chevalcider
Well-Known Member
First time poster.
I have just started brewing ciders (first brewing attempt altogether). My first batch was close to six gallons of pressed juice from a batch of Trail crab apples. I racked it four times (the final one being into the bottling bucket - bottling immediately after racking. I back sweetened with sugar and bottled with intentions of doing the stovetop pasteurization once it had reached the right carbonation. I am 9 days in and my test bottle still isn't much firmer than the day I bottled. This seems odd to me as the cider fermented out in 1 week initially. I have searched the forum and I still haven't been able to tell how long I should be waiting.
Here are my particulars:
- OG 1.053
- FG 0.998 (after 1 week in primary)
- Fresh pressed juice - 5 campden tabs
- Yeast - EC 1118 rehydrated and pitched 24 hours after sulfite
- 7 days from 1.053 to 0.998
- 1st racking @ 7 days
- 2nd racking after another 2 weeks
- 3rd racking 1 week later
- After about 1 week after 3rd racking I used 1/2 pack Knox gelatin and let rest 5 more days. Turned out incredibly clear.
- Racked into bottling bucket and back sweetened to a SG of 1.014. My forum searches seemed to tell me that this Sg would give me carbonation and still leave enough residual sweetness once pasteurized.
- Bottled into clear glass bottles. Mix of MGD, Twisted Tea and Smirnoff Ice (something I think we only get here in Canada)
- Filled one plastic Coke bottle as a tester.
- Bottles stored in the same room I did my primary and secondary fermentations. Temperature is almost always between 68 and 70.
I made the assumption that since the primary fermented out from 1.053 to 0.998 in one week, my carbonation would happen at a similar rate, especially considering I'm using the EC 1118 yeast. I've cracked open three bottles and sampled. It doesn't taste too bad...only a slight rubbing alcohol feel in the nose...definitely diminishing as it ages. The last one I sampled seems to have a slight carbonation bite and a very small puffing hiss when I opened it. The sweetness is definitely diminished since bottling. There is also a small dusting of sediment on the bottom of the bottle.
Am I being impatient? Will it carb? Was my assumption that the EC 1118 would carb up fast a mistaken one/ Should I do anything else? A warmer place for the bottles?
I have just started brewing ciders (first brewing attempt altogether). My first batch was close to six gallons of pressed juice from a batch of Trail crab apples. I racked it four times (the final one being into the bottling bucket - bottling immediately after racking. I back sweetened with sugar and bottled with intentions of doing the stovetop pasteurization once it had reached the right carbonation. I am 9 days in and my test bottle still isn't much firmer than the day I bottled. This seems odd to me as the cider fermented out in 1 week initially. I have searched the forum and I still haven't been able to tell how long I should be waiting.
Here are my particulars:
- OG 1.053
- FG 0.998 (after 1 week in primary)
- Fresh pressed juice - 5 campden tabs
- Yeast - EC 1118 rehydrated and pitched 24 hours after sulfite
- 7 days from 1.053 to 0.998
- 1st racking @ 7 days
- 2nd racking after another 2 weeks
- 3rd racking 1 week later
- After about 1 week after 3rd racking I used 1/2 pack Knox gelatin and let rest 5 more days. Turned out incredibly clear.
- Racked into bottling bucket and back sweetened to a SG of 1.014. My forum searches seemed to tell me that this Sg would give me carbonation and still leave enough residual sweetness once pasteurized.
- Bottled into clear glass bottles. Mix of MGD, Twisted Tea and Smirnoff Ice (something I think we only get here in Canada)
- Filled one plastic Coke bottle as a tester.
- Bottles stored in the same room I did my primary and secondary fermentations. Temperature is almost always between 68 and 70.
I made the assumption that since the primary fermented out from 1.053 to 0.998 in one week, my carbonation would happen at a similar rate, especially considering I'm using the EC 1118 yeast. I've cracked open three bottles and sampled. It doesn't taste too bad...only a slight rubbing alcohol feel in the nose...definitely diminishing as it ages. The last one I sampled seems to have a slight carbonation bite and a very small puffing hiss when I opened it. The sweetness is definitely diminished since bottling. There is also a small dusting of sediment on the bottom of the bottle.
Am I being impatient? Will it carb? Was my assumption that the EC 1118 would carb up fast a mistaken one/ Should I do anything else? A warmer place for the bottles?
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
