first time screw up?

[meece2010]

so, this is my first batch of cider and i apologize for the noobness, but i have a 3 gallon carboy that i filled with straight up, unpasteurized juice. i use a few cambden tablets and let it sit for 1 day. i used a whole 5 gram packet (which i thought wouldn't be that big of a problem except for some yeasty flavors) of RED STAR Premier Blanc. I pitched on the 27th and it hasn't been 2 weeks and it looks like my primary is done? i took a reading and I'm almost at 1.000. some I'm wondering if its any good now cause i have no apple notes at all, you just taste the dryness.
And if its still good, what are some good ways that you do of sprucing up the flavors in your cider?
I appreciate the help

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi meece2010 - just to comment on your assumption. You cannot over pitch yeast as a home wine maker . One pack to make one gallon is good - not excessive and any yeast flavor comes from UNDER-pitching, not over pitching.
Apple flavors tend to return after a few months. It takes the yeast many weeks to clear up many of the compounds they produce especially if they are not provided with sufficient nutrients. Apple flavor may be even more highlighted if the cider is sweeter than brut dry, but fermenting store bought juice (whether called juice or cider) almost always results in a less than good hard cider largely because the selection of the apples used to make a soft drink does not include the flavor rich strains, the acid rich strains, and the tannin rich strains that hard cider makers tend to look for.
Last point: the dominant acid found in apples is malic. Malic is a strong acid. Yeasts such as 71B have an affinity for malic and many (most) cider makers select 71B (or 47D) for cider making. Brewers on thsi forum often opt for ale yeasts and novices seem to select champagne yeasts. The latter is notorious for the aggressive way they ferment and blow off flavors and aromatic notes.

 

[meece2010]

thanks for the clarification. i thought i did enough research on the type of yeast to use, I've read a few places that said a champagne yeast would be fine, but i guess this hobby is more of a trial and error thing, haha. thanks for the help.
So do you think it would be worth it to try a little apple extract or cinnamon and whatnot once i bottle or just start over?

 

[Maylar]

Give it another 2 weeks to settle and clear a bit. Then draw off a sample and sweeten it with a bit of sugar. See if it tastes any better that way.

 

[MarkKF]

I find most ciders taste batter after 6-9 months in a carboy without dead yeast & solids. Rack & wait.

 

[meece2010]

its hard planning for 5 or 6 months whenever you can either turn up with liquid gold or vinegar haha. I appreciate the help guys. first timer and there are so many questions that I cant find a direct answer to online.

 

[johnnyseko]

I have the same issue - used Premier Blanc for my first ciders - bleh. Maybe would have been better if I had stopped the ferment at some point....went down to .993 - no flavor, and lots of alcohol. The ones I bottled were only in secondary for a few weeks. I have a few more single gallons aging longer to see if it helps. I've since started a few with nottingham and I'm going to get some WL775. Still waiting for the 773 from the vault as well. The experiments continue.

 

[meece2010]

how long do you plan on aging those gallons johnny?

 

[johnnyseko]

how long do you plan on aging those gallons johnny?

I'd like to go for 6mo but if I make it to 3 I think I'll be happy. I just picked up the WL775 and 4 gallons of fresh cider and that is going to get tucked away for the longer duration.

I'm trying to break up the long wait with some faster single gallon batches like Caramel Apple and Turbo Cider recipes to test those. I'm really curious to see if the 775 tastes good bottle carbing straight out of primary as I've seen in some videos.