First attempt at cider

[sensibleken]

Hi all,

I'm completely winging my first try at a mixed berry cider and have one or two questions to see if I'm on the right track.

So far everything is going well. I mixed up the must of berries and apple juice and the full fermentation has completed after just a few days giving me the alcohol percentage of 5% which is exactly what i was aiming for. The mixture is just over a week old now.

Pectolase was added at the start of the process so I'm wondering how long it takes to clear up? My meads take about a month from the start and about two to three weeks from the end of fermentation. Is cider similar?

Also it still smells quite 'homebrewey', that strong sharp odour that isn't very appealing. Does this die down with time?

My next steps are

1: once clear test to check the sweetness and back sweeten with non sugar sweetener.

2: Add a quarter of a cup of sugar to encourage carbonation.

3: Bottle and place in garden so I don't blow up the dog.

Does this sound like a good idea or am i just encouraging a knock on the door from the local bomb disposal unit.

 

[AidanSavage]

If you're going to bottle carb, fill a plastic soda bottle (PET plastic) first, then the glass bottles. Once the soda bottle's firm to the touch (some say the same firmness as when you buy it, absolutely no give, others like having some give to it), that's the point you need to pasteurize the bottles, as doing so any later than that, or not doing it at all, you will get bottle bombs. Not if, when. Also, if it carbs too much, but doesnt bomb, it'll gush when you open it, like a shake bottle of soda.

Also, you could sweeten to taste with regular sugar, then add a little bit more for bottle carbing. But this would require you to pasteurize.

 

[sensibleken]

Thanks, thats a great idea with the soda bottle. I hadn't heard that before.

When you say pasturise the bottles do you mean sterilise them or kill the yeast with camden tablets or the like

 

[AidanSavage]

Thanks, thats a great idea with the soda bottle. I hadn't heard that before.

When you say pasturise the bottles do you mean sterilise them or kill the yeast with camden tablets or the like

Sterilizing via heat. Campden tablets are pointless if you're attempting to carb in the bottle as if you use it when you bottle, the yeast will die before you get any carb. If you try adding them after, you blow all the carb you got in the process. Read up on the stickied thread about stove-top pasteurization before you do bottle, that way you get an idea of how it's done.




(Just remember, the 190* mentioned in the first post is higher than what he settled on later in the thread, temp he suggests is closer to 175-180)

 

[sensibleken]

Ah now it makes sense. Thanks mate