bottle, allowing you to leave all but a drop behind and still have no sedament.)
Hope this helps.
It's way less expensive... especially when you live in a place famed for it's Cider apples (The UK!)... It also helps to preserve more of the "Natural" apple flavors that are lost when they pasteurize the juice in the kit....
On the subject of yeast from bottle priming... Yep - the only thing to do is to let them sit a while.... The yeast will form a cake on the bottom....
Pour very slowly without sloshing it into a glass, and stop when you see the whisp of white yeast flow out of the mouth of the bottle.... You will end up with about 1/4" left in the bottle....
It's not a Hefe - don't swish it around and pour the trash into the glass... unless it's for your obnoxious drunken buddy who insists on drinking it all up... Then, collect and swirl around all the bottles with 1/4" of sediment left and pour him a big 'ole glass of yeasty goodness....
Thanks
On the subject of yeast from bottle priming... Yep - the only thing to do is to let them sit a while.... The yeast will form a cake on the bottom....
Pour very slowly without sloshing it into a glass, and stop when you see the whisp of white yeast flow out of the mouth of the bottle.... You will end up with about 1/4" left in the bottle....
It's not a Hefe - don't swish it around and pour the trash into the glass... unless it's for your obnoxious drunken buddy who insists on drinking it all up... Then, collect and swirl around all the bottles with 1/4" of sediment left and pour him a big 'ole glass of yeasty goodness....
Thanks
Thanks for your info I've been wanting to try making it from "real" apples but as I live in Dublin city I'd have to buy dem in supermarket and it works out very expensive.
So would I be right 2 say I just need to leave my cider longer to mature.is drinking the sedament harmful?
So would I be right 2 say I just need to leave my cider longer to mature.is drinking the sedament harmful?
roadymi
Well-Known Member
Can you buy fresh pressed juice at the city markets during the harvest season? This would be better alternative than kits and much easier than buying whole apples. Do they have farmers markets in Dublin where farmers bring in their produce to sell directly to consumers?
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
Rockape66
Well-Known Member
You can get rid of the sediment, but the method is very involved. It's the same process used in making champagne. Store the bottles cap down turning daily until all the yeast settles in the bottle neck. then you freeze the bottle neck in a water/ice/salt bath. Then pop the cap and purge the yeast, then recap. Seems to me like a lot of needless work for a non-commercial product. I don't mind drinking my yeast right along with my delicious cider. Good luck, Mate!
Leave it longer before you bottle it. That will reduce the sediment. Even if it looks clear, there is still some 'stuff' floating around that eventually settles. The longer you leave it before bottling (6 months or more), the less sediment there will be in the bottle.
Without pressure filling from a keg, there will always be some small amount of sediment due to the yeast activity on the priming sugar, but it doesn't have to be much.
No it is not harmful to drink it. Think of a hefe; you are supposed to swirl the yeast back into suspension.
Buy pasteurized apple juice from your local store. Add yeast, and you will end up with a 6 to 6.5% cider. Just make sure the juice has no preservatives, otherwise it will kill the yeast. You could also use a concentrate, we have them in the frozen section of stores. Just make sure to dilute it. Again, diluting to the level recommended will give you around 6-6.5%.
Without pressure filling from a keg, there will always be some small amount of sediment due to the yeast activity on the priming sugar, but it doesn't have to be much.
No it is not harmful to drink it. Think of a hefe; you are supposed to swirl the yeast back into suspension.
Buy pasteurized apple juice from your local store. Add yeast, and you will end up with a 6 to 6.5% cider. Just make sure the juice has no preservatives, otherwise it will kill the yeast. You could also use a concentrate, we have them in the frozen section of stores. Just make sure to dilute it. Again, diluting to the level recommended will give you around 6-6.5%.
dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
unfortunately very hard to come by across the pond. don't know why it never caught on in europe
Cider can take a long time to clear. Even when it looks clear in the fermenter, it can have lots of particulates still in it.
The easiest way to do it is leave it in the fermenter longer. This is the method I use because I don't consider cider ready to drink for 6 months anyway. Clarifying agents will also work. My favorite is Sparkleloid.
I would also look at your methods of racking to bottling bucket as the culprit. Are you trying to save the last few ounces of cider and picking up sediment when you rack?
The easiest way to do it is leave it in the fermenter longer. This is the method I use because I don't consider cider ready to drink for 6 months anyway. Clarifying agents will also work. My favorite is Sparkleloid.
I would also look at your methods of racking to bottling bucket as the culprit. Are you trying to save the last few ounces of cider and picking up sediment when you rack?
Would using clarifying agents not stop the priming process??
When I'm racking it of into bottles I use a syphon with sedament trap which should stop me from gettin 2 much in bottles according 2 the supplyer.
When I'm racking it of into bottles I use a syphon with sedament trap which should stop me from gettin 2 much in bottles according 2 the supplyer.
Clarifying agents will not stop the priming process. There is always plenty of yeast to carbonate, however, it may take a week or two longer.
I suggest you get a bottling bucket instead of racking directly to bottles. It will prevent picking up the sediment.
I suggest you get a bottling bucket instead of racking directly to bottles. It will prevent picking up the sediment.
Yeh tanks for the advise I'm gona invest in a bottling bucket as soon as possible and try using the fineings chemical and hopefully it will improve it.
I'm also gonna try get away from the kits aswell if anybody has good recipe id be really greatfull.
I'd just like to say thanks to everybody for the advise.
I'm also gonna try get away from the kits aswell if anybody has good recipe id be really greatfull.
I'd just like to say thanks to everybody for the advise.
A recipe is easy.
Apple juice + yeast. Done!
Start with clear juice (pasteurized, but no preservatives; vitamin C/ascorbic acid is OK), and it should clear easy. Start with cloudy juice, and it will take longer.
Use any yeast. I think ale yeasts result in more apple flavor than wine yeasts. I've not tried cider yeasts, but suspect they will leave more apple flavor.
Add sugar if you want. It will take longer to be good. Too much sugar and it might be too much for the yeast.
I aim for 1.060 starting gravity. This will give about 8% abv. Depending on the juice, this would be between 1 and 1.5 lbs of sugar in 5 gallons; that's about 4 ozs per gallon, but you don't have to add any.
If you use just juice you should be somewhere around 6 to 6.5 abv. I think this is higher than your kits, and I bet it has more flavor.
Leave in primary for at least a month. Try not to bottle for 3 months. I rack about each month to get it off the lees. Every time I rack, I top-up the fermenter with fresh juice.
Apple juice + yeast. Done!
Start with clear juice (pasteurized, but no preservatives; vitamin C/ascorbic acid is OK), and it should clear easy. Start with cloudy juice, and it will take longer.
Use any yeast. I think ale yeasts result in more apple flavor than wine yeasts. I've not tried cider yeasts, but suspect they will leave more apple flavor.
Add sugar if you want. It will take longer to be good. Too much sugar and it might be too much for the yeast.
I aim for 1.060 starting gravity. This will give about 8% abv. Depending on the juice, this would be between 1 and 1.5 lbs of sugar in 5 gallons; that's about 4 ozs per gallon, but you don't have to add any.
If you use just juice you should be somewhere around 6 to 6.5 abv. I think this is higher than your kits, and I bet it has more flavor.
Leave in primary for at least a month. Try not to bottle for 3 months. I rack about each month to get it off the lees. Every time I rack, I top-up the fermenter with fresh juice.
Rockape66
Well-Known Member
I remember what the champaigne process is called: "Riddling".
I press the apples myself obtained from a local orchardist who was on old time cider guy. The mixture of apples we've come up with have been yielding a s.g. of 1.070 late in the fall, giving me and ABV around 9%. Quite delicious.
I press the apples myself obtained from a local orchardist who was on old time cider guy. The mixture of apples we've come up with have been yielding a s.g. of 1.070 late in the fall, giving me and ABV around 9%. Quite delicious.
I'm gona try this recipe straight away sounds good I'm just gona try a 1 gal batch first.the kit I use has 7%abv so its fairly strong and cost about 15euro so I'm gona try it using Apple juice and if its better ill 4 get about using kits.
I no its a long shot but anybody got a recipe for a beer like miller??
I no its a long shot but anybody got a recipe for a beer like miller??
