First Batch - Need Help.

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Ladybug

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I would like to start my first batch and I don't know what recipe to use. I would like something that when it is completed is sweet with a nice apple flavor and a bit fizz. Looking for a batch the right size for a 5 gallon carboy. I don't have any local apple orchards so I'm going to have to go with store bought juice/cider. Any suggestions on which recipe to use is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for the help, I hope this will be only the first of many batches.
 
Perhaps this one. 5 Day Sweet Country Cider

It was for 4 gallons, but with minor modification I adjusted it to 5 for you.

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1 pack Nottingham yeast
5 gallons unpreserved apple juice
1.5 lbs brown sugar
2.5 cinnamon sticks

1) Pour 4 1/2 gallons of juice into fermenter
2) Heat remaining half gallon with cinnamon sticks and brown sugar until sugar dissolves properly. Let cool to room temp.
3) Combine mixtures and mix vigorously to oxidize.
4) Hydrate and Pitch yeast.

-Let ferment for about 2-3 days, or until it hits 1.040.
-Bottle it. No need to rack of clear, this stuff is going to be cloudy no matter what you do to it, as it hasn't really fermented that far. it may help, however to give it a day in the fridge to get rid of excess yeast. I didn't do this though.

Let it sit in bottles for a day or so to carb, then bottle pasteurize. I did this by using my sanitize/rinse setting on my dishwasher of 10 minutes, but you can also do it on the stove (see stove-top pasteurization sticky).

Result:
A sweet, hard cider at about 5% abv that keeps a lot of original cider flavor, and is just a tad more tart and dry than the unfermented version. Definitely looks "rustic" due to its cloudiness. Cheers!
 
Ok cool I will try this one, is there a particular brand that is better as far as the juice goes or should i just get whatever is on sale and doesn't have preservatives?
 
Ladybug said:
Ok cool I will try this one, is there a particular brand that is better as far as the juice goes or should i just get whatever is on sale and doesn't have preservatives?

Find something that doesn't have anything at all added. Sometimes they even add vitamin c (ascorbic acid) which can throw off the flavor.
 
I see your also in Florida so i would recommend using either Publix brand Cider or Apple Juice,i just finished a batch using thier cider and have 2 more going now with thier cider and aj. Its pretty good stuff even compared to fresh stuff from a orchard.
 
Ok, I put everything together earlier today and it has been sitting about 6 hours. I haven't seem any activity in the airlock, should I be worried at this point or is it to early to tell?
 
No...don't worry. As long as you used fresh yeast and preservative free juice...just give it some time. My ciders usually mock me on the first day and then they crank up Quiet Riot when I go to sleep.

WTH? I know, right? What's with the cheesy 80s big hair bands!?!
 
Ok, I put everything together earlier today and it has been sitting about 6 hours. I haven't seem any activity in the airlock, should I be worried at this point or is it to early to tell?
Depending on temperature, it may take up to 48 hours before you really see anything. I started a batch using Nottingham a few days ago, and it was 24 hours at 62 degrees before I started seeing positive pressure forming in the airlock.

I also like to use lower temps when I can. I am a strong believer that low and slow is the way to go.
 
UpstateMike said:
-Bottle it. No need to rack of clear, this stuff is going to be cloudy no matter what you do to it, as it hasn't really fermented that far. it may help, however to give it a day in the fridge to get rid of excess yeast. I didn't do this though.

Let it sit in bottles for a day or so to carb, then bottle pasteurize. I did this by using my sanitize/rinse setting on my dishwasher of 10 minutes.

Just wondering on the bottle sanitation in the dishwasher...could you put the cider, in plastic 20oz soda bottles, condition it for a day, then cold crash it in the fridge for a day or two and finally putting them in the top rack of the 10 min. dish washer rinse?

Since the soda bottles are designed to take pressure. I have heard people putting it in plastic soda bottles, but didn't know how they would do in the washer.
 
Thanks for the advice on waiting, I got up this morning to find the airlock happily bubbling away. I started with a SG of 1.06 how often should I check the SG?
 
Ladybug said:
Thanks for the advice on waiting, I got up this morning to find the airlock happily bubbling away. I started with a SG of 1.06 how often should I check the SG?

Check when the bubbles slow down to less than one every three seconds. Also, if you are moving to a secondary fermenter I would do it about a week or so after the bubbling started.

I just pitched some yeast yesterday afternoon into a batch:)
Anyway. My first batch went from 1.054 to 1.003 in 10 days using a fast attenuating champagne yeast. So it shouldn't take long. Happy brewing!
 
liquidavalon said:
Just wondering on the bottle sanitation in the dishwasher...could you put the cider, in plastic 20oz soda bottles, condition it for a day, then cold crash it in the fridge for a day or two and finally putting them in the top rack of the 10 min. dish washer rinse?

Since the soda bottles are designed to take pressure. I have heard people putting it in plastic soda bottles, but didn't know how they would do in the washer.

I just wouldn't do it. It's too risky to end up with a bunch of bottle bombs. The soda bottles are made to handle liquids that have already been carbonated, not made to handle the pressure of bottle conditioning or dishwasher temperatures.
 
Yeah it's going to be yeasty. Best case scenario I would let it settle for a while at a cold temp so that the yeast settles to the bottom.
 
I used the same yeast, mine is still fermenting but just smells like apples, I haven't tasted it yet. Been fermenting about 30 hours which might be why it still pretty much just smells like apple juice.
 
Ladybug said:
I used the same yeast, mine is still fermenting but just smells like apples, I haven't tasted it yet. Been fermenting about 30 hours which might be why it still pretty much just smells like apple juice.

I had mine going for (4) days and just today am cold crashing it. I also added pectin enzyme to 'help' it along. It smells like apples but with an overtone of yeasty beer.
 
damien said:
How does it taste?

It tastes like tart, yeasty, hard cider with a low ABV. Not bad...just has a strong smell and medium taste of 'bread like' yeast.

Most likely I will back sweeten it.
 
Tasted mine this morning (42 hours fermenting) it tasted good a bit tart with a nice apple flavor and kind of yeast-y after taste.
Now for a question, keep in mind this is my first batch, what does the pectic enzyme do?
 
Ladybug said:
Now for a question, keep in mind this is my first batch, what does the pectic enzyme do?

Pectic enzyme destroys pectin cells that cause the haze in fermentation...to clarify the cider. It also allows the taste and character of the fruit used to be extracted into the cider/wine.
 
You can add it before racking or bottling...right?

you can, but pectic enzyme takes a while to work, so you dont want to add it right before bottling or else you end up with a bunch of trub in your bottles.

I've found it is more effective to add before fermentation, but it works OK afterwards and some have reported that it works better for them afterwards. Probably depends on the juice.

Most of the time it isnt needed at all. I'd recommend sticking to the basics at first. apple juice and yeast. if it comes out cloudy, it still will taste fine and you can add pectin the next time, but try not to add anything that you might not really need.
 
So I bottled last night and I plan to pasteurize today after work. I'm concerned I didn't fill my bottles up enough will this be an issue or no? I filled them to just below ( like 1/4 inch) where the neck starts can I still pasteurize them like this?
 
Ok so I checked the carbonation level last night and they were barely carbonated. So I am letting them sit another day.if this is a bad idea let me know.
 
One day might not be long enough. Might be worth it to let them sit in a closet for three days to a week before putting in the fridge to drink.
 
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