New to Cider

[BigZern]

Hey everyone. I've made my fair share of beer and wine and have turned out good. I decided to try a hard cider. I went to my local farm stand and purchased 5 gallons of pressed cold pasterized cider, added a bag add brown sugar and some SA-05 yeast(had it lying around). Simple for my first attempt. It's been fermenting with a layer of "foam"on top for 3 weeks straight now and still going pretty strong. Just wondering how normal this was. My house is around 65° (trying to save on oil bill). I'm planning on racking once and bottle carbonation. Wondered how long it usually takes for cider and if this all sounds and looks normal. Thanks everyone for the help

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[Randzor]

Did you add neutrients? If not usually a month possibly.

 

[BigZern]

No I didn't but I have some. Should I add it now or just wait? Also when I rack my beer I do it before its done fermenting, it's it the same with cider?

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[Randzor]

I add it at the begining. Seems to speed up fermentation significantly.

 

[phug]

Let it ride. There are good things to be said for slow and cool



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[MarkKF]

I just did 5 gal. with 5 cups sugar, nutrients and S-04 yeast. Foam after a day and no foam after 4 days. Still active after a week.


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[MarkKF]

I just did 5 gal. with 5 cups sugar, nutrients and S-04 yeast. Foam after a day and no foam after 4 days. Still active after a week.


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[MarkKF]

Here it is on Day two.


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[phug]

Looks good


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[phug]

Though you won't want to leave that much headspace for an extended amount of time


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[MarkKF]

Though you won't want to leave that much headspace for an extended amount of time


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Yup. When active fermentation stops I rack into a smaller carboy. As long as it's bubbling there is little to no O2 in the carboy.


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[MarkKF]

S. G. 1.080 starting gravity
10 days later S. G. 1.020
Fermentation slowed enough.
Racked into a 5 gal. Carboy.


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[BigZern]

Ok so here's an update on mine. It looked greatly slowed so I racked it into a second carboy. Figured I would taste it to see if it how it was going... it was sickeningly sweet still. Like the yeast hardly fermented anything. So I went to snag my hydrometer to see if any shenanigans were going on, and I dropped and broke it. Out of frustration I took some water, sugar, and nutrient dissolved in a vessel and the it in the new carboy also pitched another yeast. It has been going for a month and a half so far....Hope this was the right move

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[phug]

For next time the extra sugar is unnecessary and counter productive but should hurt much. If you like drier ciders then 1.020 is a little bit less sweet than angry orchard for instance which is too sweet for many folks.

Too bad about your hydrometer, just give it more time and if the sample still tastes too sweet, consider pitching something aggressive to clean up the sugars, like ec 1118


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[Sewer_Urchen]

That strain of yeast might not do well in the colder room (in my experience 04 and 05 tend to do better around 70*), if it's too sweet try adding a different yeast, like a wine yeast; I usually use Red Star Champagne or Lalvin D-47, they can ferment down as far as .992, and go slow but can handle fermenting in the 62*-65* temp range just fine. Adding the nutrient probably won't help the yeast that was in there, it's just to help the yeast with the growing stage and doesn't really effect the fermenting stage, but it might help the yeast you threw in there if it's a different strain.

 

[BigZern]

I have some red star champagne yeast. I'll throw it in cause at this point....why not... I know what many will say about not trying to rush and stop messing with it but..I need the space for other projects. On a lighter note the second cider I have started its going great..but that's from a kit

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