Starting a simple cider

[popeboy]

Well, let me tell you the first difference between champagne yeast and montrachet... came home from work today and my basement was very fragrant. I don't know if this is the "rhino farts" everyone's been talking about from nottingham, but there is a serious scent a-brewing down there! I guess I was picturing more of a straight up sulphur odor... but this is something I have never smelled before. Somewhere between fruit and putrid. Seriously funky!
Hilarious, but I assume it will subside in a few days. My airlock is going to town so this batch is on it's way!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

That's always a good thing. I check my airlock way to often, like it's an addiction.

 

[Vox]

I love using carboys so I can watch my cider do It's thing.

 

[JtotheA]

That's always a good thing. I check my airlock way to often, like it's an addiction.

Do you sniff your airlock like me? Wait for a blurp and then inhale? Haha! Someone said on one of the threads that they were addicted to doing it. I tend to shy away if it's sulfurry though. On a serious note, I hear that a sulfur smell means the yeast may be stressed and that nutrient/energizer helps with that.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

I totally do that! I wait for a bloop and take a whiff. Gotta see how it's doing(or smell)

 

[irchowi]

I'm actually making Edwort's apfelwein right now and it's been going for 11 days so far. I was surprised when I read that you only let your primary go for 10 days. What is it about apfelwein that makes it necessary to sit for a minimum of 5 weeks or the recommended 2-3 months?

As far as I can tell, all ciders are apple juice that may or may not include fermentable sugars but it seems like most ciders ferment for a very short period of time and still comes out tasty according to people's results.

If it's an issue with backsweetening or not, I am intending to backsweeten the apfelwein so would I still need to age it for so long?

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

I think it's a "cool" thing to do

 

[Vox]

I'm actually making Edwort's apfelwein right now and it's been going for 11 days so far. I was surprised when I read that you only let your primary go for 10 days. What is it about apfelwein that makes it necessary to sit for a minimum of 5 weeks or the recommended 2-3 months?

As far as I can tell, all ciders are apple juice that may or may not include fermentable sugars but it seems like most ciders ferment for a very short period of time and still comes out tasty according to people's results.

If it's an issue with backsweetening or not, I am intending to backsweeten the apfelwein so would I still need to age it for so long?

Actually several more recent posts suggest leaving it in the primary for 6 months to get a more cidery flavor. The apple flavor apparently comes back with aging. Hence why it tastes more like white wine after only a month or two. It's not as big of a deal if you're going to backsweeten since the forced sweetening will possibly cover up the young flavor of just the cider. I just made upstatemike's caramel apple cider which is tasty in a month because you backsweeten with a caramel sauce and apple juice concentrate. Essentially, for those that like a traditional, dry cider that is nice and flavorful naturally there is no substitute for time. Just my rookie take.