Couple of questions regarding my (3) ciders.

[NoRoom4Error]

First off … Hello !!

I started my first (3) batches of hard cider using 1 gallon jugs of apple cider from Whole Foods. I wanted to get a variation so one batch has no extra sugar, one has 2 cups brown sugar, and one has 10 oz of honey. All three are fermenting nicely with the Champagne yeast I used and the batch w/ honey is averaging a bubble per second in the airlock! Gives my 1st floor a nice cider-y smell to it. Yum!

I will be going to Saudi Arabia to work for the US Military for 3 months in June. I assume my ciders will be done fermenting way before mid-Sept when I return but will they be alright just sitting for the 3 months? They will have the airlocks still attached so I was hoping to come back to a nicely aged cider/wine after being in the sand for 120+ days.

 

[dinnerstick]

perfect- you won't have to resist the temptation to muddle with them that many of us succumb to. i would rack them first to fresh jugs (you only need 1 spare jug, and clean them as you go) and put them somewhere dark and cool. but many people leave them on the lees for that long (not me). although you are in LEESburg
hilarious

 

[NoRoom4Error]

perfect- you won't have to resist the temptation to muddle with them that many of us succumb to. i would rack them first to fresh jugs (you only need 1 spare jug, and clean them as you go) and put them somewhere dark and cool. but many people leave them on the lees for that long (not me). although you are in LEESburg
hilarious

So leaving them sitting on the yeast is not an option? I'm not sure if I will be around to rack them before I leave.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

So leaving them sitting on the yeast is not an option? I'm not sure if I will be around to rack them before I leave.

I wouldn't say it's "not an option". You take a risk either way.
If you rack them, you increase the chance of getting an infection, and ending up with vinegar. If you don't rack them, there's a chance that sitting on the yeast for that long may produce off flavors.
Now, "off flavors" doesn't mean you won't like it. Many people do, actually.

I think, if you can get your hands on enough 1/2 gallon jugs, you could be in a position to do a neat experiment: rack 1/2 of each batch, and leave the other half on the lees. That way, when you come back, you can judge for yourself which one you like better...:rockin:

 

[Blanchy]

Rack them to another container if you want, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Leaving them will just allow the yeast to clean up any off flavors.

 

[dinnerstick]

leaving on the yeast is definitely an option. lots of people do this regularly, and 3 months isn't that long a time. i have heard conflicting reports of off flavors that come up from leaving on the yeast; i don't think it is entirely clear there, but you won't ruin them
although you also won't make vinegar if you rack them; when i first started making cider i was not very careful with racking and i never made vinegar.

 

[Yooper]

If it was my cider, I would rack them before leaving. Leaving them on the lees longer than necessary isn't a good idea. But once racked, they should be fine for a very long period of time.

 

[wildman]

I don't ever rack my cider just to rack though conventional wisdom says you should... my cider sits on its gross lees for six months and I can't find any off flavors that I can attribute to this. I am going to run an experiment next winter to see the difference myself... if you can't get to it don't worry about it - it might actually be better that way.

Several people including myself feel that this attribute may be yeast specific.

Several types of European wines are required to spend 18 and 36 months on there fine lees to qualify for vintage and reserve labeling.

I'd actually fret more about the locks running dry if they were unattended.

I'm drunk.

 

[BoomerCreek]

I sometimes don't rack my ciders until the early spring after pressing. Press in Dec. rack in April. Haven't detected any unpleasant flavors in any so far...

 

[Papagayo]

I've left my ciders on lees for 6 months with absolutely no problem, and perhaps even some benefit. Leaving cider on lees can assist with MLF, which is probably only an issue if you have a really acidic cider, almost certainly not the case with store-bought cider. I wouldn't worry about it. When you get home you'll probably have some scrumptious cider waiting for you.

 

[NoRoom4Error]

Update on my first brew attempt.

Took a gravity reading today and both the hard ciders with the added honey and sugar had a reading of 1.000 this morning. Only 10 days fermenting and they are sitting at 8.51 % ABV!! Perfect.

I cold crashed them instead of racking them and then immediately bottled them to 1/2 liter bottles with ceramic tops. In the fridge they be chillin'.

So here I am my wife and I drinking our first homebrew out of a chilled .5 L bottle each of this fine cider and my wife loves it! Slightly sweet and bubbly with a touch of apple twang at the end. Goes down just like any store bought hard cider but BETTER. This is one of the most rewarding hobbies that can be done for so darn cheap.

Now... I need to go do some research on how to properly bottle as I was a bit of a circus act doing it "my way."

Cheers guys.

Any typo's can be blamed on the fact that I need a refill now.