First cider, in process!

[Bombeque]

Hey guys, I made a rookie mistake doing this the other day. The mix was 2.5 gallons "Country Acres" apple cider (<1% Potassium sorbate). That was the main mistake, but moving on. I also added 3 lbs honey and 1 lb of brown sugar. Probably overkill but maybe I can cold crash and get a sweeter cider? Thats what Im thinking. Anyway, as soon as I poured the cider in the carboy I instantly remember the deal with the potassium sorbate. I pitched the yeast anyway and let it sit for a few hours until I read that you could use a starter and have a chance of saving it. Luckily, I had another packet of yeast and some sorbate free juice. So I made the starter and added it this morning around 430. Got home tonight and its def taking off. Its bubbling about 1 bubble per second. My questions are how long will it take to ferment and how much alcohol could I expect to get from this?

Thanks

Tim

 

[dawgmatic]

It would have helped to have taken a gravity reading before you added the yeast. That way you could determine the alcohol content when fermentation had ceased. Its my understanding that potassium sorbate doesn't kill yeast, but rather prevents them from reproducing, so your starter probably saved that cider.

as for the expected alcohol content your guess is as good as mine.

 

[Bombeque]

Yea I know, I dont have a hygrometer yet. Getting all that for xmas. Im guessing around 9 percent, judging by what others have said. Ive heard you can expect around 1 percent per lb of sugar you add to a 5 gallon batch. Mine is around 2.5 gallons, so Im thinking 2 percent per lb and I added 3lbs honey and 1.5 lbs brown sugar. Thinking though that the honey would conservatively add 1.5 lbs fermentables. So that alone would add 5% plus the sugar content in the cider itself. My best guess...

 

[Bombeque]

I have since got a hygrometer and measured the gravity. Granted I didnt measure the starting gravity, but measured it at a week into the fermentation at 1.050. I also tasted it. It was slightly carbonated and very sweet still, but tasted great! To preserve some sweetness do I just cold crash? Im thinking another week of fermentation til its done.

 

[carltjones]

Cold crash if kegging and keep cold. Pasturize if bottling (read the sticky). Wine stabilizers (potassium or sodium metabisulfite) aren't 100%.

The sweet additions bumped the OG an EXTRA 1.06 - 1.08. Honey is 95% fermentable. You've got a honey wine. This wine would be best after several months.

 

[Bombeque]

Thanks for the reply! I just checked it again tonight. Sitting at 1.030 now. Down from 1.050 3 days ago. Tastes great, a bit less sweet as to be expected. I read the thread on pasturizing. Sounds like a plan! Whats your best guess on final abv given the added fermentables. The amount of sugar already in the cider was 3.17lbs. So a total of 3 lbs honey 1.5 lbs brown sugar and 3.17 lbs sugar in the cider.

 

[ACbrewer]

If you can get some of your original cider, you can get a good estimate on your OG... most juice is in the 1.040 range - I think someone this fall had a 1.046 cider, I'll use that. Honey has 35ppg, and sugar has 45ppg. so, your cider at 46 is a total of 115 points plus 45 brown sugar and 105 honey = 265 /2.5 gal for 110pts, I'm guessing your OG was about 1.110 since this is a wine not a beer, the alcohol is going to depend on yeast tollerance, not attenuation. you could actaully get that down to .990 (or lower?) and then have in the 14%+ dry and 'hot' cider.

btw, original post said 1lb brown sugar, later you say 1.5 lb.

Stopping fermentation is very hard, it is often better to let it finish, then stablize and back sweeten. I've yet to have a problem with that method. (stablize = rack of yeast, force sediment with clearifiers, rack of sediment -which has more yeast, add potasium sorbate et al.) The stablizing chems don't kill yeast, they just inhibit it, and given enough yeast, get overpowered.

Sweet stablized works well for still cider. IF you want bubbles, you need to pasturize. I've not done it, but it looks very straight forward.

 

[Bombeque]

Just an update. I had to dip into the cider for a taste...well one liter taste, for me and maw. I have to say Im impressed. Its still slightly sweet, but has a very pronounced alcohol note right now. I bought 12 1liter bottles with the rubber stopper caps. Im really thinking of just pasturizing tomorrow. Its plenty strong and just thr right amount of sweet. Plus I want this for xmas. Just needs a bit more carbonation. I have the drops, but I think all I need is to let it sit for a few hours bottles before pasturization. Am I on the right track on that?

 

[ACbrewer]

I'm not sure that flip tops can be pasturized... I've heard that flip top lids 'vent' if the preasure gets to high. Plus the carb drops will add a point or worth of sugar, which could make it sweeter, most of the time, the yeast consumes all that, but in your case, your going to being pasturizing.

Otherwise that seems like a good plan. Honestly though I should say that I'm out on a limb here as I haven't used flips or carb drops.

 

[Bombeque]

Well I just opened one of the bottles after bottling just a few hours ago. It foamed over! So I put them in the fridge. Think Im just going to cold crash em. Let the remaining sediment settle and drink!

 

[Bombeque]

So I dipped into one last night after sitting in the fridge for a day. It cleared quite nicely, and tasted really good. Went through half a bottle, have to say that the alcohol content must be around 12-13%. Its strong!