How much head space for aging?

[DNW]

I'm helping my son-in-law make a batch of cider (great experience, BTW). I've only done one batch before myself, several years ago.

I thought we had enough juice in the 6 gallon carboys to fill a 5 gallon with enough left to at least have a sip...

But no. One of them is about half way between the step down and the neck, and the other is only about 1/4 the way.

Is that ok, or should they be topped off? If topped off, with what? We do still have some of the unfermented juice in the fridge.

Yeast pitched last Saturday morning at about 1.052, racked this afternoon at 1.002 and 1.006.

TIA

 

[Maylar]

It should be right up to the neck. If you don't have smaller vessels to transfer it to, then top up with the original juice.

 

[Scrumpy!]

You should use the refrigerated juice to top up your jugs to match Maylar's examples. Keep headspace to a minimum. If the jug is too full however, you may find your fermenting must pukes into the fermentation lock. If that happens, remove a little must, sanitize your fermentation lock and refill it.

 

[DNW]

Yeah i generally try to keep things into the neck after fermentation is complete, but I'd read of people just leaving cider in the original fermenter until completely complete, so I wasn't sure if I should top it off or not.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[ten80]

Yep, I leave some of my cidders in primary for over 13 months before bottling or kegging and the flavor complexity from D47 and 71B wine yeasts is really nice. I agree that minimal headspace is beneficial. I top up to the bottom of the neck.

 

[balrog]

It should be right up to the neck. If you don't have smaller vessels to transfer it to, then top up with the original juice.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I think I'm love with your wooden crate better bottle carrier, @Maylar