My first cider

[applescrap]

Any thoughts on why my ciders have been clearing in 7 days and others have reported weeks. Is it the fact i don't use sugar, or the champagne yeast vs beer yeast?

 

[z-bob]

Any thoughts on why my ciders have been clearing in 7 days and others have reported weeks. Is it the fact i don't use sugar, or the champagne yeast vs beer yeast?

I just did a gallon of grape juice with no sugar, and it was finished and clear in less than 2 weeks even tho' I used bread yeast. (I also fined it with gelatin) But it's taking forever to carbonate.

 

[ericbw]

I think the yeast probably clears faster than some others. If you don't add sugar, then there is less work for it to do as well.

Cider does go faster than beer - finishing the initial ferment in a few days.

 

[Drewed]

Some of it also depends on your juice. A cloudy cider will take longer to clear vs a clear apple juice.

 

[applescrap]

The second batch still aging tastes really good. The one with lightly flavored Oak is good. They definitely are less sour than the one made with out the nutrient, but I swear I can still taste that nasty stuff in the background.

 

[applescrap]

Got around to finally racking that second batch, has been sitting there about a month now. Honestly, I could see myself getting into the lightly oaked one, with some sugar added to strengthen it. Like a nice oaky wine almost. 1 can concentrate added with 3.5 gallons ish of the juice. Sorbated and campden a few days ago. Learned the hard way that the campden must be crushed. Oh well, the larger chunks of each half pill mostly stayed in bottles as I gently poured them into the keg. Added the juice concentrate, purged about 15 x , I use plenty of gas and force carbed. Cant wait to taste it.

 

[ericbw]

I don't usually use concentrate at the end. I use fresh juice, which reduces the alcohol, but also sweetens it. I usually use 2/3 fermented juice and 1/3 fresh. That's my quick way of doing it. But since you're not adding any sugar, using concentrate makes sense - you have lower ABV already and don't need to dilute.

1 can in 2.5-3.5 gallons sounds good.

Also, I crush the campden tablets in a tiny bit of water with a mortar and pestle. It's still chunky, but smaller chunks.

 

[applescrap]

Thanks eric for the help and knowledge. Yeah, I didn't get it carbonated, trying a new technique, and the first glass was so sticky sweet, I was like I need to brew more or dump it. So woke up this morning and realized maybe they didn't get Blended and I hope I didn't drink an entire glass of that concentrate last night. That means there won't be enough for the rest. Well without tasting I carbed it up, and it is sitting. I'll report back later. Yep, I wanted to use concentrate to not dilute it. Like I said I can see adding a bunch of sugar and oaking it, and then letting it sit. I think it would make a nice little wine like drink. I don't usually add sugar to things to bump the ABV, only to dry it out. Perhaps in cider making I am missing something as I know most people do add sugar. The constant degassing, imo, is a viable tecnique. It does seem like cleaning a dirty diaper. Nobody wants their cider sitting in a dirty diaper.

 

[MarkKF]

You can ferment juice with no added sugar and get 6-7 % ABV. Then back sweeten with freeze concentrated juice (kinda like FAJC) but it's all natural. It won't lower the ABV much.

 

[applescrap]

Reread this thread and really grateful for all the great tips. Wish I would have followed them better before, but onto the now. We got 2g juice set for kids in 1g containers at sams club and I thought about getting a set for me for cider, but thought naw get some real juice. Tasted it and thought, ok, good enough and got other unopened gallon. Poured a little out. Eyeballed the yeast and nutrient and away it goes. Shaking a little here and there. Seems like taking a longer time than kroger juice. Am going to back sweeten using ericbw advice 2/3 to 1/3, but is that 1/3 of one gallon. Or 1/3 of 1 and a third gallon, the total amount? Need to pour out less next time

 

[applescrap]

Came out awesome. One quart of blackcherry to one gallon cider. Came out exactly as desired. Love this stuff. Dang that camden didnt melt. Chunks floating around.

 

[MarkKF]

Looks yummy

 

[Alcoholic Andy]

Looks purdy!

 

[applescrap]

Thanks! Even swmbo is drinking it.