Cloudiness and lees smell: what can I do?

[hereistay]

Two weeks ago I started my fermentation with a mj m02 cider yeast.
After about a week it slowed down a lot and I should have 1.001/0.998 sg.
I leaved it in the fermenter for another week a total of 13 days.
Today I racked and I noticed it smelled a bit like lees and it was very cloudy.
I tasted it and it seemed a bit acid despite the 3.8ph, watered and it leaves a kind of spiciness, don't know how to describe it.
According to my father, who uses to make grape wine it is ok.
I'm going to make a "cold crash" to clarify @ about 3°C/37.4°F.
So is there something wrong according to you?
Will this smell and cloudiness go away?
I thought to let it cool for a week and bottle adding sugar to have some bubbles.
Is it ok?

 

[probablynotnick]

That yeast can produce a lot of esters, which could be some of what you're experiencing.

Definitely cold crash for a few days to get as much of the yeast out of suspension as possible. Then try it again and see if anything has changed.

 

[ebbelwoi]

The cloudiness should clear up after 3-4 days of cold crashing at that temperature. If you're worried about the smell, maybe put the airlocks back on and let some of the gas escape while you cold crash. It might help, it might not.

 

[MarkKF]

I’d let it sit under an airlock then maybe rack it again and let it sit some more. Most of my ciders spend 3-6 sometimes 9 months in the secondary.

 

[madscientist451]

I agree with the above. Expecting cider to be ready in 3-4 weeks is unrealistic. If you are in a hurry, you can add come fining agents, but its probably better to just be patient and let it clear on its own.

 

[hereistay]

But after all those months will it ferment again in bottle by adding sugar to have sparkling cider?

 

[ebbelwoi]

The yeast will stay dormant (alive, but not doing anything). When you add more sugar for bottling, they will wake up and start fermenting the sugar. You'll have sparkling cider.

 

[hereistay]

Ok.
So how many months do u suggest to leave it to mature before priming and bottling?

 

[ebbelwoi]

I never plan to age my cider. I cold-crash it, and when it's clear, I put it in bottles. Sometimes I drink it right away, sometimes it takes a few weeks or months until I get a chance to drink it.

I use ale yeasts, and I drink my cider like beer, so aging isn't important to me.

 

[hereistay]

Yes I want to do something similar...