My first batch.

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Mooglebass

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With my new found love of ciders, i tried making my first cider a week ago today. I made a small 1 gallon batch. Used 2 64 oz bottles of Aldi's apple juice, some added sugar to boost the abv and Safale WB-06 Dried Wheat Ale Yeast, 11.5g. May have not been the best yeast to use, but i had it laying around as i was going to make easy wheat beer from great fermentations. Mixed the juice and sugar, shook it, took a sample. It read 1.050. Then added almost all of that yeast. Which in hindsight may have been way to much, air locked and set it in my garage under the cabinets.

Took a sample today of it, bubbles in the air lock slowly. Maybe a minute apart or so. The sample from today reads 1.000. I tasted that sample. I know its has no carb to it so that was off to me. But it tasted tart and maybe a little filmy. Its not clear by no means though. Should I rack it to a second bottle? Throw it out or wait some more to see what it will do? Any tips or pointers anything will help this newbie. Thanks
 
Definitely don't throw it out! Sounds like all that yeast had a big ole partay. Looks like you more than doubled the amount of yeast necessary. Just have to let that yeast know the party is over;) Might be wise to rack to a secondary and cool it. I think the yeast you used is perfectly fine. I'm still playing around with all sorts of ale yeasts myself. Definitely sticking with ale yeast. From my experience, the slower the ferment the better. I imagine it got pretty warm in the garage which would provide for a fast primary ferment. It seems the quicker it gets to 1.00, the longer it should age and vice versa. And btw, any juice will do...with no preservatives.
 
I think most would say rack to a secondary til it clears. I got to the same point last weekend on my 1st brew though and I just added a bit of sugar and bottled for carbing. Tasted good, after it was done carbing it cleared pretty well. Mine finished in about a week like yours and took 3 days to carb up. The only bad thing I found about bottling before it clears is the yeast collects in the bottom so you need to be careful when pouring not to chuck that into your drinking glass too. I am going to try clearing my next batch though.
 
That yeast in the bottom of the bottle has vitamin B which is good for hangovers.
 
Here is my first gallon racked to a half gallon each. I put some fresh pears and racked it on them. Hope I dis it right if not, its experience for what not to do. The tape is there to hold the plug on the gallon, when I first did my cider it wouldn't stay in so its all I had.

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Normally once primary fermentation ceases, you will want to eliminate headspace in your containers as much as possible. There is not enough co2 being produced to prevent oxidation. You want to size your container so that you fill it at least to the beginning of the neck of the bottle/carboy.
 
Oppps, so I provably screwed this batch up...I should have topped it off with more Apple juice last night? If it messes up, I'm not to worried, live and learn, I guess.
 
Oppps, so I provably screwed this batch up...I should have topped it off with more Apple juice last night? If it messes up, I'm not to worried, live and learn, I guess.

NAH......I'd go ahead and top them off now. It will take off and ferment some more but that's ok.
 
Ok, ill stop on the way home and get some juice. I really hope it works out. Thanks for the help.
 
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