Finishing up first cider, what to do now?

[lurker18]

First cider is finished primary fermentation, didn't get as low as would have likes, stopped at 1.014 from 1.048 using S-04, but good enough. Used fresh pressed cider apple juice from a cidery, and added about a gallon of sour cherry juice, pressed from my own trees after freezing for several months. It has a little sour tart to it, which I am good with, slight wine taste. I am going to rack it onto another gallon of the cherry juice and some campden tabs to be sure it does not get going again. Question is how much tannins to add. I don't want to get more into the wine taste, so will adding tannins push it into wine or move it into cider taste?

 

[Rick Stephens]

Add in the tea from one steeped english black tea bag per gallon.

Never seen S-04 stop at 1.014. That's pretty high. campden tabs isn't going to stop it from starting all over again, BTW.

 

[lurker18]

I had a difficult ferment. Took 4 days to get going and I didn't aerate it enough. I was hoping to get it down more, but it is what it is. How much water per teabag? Just enough to get it wet, or make a cup of tea? Also, what would be the best way to not get fermentation starting again. Got the campden tabs, but could get potassium sorbate. Going to be kegging, so I don't need the yeast anymore, and want to keep the added cherry juice for taste.

 

[madscientist451]

I'm skeptical that its actually finished, what temperature was the cider during fermentation?

 

[Epond83]

Why do you think it's done? As other have mentioned it seems like it could keep fermenting.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Last time I added tea I followed the Grahams recipe from this site.

3 cups of water, bring to a boil then turn off heat. Steep teabags for 7-10 mins, cool for a few mins then add to carboy.

 

[lurker18]

Fermented at 19-20C for over a week, I will check again tomorrow but I don’t think there is any more activity, and if there is, it is dead slow.

 

[Chalkyt]

My experience is that SO4 usually finishes around 1.003 or so, and can take about four weeks to get there. I find tat 1.003 just leaves a touch of sweetness rather than going completely dry. I am inclined to think that it will eventually ferment down to that SG.

I agree with Rick Stephens regarding tea. I also made some Grahams Cider using store bought juice when the bushfires and drought here in Oz resulted in no apples. It was really good, especially with the limes called for in the recipe.

If you want to stop fermenting, so some research of recent posts about heat pasteurisation (there are plenty, it has been the "topic of the year"). Basically you need to heat the bottles cider to around 65-70C then let it cool down.

 

[Maylar]

My experience is that SO4 usually finishes around 1.003 or so, and can take about four weeks to get there.

At 60F yes, at 68F it'll go below 1.000. BTDT.

 

[lurker18]

OK, you have all convinced me to leave it for a bit longer. My downfall in brewing is a severe lack of patience

 

[Rick Stephens]

Early on I had the same issue... I wanted to DO something. I fueled that by buying a few gallons of store bought and doing some small batches to test taste theories. Of course, that led to buying more 1 gallon carboys and more airlocks and then more bottles..... Works though. I am constantly trying a new 1 gallon batch to see what I can accomplish.

 

[Chalkyt]

Hey Maylar... that is interesting. I haven't heat pasteurised any SO4 cider that has finished at 1.003 (no need) so generally it isn't at any more than 18C once bottled and kept in the cool room. Although I have done SO4 bottled at 1.010 and heat pasteurised at 2.5 vols (I assume it is at 1.005 because I use a test bottle with pressure gauge and don't actually measure the SG).