This is my 3rd year making cider.
It's been quite a challenge but in hindsight I suppose it's part of the fun of making your own cider!
I had 1 gallon of freshly squeezed juice and pitched rehydrated Nottingham ale yeast. ( I like a sweet cider)
It was kept in my garage and I think it was too cold so the yeast never got hold and after bringing it inside it never really started. After a week the juice was still on its OG of 1046.
With no sign of fermentation I reluctantly re-pitched a general wine yeast and nutrient. (All I had)
Next morning, BOOM! Fermentation was going crazy. I was a happy bunny.
A week later it was 1002. Here I was in two minds. I initially wanted to bottle above 1000 to retain sweeteness but I decided to rack to secondary to clear. 2 days later the reading was .998 so I bottled the cider with 1/2tsp of sugar and backsweetened with Canderel.
Points for next time:
1. Keep it inside
2. Check reading earlier and rack to secondary earlier.
3. Doing this will enable me to use yeast of choice instead of what's lying around house!
I am concerned this cider will be very dry and lack some depth buy I'm just happy I did manage to bottle something!
Hey Ho you live and learn.
Cheers
It's been quite a challenge but in hindsight I suppose it's part of the fun of making your own cider!
I had 1 gallon of freshly squeezed juice and pitched rehydrated Nottingham ale yeast. ( I like a sweet cider)
It was kept in my garage and I think it was too cold so the yeast never got hold and after bringing it inside it never really started. After a week the juice was still on its OG of 1046.
With no sign of fermentation I reluctantly re-pitched a general wine yeast and nutrient. (All I had)
Next morning, BOOM! Fermentation was going crazy. I was a happy bunny.
A week later it was 1002. Here I was in two minds. I initially wanted to bottle above 1000 to retain sweeteness but I decided to rack to secondary to clear. 2 days later the reading was .998 so I bottled the cider with 1/2tsp of sugar and backsweetened with Canderel.
Points for next time:
1. Keep it inside
2. Check reading earlier and rack to secondary earlier.
3. Doing this will enable me to use yeast of choice instead of what's lying around house!
I am concerned this cider will be very dry and lack some depth buy I'm just happy I did manage to bottle something!
Hey Ho you live and learn.
Cheers
