Rookie Cider First Go & Questions

[EricU]

I live in Northern California (Napa) not too far from several different apple growing areas, Sonoma, Sebastopol, the Central Valley, Siskiyou and Shasta Counties are all within easy driving.

So I decided to start trying my hand at some small (3 gallon) batches of hard cider prior to trying to crush fresh apples next fall.

After going thru the internet, some books and finally finding this forum I started my first batch.

And now after reading thread after thread, I am starting to get a little lost.

For my first run I used a 3 gallon glass carboy, North Coast Organic Apple Juice from Whole Foods, it was unfiltered, pasteurized and cloudy.

On December 7, 2014 I added 2lbs of lt brown sugar dissolved into some heated apple juice.
Initial juice alone was PH of 3.54, SG = 1.052
After adding the brown sugar the PH went to 3.69 and the SG = 1.084

Into the carboy went the juice, sugar mix, one packet of Champagne yeast with a little yeast nutrient (apparently I did not write down how much in my notes) and added an airlock.
Room temp has been 55-60 degrees

Next day that stuff took off and was bubbling away.

I checked it last night after only 16 days and the fermentation looked to have stopped. I checked and the SG = 0.995, I couldn’t check the PH as I messed up one of my calibration liquids and I need to get more.

So I decided to taste it, I was kind of surprised how little of an apple flavor (none) and how much it tasted like a white wine/champagne.

Now my questions.

1. Doesn’t 16 days seem quick?
2. I have some growlers to transfer the cider to and would like to add carbonation to the mix. According to the beer priming calculator and using 3 gal, 2.5 volume of CO2 and 60 degrees, I get 2.4 oz of table sugar. Is that by weight?
3. Do I just add the sugar to the carboy, mix it up and put it in the growlers?
4. What is cold crashing? Do I need to?
5. How do I get more “Apple” flavor? From Yooper’s “Cider for Beginners” It seems that I should try a beer type yeast on the next go around. Is this correct?

Thanks for any help, Eric (And MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!)

 

[MarkKF]

That time seems about right.

Not sure if you can bottle condition in a growler without loosing pressure. Better to use beer bottles or swing top bottles, IKEA sells big ones for $3.99 ea.

You can add frozen Apple juice concentrate to get flavor back but it might over carb.

Next time use ale yeast like Nottingham or S-04 or a specific Apple cider yeast. Less sugar added before yeast results in more flavor after fermentation.

 

[Maylar]

You have about 11.6% ABV there. You've made wine, not cider. And as you've discovered, champagne yeast and a bunch of sugar leave no apple flavor.

Next time, don't add sugar. 1.050 OG is perfect. And use an ale yeast.

You can add some apple flavor back using one of the apple concentrate flavorings like the organic stuff sold by Nature's Flavors. Be warned though, it's incredibly concentrated and if you use too much you'll get an artificial Jolly Ranchers kind of taste (yuck). Only use like 1/8 teaspoon per gallon.

 

[MindenMan]

Maylar is correct, you have apple wine, not cider. Cold crash it, bottle it, and this time next year you should some really nice apfelwine. Apple juice and yeast is pretty much all you need. The choice of yeasts to use are many, and you will have to find one (or more) you really like the results from. Good luck!

 

[HawleyFarms]

You definitely made wine instead of cider. If you want a nice apple flavor and the OG of your juice is 1.04 or more, I wouldn't add any sugar at all. I find it strips the flavor.

Champagne yeast is extremely aggressive. There is not much I will use it for anymore. I've had it finish in as little as 7-10 days before.

Try an ale or saison yeast. I've had good luck with Cotes des blanc and D47 too.

 

[EricU]

Yeah, after reading Yooper's post and checking my SG, the wine taste kind of made sense. After all I did use Champagne yeast! It already tastes pretty good, but more of a hot summer afternoon backyard refresher.

I am trying to go for more of an Adult Apple Cider that has some apple taste.

But that is why I am trying to work out the bugs now, prior to next fall's harvest.

For this current batch I would like to try a couple of different things. Some I will leave as is and see what happens.
I have a number of brown glass swing top growlers, I think they are 2 ltr. each.

1. If I add sugar from my earlier calculation, will that add carbonization?
2. If I add the Frozen AJ concentrate, will that replace some sugar for carbonization?

What is:

• OG?
• Cold Crashing? I assume it kills any future yeast development? (and how to do it)

Thanks again for the help on these rookie questions and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

[HawleyFarms]

OG is original gravity. It is measuring the available sugar content of your juice/cider prior to fermentation. FG is the final gravity of your cider after fermentation.

Cold crashing I don't have any experience with but I believe it only drops the yeast out of suspension but I don't believe it kills it.

 

[CorporateHippie]

Cold crashing is when you take your finished product (in this case cider, though I ALWAYS do this to my beer), and place it in an area that can control the temperature to near freezing for an extended time. I have an upright freezer with an external thermostat that I use for my fermentation chamber. I place my finished beer (before it comes out of the carboy and gets bottled/kegged) and place it in the chamber for about 3 days at 34' F. All it does is clear up the beer. It drops yeast and little "floaties" out of suspension and makes for a great looking final product. It is NOT necessary but is nice for looks. This will not kill yeast.

My 2 cents for you though...DO NOT BOTTLE IN GROWLERS. The glass is not thick enough to handle carbonation and you will likely be building gigantic bottle bombs.

 

[EricU]

I really don't care about clearing my Cider (now wine), but would like to add some carbonization.

1. Do I just add the calculated amount of sugar before bottling?
2. If I add some frozen concentrate, does it add to the sugar level?
3. My glass growlers are pretty thick, If I didn't use them - what should I use?

 

[MindenMan]

1. Yes you can add the appropriate amount of sugar and carbonate.
2. If you add FAJC, it would only be used as a substitute for adding sugar to carbonate, no it will not add sweetness as it will ferment out.
3. I don't know of any glass growlers that are rated for fermentation, but yours could be. Empty beer bottles, or empty champagne bottles that have the right size necks to use beer bottle caps.

 

[AidanSavage]

I really don't care about clearing my Cider (now wine), but would like to add some carbonization.

1. Do I just add the calculated amount of sugar before bottling?
2. If I add some frozen concentrate, does it add to the sugar level?
3. My glass growlers are pretty thick, If I didn't use them - what should I use?

As far as sugar, carbonating, and FAJC, yes, you add the calculated amount before bottling (you can dissolve it into some water in a large stock pot, then siphon out of the fermentor into the pot, then making sure the priming sugar is evenly mixed, bottle out of the pot). FAJC can be used to give back some of the apple flavors lost because of the extremely aggressive fermentation, though I wouldnt use it as a priming sugar source, otherwise you just lose the flavor again.

Second, if you do add priming sugar, as well as the FAJC, you'll want to pasteurize the bottles once carbed to your liking. The champagne yeasts are able to shrug off cold temperatures and keep chugging happily until there's nothing left or they explode the bottles.

The growlers I cant say either way as I only use the 12 oz amber bottles (case of 24, ~$12ish at most LHBS).

 

[MarkKF]

The growlers I cant say either way as I only use the 12 oz amber bottles (case of 24, ~$12ish at most LHBS).

I get beer bottles for only 5 cents each when I buy beer.

 

[AidanSavage]

I get beer bottles for only 5 cents each when I buy beer.

Cant stand most beers unfortunately, and F&F dont drink too often outside of events. To top it off, it's impossible to find a bar or restaurant that recycles (or even separates) their bottles near me. God knows I've tried. Probably doesnt help that we dont have the bottle/can deposit. Getting a case from my LHBS was a compromise between buying beer and dumping it and dumpster-diving.