New to Forum and Cidering. (well brewing altogether)

[Fanoffermentation]

Forgot to mention...re: campden tabs...it sounds lime you are trying to use them to halt the fermentation for residual sweetness? Then maybe you are adding some form of additional sugar to sweeten? If you put this stuff to bottle when it's still actively fermenting, then yeah, it'll have some bubbles, but not much. If you want gas and don't want to keg, just prime with sugar and carbonate in bottle. If you want still, then that could take more time in the carboy, or some type of agitator to free up the CO2, or one of those vacuum systems.

 

[AWKBrewing13]

For using English Cider yeast from white labs does anybody use a yeast starter for their ciders?

 

[AWKBrewing13]

So i went to walmart to find a cheap apple juice and found indian summer. Contents: Apple juice, Apple Juice Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C)

Is this ok to start using? it was like 3.88 a gallon I think.

 

[DoctorWho]

Yes, that juice is ok to use. Really any juice that has Ascorbic and/or Malic acid as the additives will be fine. You want to stay away from any that have sorbates or sulfites.

 

[AWKBrewing13]

does anyone make a yeast starter for their cider?

 

[RobWalker]

every now and then. just pour a little of your apple juice into a sterile container with the yeast, let it sit airtight until it's foamy, then chuck it in your brew. you're basically making a mini version of your main brew. I always found that it doesn't really matter though - most of my stuff starts fermenting the same day, usually, and that's with dry yeast.

 

[DoctorWho]

Generally, a yeast starter is unnecessary as the apple juice has plenty of sugar and nutrients for yeast to start off happy and healthy. I know many people who don't even rehydrate, they just pitch dry from the pouch.

The only time I would do a stater is if I was going to use natural/wild yeast from hand picked or organic apples, but this idea seems too much trouble with how easy it is to use prepackaged champagne/ale yeast.

 

[AWKBrewing13]

I see a lot of champagne/ale yeast... Not a lot of English cider yeast. Why is that?

 

[DoctorWho]

For me it's the price...also most of the recipes I use actually call for a champagne (I like Red Star Montrachet and Lalvin EC-1118) or ale (Danstar Nottingham) yeast.