questions for cider veterans!

[Brakeman_Brewing]

there are way too many threads and variations to making cider that i cant keep all the info ive been reading up on straight! so itd be sweet for some input on this specific below...

i dumped my first batch of cider that i completely messed up (it had preserves) and came up with a new idea that seems to have started itself brilliantly.

5 gal 100% apple juice no preserve
2 packets lalvin #1116 dry wine yeast
3 cups brown sugar
3 cinamin sticks

i took 1.9 liters of apple juice and low boiled it with the cinamin sticks for about a half an hour while dissolving in the 3 cups of brown sugar. i then dumped that into my primary with the rest of the juice. i activated 1 packet of the dry wine yeast and the other i just pitched right into the primary.

less than 12 hours later ive got some great action on my airlock, approx 10-14 'bloops' per minute.

so as of right now it looks like im on a roll. now my next steps i would like to hear some suggestions.

first off, im going to let primary go for 7 days and xfer to secondary (unless otherwise suggested?) this is the point id like some input on.

how long for secondary?
how long/how many times should it be racked?
what can i expect, and what method/precautions should i take when bottling?

if i could maybe get some of you veterans of the cider game to give me a "what would you do" if you had this batch on your hands.

Thanks! Cheers!

 

[mrk305]

no need to secondary. Leave it for month, then carb with 3/4 cup corn sugar and maybe a little more fresh juice. Should be great!

 

[Adolphus79]

Leave it in the primary at least a month. After that, racking to secondary is purely optional since you are using the filtered apple juice. With 3 pounds of brown sugar, it won't come out as perfectly clear as with corn sugar, and it may take a little longer to clear. I would give primary a month, then check it, if airlock activity has stopped (fermentation is complete), then rack it to secondary for another couple weeks or a month until it is cleared. You don't need to rack it though, you could just leave it in primary until cleared. This is a fairly simple recipe, and shouldn't take more than a month or two (depending on temperatures) to be complete and cleared.

I made a batch of Apfelwein with the dark brown sugar, and the extra molasses gave it quite a tartness. Really no precautions to take, other than making sure it's cleared. If you want it still (uncarbed), then just bottle it straight into some wine bottles as soon as it's cleared. If you want it carbed, then rack it onto 3/4 cup dextrose (corn sugar), and bottle it in beer or champagne bottles, and let condition for a couple weeks.

 

[beerdad]

Sounds good. Don't know what you mean by low boil but it is recommended only to go to around 150 - 160 degrees or you can create pectins. I tried some apple juice concentrate in my latest batch. I read that this leaves behind more apple flavor than juice. We'll see how it turns out.

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

oh by low boil i just meant it wasnt a rolling boil. it temped out just fine it just wasnt an intense boiling.

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

i would really like a semi-sweeter, low carbonation result, is that all basically determined by adding more fresh juice and then the priming sugar before bottling?

 

[mrk305]

If you want it sweeter, add Splenda. Priming sugar and the sugar in the juice will ferment and add carbonation. It won't add any sweetness for very long anyway.

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

alright sounds like ive got a great heads up and now i have an idea of where to go next.

thanks a ton everyone who posted

now ive just got to worry about the brown ale in my other primary....

Cheers!