70Cuda383
Well-Known Member
been doing this home brew thing for about 2 years now. I've done 2 batches of cider and just started my third.
First batch of cider was a lesson on aging. I thought like beer, my cider/mead would taste great in 2-3 months. oops.
a year later it was mellowed out and very smooth.
Second batch I didn't even touch till the 1 year mark and it was awesome. smelled like fresh picked apples, and had a tart finish that was just enough to make your mouth water, without puckering up.
only problem....I want carbonation!
but, both batches were flat.
I don't taste any sweetness in them, so I assume the sugar was consumed, but I'm wondering if I need to add more sugar, or if something else is going on, and I just can't taste the leftover sugar?
I did not take OGs, but both batches had several pounds of honey and brown sugar added, and I used a champagne yeast. they were both 5 gallon batches, and I added 5 oz of regular old table sugar like I do to my beers.
I've not had a bottle of beer or cider explode, but I've heard that ciders are more likely to build up too much carbonation than beer, so my first batch I only added about 4 oz of sugar because I wanted to avoid the bombs.
however, last years got the full 5 oz...but then instead of 12 oz bottles, I used champagne bottles.
Is it likely that my yeast are going dormant/dying in the higher alcohol content and I should pitch more yeast a day before I bottle? or do I simply need to add more sugar at bottling?
First batch of cider was a lesson on aging. I thought like beer, my cider/mead would taste great in 2-3 months. oops.
a year later it was mellowed out and very smooth.
Second batch I didn't even touch till the 1 year mark and it was awesome. smelled like fresh picked apples, and had a tart finish that was just enough to make your mouth water, without puckering up.
only problem....I want carbonation!
but, both batches were flat.
I don't taste any sweetness in them, so I assume the sugar was consumed, but I'm wondering if I need to add more sugar, or if something else is going on, and I just can't taste the leftover sugar?
I did not take OGs, but both batches had several pounds of honey and brown sugar added, and I used a champagne yeast. they were both 5 gallon batches, and I added 5 oz of regular old table sugar like I do to my beers.
I've not had a bottle of beer or cider explode, but I've heard that ciders are more likely to build up too much carbonation than beer, so my first batch I only added about 4 oz of sugar because I wanted to avoid the bombs.
however, last years got the full 5 oz...but then instead of 12 oz bottles, I used champagne bottles.
Is it likely that my yeast are going dormant/dying in the higher alcohol content and I should pitch more yeast a day before I bottle? or do I simply need to add more sugar at bottling?
