Clearing cider?

[cjbalough]

I'm making a cider - started in February or so from fresh pasteurized cider, 04 yeast, and just a touch of sugar (3/4 lbs or so of corn sugar) -- 5 gal batch. It spent maybe 6 weeks in the primary better bottle carboy then has been hanging in another better bottle since then. Here is what she looks like now. Should I bottle as is or do something to clarify?? I haven't had a taste or even checked the gravity since transferring to this bottle. Plan is for sparkling bottle conditioned cider - ready for my brothers birthday (late July) or for the fall if it needs more time to relax.

View attachment 1433552910602.jpg

 

[madscientist451]

Interesting, I've never made cider that looked like that. So it just has cider (apple juice) yeast and sugar? Did you add any water? The color just looks unusually pale. Do you have a way to cool it down and cold crash it? You could try to rack it to 1 gallon glass jugs and put them in the refrigerator as space allows and see if it will clear up. But I'd get a hydrometer reading and a taste bwefore you do anything. What was the starting gravity?

 

[cjbalough]

Starting was 1.050 or so....4.5 gals fresh farm stand style- pasteurized cider + .5 gal clear organic store brand apple juice (just juice and citric acid) added when transfered to secondary......think it was 1.004 or so when I transfered it.....mid march or so. Air lock has been filled with vodka (and recently topped with bottled water )....only way to cold crash would be swamp cooler style ice water bath.

 

[Maylar]

I would go ahead and bottle it now. Cloudy cider tastes just fine. In fact, you can claim it as a feature - call it "unfiltered". There's a commercial cider (Mad Man, I think) that looks like that.

I've never had a batch that stayed cloudy for that long, but I always use pectic enzyme in mine.

 

[ThatChefGuy]

If you are determined you want a clear cider, perhaps try using some bentonite. Pectolase you should have put through with primary to end with a clear product. As for the colour, you could try a little molases. Some additional tannin would have gone a long way.

 

[thinbluebbq]

I use bentonite in every batch after primary fermentation is done. I like it. Some people warn that it can strip flavor. I've always found my cider to be plenty flavorful although I do backsweeten some with apple juice concentrate after fermentation.

Bentonite is good if the particles floating are properly charged. Bentonite is highly negatively charged so it will attract positive charged particles. I mix it well with warm water as described and then pour it in. Swirl it well to distribute. After 24 hours I do it again and then I let it sit after that. Within a week its all settled out and it's pretty fascinating to see how much it clears up. Bentonite is also cheap! Happy brewing.

 

[MindenMan]

If the specific gravity says it's done, I would bottle it. Christmas gifts more like birthday gifts. Six-months in a bottle will add a lot back to the cider.