Clear cider or not?

[ThePrisoner]

Is there any need to clear cider using pectic enzyme and why is this done?
Surely a fully organic cider would be cloudy?

 

[Yooper]

Is there any need to clear cider using pectic enzyme and why is this done?
Surely a fully organic cider would be cloudy?

No, it's not normally cloudy.

Here's one of my ciders, from my own apples and crabapples in my yard, when I racked it:


It wasn't quite done then, but ended up finishing at 1.004.
It's just about appearance, but I love drinking a clear wine/mead/cider/beer just like I enjoy eating an attractive meal. I don't like the appearance of a murky cider, or "dirty" looking wine, or a hazy icky beer.

 

[ThePrisoner]

No, it's not normally cloudy.

Here's one of my ciders, from my own apples and crabapples in my yard, when I racked it:
View attachment 322526

It wasn't quite done then, but ended up finishing at 1.004.
It's just about appearance, but I love drinking a clear wine/mead/cider/beer just like I enjoy eating an attractive meal. I don't like the appearance of a murky cider, or "dirty" looking wine, or a hazy icky beer.

So, secondary will clear it up?
How long should I leave it?

 

[bigplunkett]

Mine almost always clear. Unless u use a hef yeast would be my guess. The last cider my buddy made with wlp300 was cloudyish a the light one was wlp556 the clody one was 300

 

[bigplunkett]

They didnt attach sorry

 

[madscientist451]

I live in a cold climate and the chilly basement (about 40 all winter long) helps the cider to clear. It the Outside temp is in mid 20's. I'll set plastic carboys out on the back porch and that works faster, but I try not to freeze the cider. The aging of the cider helps the taste, although I sometimes drink some young, cloudy cider.

 

[Caliper]

If the starting juice was pasteurized, it might not clear without pectic enzyme from what I hear.

In my batches, I just wait for it to clear. Cloudy ciders might taste good, but clear cider seems about guaranteed to taste great! Probably due to the time for it to clear.

 

[ThePrisoner]

I live in a cold climate and the chilly basement (about 40 all winter long) helps the cider to clear. It the Outside temp is in mid 20's. I'll set plastic carboys out on the back porch and that works faster, but I try not to freeze the cider. The aging of the cider helps the taste, although I sometimes drink some young, cloudy cider.

Cold will make the yeast dormant so is this for still cider only?

 

[ThePrisoner]

My juice was pasteurised and after primary it is still cloudy.

 

[JKaranka]

For some commercial ciders we get both clear and cloudy versions so you can choose

 

[MarkKF]

Most farmhouse style comm. ciders I've tried are less than clear.

 

[cthomas]

Almost all ciders will clear, with or without pectin enzyme. It just takes time. I've had some batches not drop fully clear until six months after I have bottled them. Remember cider is all about patience.

I have found that time to clear is often dictated by what yeast I use. Beer yeast tend to stay in suspension longer while wine yeast drop out pretty quickly. Pectin enzyme definitely helps speed things up and if you in a hurry cold crashing always works (but even that can sometimes take a few weeks).

- C. Thomas

 

[dmtaylor]

I never use pectinase. Just gelatin. Gelatin added at the very end of fermentation will clear it up in 24 hours every time.