First Cider Brew

[CideyMan]

First timer here and this is how I’ve run my batch:

Day 1:
3 gal apple juice(from concentrate, with absorbic acid)
2 lb brown sugar
11g Nottingham Yeast

Mixed(shook) the sugar into the juice at room temp. Rehydrated yeast and pitched. Airlock installed. Fermented at about 68-72F.

I calculated that the approx. OG would be about 1.070 – 1.08 after adding the 2 lb of sugar depending on the juice’s OG(assumed 1.04-1.05)

Day 7: Bought a hydrometer and measured 1.016 SG

Day 8: Measured 1.006 SG(was shooting for 1.010), racked and placed outside (20F at night 35F during day) for 24hr

Day 9: Today, at work with my cider home sitting on the patio

Will there be enough yeast left in the cider to bottle carb after 24hr cold crash?

My plan was to cold crash, backsweeten, bottle carb, then pasteurize at proper carb level. I will be ok with a flat semi-dry cider but I’m wondering if I should bother waiting for carb OR IF cold crashing has made this not possible

Flat or sparkling I believe my cider is about 8% ABV and is very drinkable right out of the primary

Thank you for any advice

 

[millsbrew]

out of curiosity, how long do you plan to age this? also, do you plan to rack to secondary?

Thanks.

 

[CideyMan]

On day 8 I racked into the bottles the juice came in(sterilized of course) and then transferred back into the better bottle I used as the fermenter(also sterilized).

As far as aging goes I plan on drinking these pretty quick but, ill probably save a 6 pack for a few months.

 

[CideyMan]

Day 10:
Bottled the cider!

I started with a little less than 3 gallons of about 8+% ABV cider.

First I siphoned off and bottled 6-12oz bottles and 1 liter plastic bottle filled with pure hard cider. Final Gravity of these were 1.006

Then, I added half a gallon of apple juice to the remaining hard cider and filled 20-12oz bottles and 1 liter plastic bottle filled with back sweeten hard cider. The FG was 1.006 before back sweetening and about 1.016 after.

With all the testing remnants and a less than full bottle I got to drink over half a liter of this stuff! Very drinkable right away but definitely cloudy. Knowing me I'll drink it before any sediment really starts to drop!

 

[CideyMan]

Day 15:

The plastic 1 liter bottles are firming up so I've been trying some 12 oz bottles. I had one yesterday with just a little hiss when uncapped but hardly any carb in the beverage. Had another tonight and could visibly see bubbles sticking to the side of the mug, but not much carb in the drink. I'm forced into having to test a cider every night until its carbed to satisfaction.

I've been tasting the back sweeten bottles because that liter bottle is firmer than the unbacksweetened liter bottle.

How much does chilling the bottles change "absorbed" carbonation?

First night I let the bottle chill in the fridge. Tonight I just poured it warm and dropped some ice in afterwards.