Hard cider

[Kirbstreet51]

Just bottled my hard cider (a week ago), I sampled some as I was bottling and it was a bit alcohol tasting and also had a bitter bite to it. How long should I leave it in the bottle before I start drinking it?

 

[thadass]

Well, "until it tastes good" unfortunately is the only real answer, but there are some other pieces of information that can be helpful to guess-
What kind of yeast did you use?
What did you use to make your must? (grocery store juice, frozen, fresh apples, etc)
Did you add any sweetener?

 

[mrphillips]

I used T-58 in my last batch, and it did exceedingly well.

In regards to the OP, time will heal all wounds. If you're impatient like I am, you could also pasteurize at 140 degrees for 30 min. (at least that's what I did), and back-sweeten with a little bit of brown sugar to taste.

All and all, I would set it in a dark closet and spend the next year brewing delicious beers and ciders, only to discover your long-lost carboy months later, filled with deliciously aged cider. You'll be enjoying it next Christmas with a smile!

 

[Kirbstreet51]

I used champaign yeast, grocery store cider and added a half cup of brown sugar. I let it ferment over a month before bottling. I never got any gravity readings because my wife busted my hydrometer! I have since got a new one.

 

[thadass]

My cider/apfelwein (store juice, dextrose, champagne yeast) took about 6 months to really be good

 

[Kirbstreet51]

That's what I was afraid of!

 

[thadass]

That's what I was afraid of!

Better start another batch!
Maybe try a recipe with an ale yeast instead of a wine yeast

 

[theck]

I've only been doing ale yeasts, but if you pull the cider at 1.01ish it's much more sweet then letting it go below that (more wine like).

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