First cider help

[chip82]

We made out first cider, apple from the yard that we juiced. We pitched champagne yeast. In 1.5 weeks, it hit 1.000. So we cold crashed it. Before cold crashing, it tasted great but after two weeks crashing it tastes harsh. Has anyone seen this? Any comments on what may have happened?

 

[Sewer_Urchen]

Time...give it lots of time.

At least if it's dry, it'll mellow out with time...especially if you made it strong, my cider comes out around 12% and tastes harsh (sometimes undrinkable) for 8 months, a year even. If it's just juice fermented with no additives it won't need that long.

Also, cold crashing won't stop fermentation, it just slows it or puts it into hibernation, so if you added sugar after you cold crashed to sweeten it back up, you better drink that soon or you'll have bottle bombs.

 

[MindenMan]

Harsh as in alcohol burn, harsh? What yeast did you use, and what was your fermentation temperature?

 

[T_Baggins]

I've dried it from 1.124 to .998 at 72F with EC-1118 ...and yah, it's rocket fuel! I jacked some and aged it around a year and it was DELICIOUS!!!

 

[jefflane510]

We made out first cider, apple from the yard that we juiced. We pitched champagne yeast. In 1.5 weeks, it hit 1.000. So we cold crashed it. Before cold crashing, it tasted great but after two weeks crashing it tastes harsh. Has anyone seen this? Any comments on what may have happened?

Let it sit in the secondary for 3-6 months. Then tell us whether it tastes harsh. It's worth the time to wait, whether or not it's 100% juice or has added ingredients.

One other possibility...did you only use apples from your own tree? How do they taste? Apples vary widely, so does the cider made from single varietals. It might just be that the two week delay is bringing out the true nature of your apples, which if it tastes harsh, is unfortunate. Time will help!

 

[MindenMan]

A year ago September, I put up two bottles of applejack from the same batch. A couple of months ago, I found them and my wife and sampled from one of the bottles, wow, I never thought something that amazing was possible from apple juice. No, I didn't O.G. that batch, but after freezing out most of the water, I would just be guessing anyway. I have since put away various flavored versions made at different times this past year. If gallon sized apple juice goes on sale, I buy 2 or 3 along with 5 or 6 cans of frozen concentrate. I add Pasteur Red Yeast and the concentrate in stages along with nutrient, and in less than two weeks fermentation is done, and the apple flavor is great. I always leave the applejack a little sweet at bottling time, as I believe the aged flavor and mouth feel really benefit from it.
The batch I just bottled was made with peaches and apple juice. The peach flavor was very noticeable at bottling.

 

[chip82]

We crashed hoping to clear. I am going to rack and continue to condition. Is it recommended to blend apples?

 

[T_Baggins]

IMO blending is the only way to go...my local fruit farm makes the BEST sweet apple cider I have ever found, and that's how they do it. I've had the best results using their stuff.