Secondary Ferment Cycle - Should I bottle carb?

[SunnyAndCher]

This is my first cider and I used a REALLY simple recipe: 5 Gallons unfiltered apple cider and 2 lbs brown sugar over the yeast cake from a Cream Ale.

Transferred it into secondary after a full three week ferment cycle came to a halt (sample was delish)... Two days later it was fermenting again. Figured it was just from aeration, but it went for another 4 weeks.

Talked to the local HBS, he recommended pasteurization (don't want to do this b/c the goal was to carbonate this cider)... also discusses malolactic fermentation?? Can this happen in a cider?? If so, can it be carbonated or did I just make a port apple wine?

Advice?

 

[JuiceyJay]

Pasturizing is what you do AFTER it's been bottled and carbonated.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

Yep, malolactic fermentation can definitely happen in cider. That could very well be what happened.

Regarding your racking having restarted the (standard, yeast) ferment ... Four more weeks of renewed fermentation, added to the original 3 weeks, is a somewhat long’ish ferment ... it would depend on having the right yeast and conditions etc. So while it could theoretically be possible to have renewed fermentation from the aeration of racking (where the extra oxygen restarted a stuck fermentation) ... without having any sugar/SG readings at the time of that racking you won’t really know the level of sugars that were there, that could have restarted that ferment ... nor whether there has been a further reduction of sugars due to the second ferment. Does it taste a lot less sweet now? (verses at racking)

Another uncertainty ... the cider would have been pretty low on the nutrients that it would be needing ... all this puts renewal of regular fermentation in at least some doubt.

In any regard though ... if it does not have any off flavors and is still pleasing ... then its fine.

As far as potential malolactic fermentation ... Taste the cider now ... does it taste a bit less tart now? MLF will change (reduce) the acid character of your cider.
But like I say ... if the taste is good, then it's fine.

I assume your carbonation intentions do not involve a tank of Carbon Dioxide?
Yes, you should be able to go on to carbonate in the bottle ... it’s just that you would need to do it pretty soon before all the yeast that may have been present have given up the ghost ... actually, I'd bet that your yeast is no longer up to the task and you very well might end up having to add a tiny pinch more of some aggressive yeast (EC-1118 is one that is fairly aggressive and importantly, has low nutrient requirements) in each of the bottles along with the “priming sugar" needed for the carbonating ferment.
You might consider buying some “priming tabs” ... little sugar pills that make measuring the sugar additions for carbonating easier.

You'll know quickly enough if the yeast are not up to it ... add some sugar to one of the bottles (use a plastic pop bottle for safety) give it a good shake, ... if ferment does not re-start within about a week, the original (cream ale) yeast may have called it quits.