Help a novice out?

[Tkimmet55]

So I'm relatively new to cider brewing and have plenty of questions. I've bottled three gallons worth of ciders (all different yeasts and juices), and I've been happy with only one of them.

So my first couple of questions are what yeasts produce the most "apple cider" tasting product, what temperature do I need to keep it at while fermenting, and how long should I let it ferment in primary and secondary?

 

[CKuhns]

Here is what i use. MANY MANY other options out there but works for me...

Cider Recipe
• 4 gallons apple juice (Walmart - Indian Summer)
• 2 can of apple juice concentrate (Walmart - Great Value)
48 oz of brown sugar
• 1TBSP DAP / Fermaid K Mix
Safale S-04 Yeast (Works Great @ 60-64°F)

Secondary
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 clove
• ½ Vanilla Bean

 

[physics911]

Welcome to the obsession.

When you say, "the most apple cider tasting product", can you be a bit more specific? There are a lot of ways to make apple cider, from dry to sweet, and still to sparkling. With that being said, a lot of people dry their cider out (low final gravity) and then sweeten to taste (lots to consider here when bottling). To go completely dry you will probably use a champagne yeast, while others may suggest Nottingham ale yeast.

The temperature will depend on the yeast strain. Look to the yeast producer for the correct temperature range.

How long to ferment? The longer the better, as in multiple months if you can stand to wait. Ciders can benefit from moving to a secondary (lots of info on here about that), and always make sure there is as little air contact with the cider as possible - this is true for cider maybe more than anything else.

 

[Maylar]

Read the sticky...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=508303