First cider in process

[timeasterday]

The weekend before last I started my first batch of cider after taking a class at the LHBS. I started off with 1.5 gallons of freshly pressed cider in a 2-gal plastic bucket. I added 1.5 Na-meta tablets and let it sit for about 36 hours. Then I pitched the yeast (71B-1122) and put on the lid & airlock. It took about 36 hours to see any bubbling in the airlock. After about 3 days it was bubbling about once a second, but that only lasted a day. Then it slowed down quickly.

Yesterday I decided to take a measurement after seeing no activity in the airlock. The gravity was right at 1.000 after starting a week earlier at just a hair under 1.050. Not sure if that means it is done or not? I'll take another reading in a couple of days and see.

My biggest question at this point is what should the cider be like right now? I drank most of the sample I took, and it didn't taste bad but it wasn't something I would enjoy drinking. There was no apple taste, just a sour alcohol sorta-yeasty taste. The color was yellowish and very cloudy. I'm hoping this improves and turns into something I would enjoy drinking.

 

[phendog]

Wine yeast like 71B-1122 will result in a dry cider. Apple juice/pressed cider is 100% fermentable. During fermentation, all sugar (therefore) flavor) will be consumed and turned into alcohol leaving a dry white wine taste. I you want sweeter cider, try using another yeast like White Labs WLP-775. Or, you can let your cider ferment completely dry, rack off the lees and hit with Potassium Sorbate and then back sweeten.

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi phendog... Not sure I agree that all the flavor is simply the sugar. Some folk might prefer a sweeter cider but the flavor is quite distinct from the fermentable sugars. If you have ever tasted cider made with indigenous yeast you can see that for yourself. What seems to happen with green wines and ciders is that the flavor is hidden by the fermentation process and the yeast need time to clean up the chemicals and compounds they produce. Looking for a drinkable cider after 14 days is a little like a five year old child to be able to do calculus...

 

[timeasterday]

Wine yeast like 71B-1122 will result in a dry cider. Apple juice/pressed cider is 100% fermentable. During fermentation, all sugar (therefore) flavor) will be consumed and turned into alcohol leaving a dry white wine taste. I you want sweeter cider, try using another yeast like White Labs WLP-775. Or, you can let your cider ferment completely dry, rack off the lees and hit with Potassium Sorbate and then back sweeten.

Yeah that's what it tasted like - white wine. I really don't like white wine. I'll definitely need to back sweeten this stuff. Maybe I'll work on another batch with the WLP775 soon while we still have fresh cider available.

 

[dmtaylor]

Add 4 oz xylitol. It's difficult to find and expensive, but it tastes exactly like sugar AND it is not fermentable. Problem solved.

As for yeast, some better ones to try for next time are Cote des Blancs and US-05. They will still ferment dry, but not quite as dry. If you ferment cool around 55-60 F, they will retain even more natural sweetness.

 

[phendog]

Hi phendog... Not sure I agree that all the flavor is simply the sugar. Some folk might prefer a sweeter cider but the flavor is quite distinct from the fermentable sugars. If you have ever tasted cider made with indigenous yeast you can see that for yourself. What seems to happen with green wines and ciders is that the flavor is hidden by the fermentation process and the yeast need time to clean up the chemicals and compounds they produce. Looking for a drinkable cider after 14 days is a little like a five year old child to be able to do calculus...

I have no experience with indigenous yeast, but no argument yeast play a major part in overall flavor. Would love to find something commercial that produces an apple ester, yet ferments out semi to dry. That said, the apple flavor matures a bit with aging, but no denying fermentation has a significant impact on presence (lack thereof) of apple flavor and sweetness.