What are my aging options?

[CMcPherson]

My first cider is in bottles and I never did have any hopes for its quality.
#2 has been in secondary for about 2 months and I have better hopes for this one.
I think that I understand that I can:
Bulk age in a carboy with airlock or a keg
Or
Bottle

Do I have other options for aging?

 

[SomersetRedstreak]

I favour bulk ageing in glass carboys under airlock.
Bottle ageing is ok too.
I would leave your #2 batch in secondary, as it is, unless it is still sat on a lot of lees.

 

[CMcPherson]

Thank you.
Is bulk aging in a PET or Better Bottle a bad idea?
#2 was transferred to a 3 gal. bottle and is at 1.005. It just went into cold crash.

What is the difference between secondary fermentation and bulk aging?
Does it have anything to do with fermentation activity?

 

[BigFloyd]

Secondary fermentation is something of a misnomer. Most folks use a secondary vessel to clarify and/or bulk age. No fermentation is happening there. It's already done by that time. A Better Bottle is fine for the bulk aging you're looking at.

I age mine for 1-4 months (depending to available tap space) at 35*F AFTER I've cold crashed the primary a week, racked it to a corny keg, hit it with Potassium Sorbate (to stop yeast activity) and back-sweetened/flavored it. Most times I serve it still (uncarbonated), otherwise I'll let it sit a couple weeks in the keezer at 12psi of CO2.

 

[SomersetRedstreak]

Thank you.
Is bulk aging in a PET or Better Bottle a bad idea?
#2 was transferred to a 3 gal. bottle and is at 1.005. It just went into cold crash.

What is the difference between secondary fermentation and bulk aging?
Does it have anything to do with fermentation activity?

I keep cider in brown PET bottles for 4 months max as they are slightly porous to gasses. I'm not sure what Better Bottles are but they may be thicker in construction.
Secondary and aging can be the same thing.
If I'm planning on aging the cider for the long term, it's glass and under airlock for me.

 

[CMcPherson]

Thank you both very much for your time.

I age mine for 1-4 months (depending to available tap space) at 35*F AFTER I've cold crashed the primary a week, racked it to a corny keg, hit it with Potassium Sorbate (to stop yeast activity) and back-sweetened/flavored it. Most times I serve it still (uncarbonated), otherwise I'll let it sit a couple weeks in the keezer at 12psi of CO2.

Organized for clarification:

Cold crash for a week
Rack to a corny keg (or other secondary vessel)
Hit it with potassium sorbate (to stop yeast activity)
Back-sweetened/flavor it.
Age for 1-4 months (or as long as necessary) 35*f
Serve it still or let it sit a couple weeks 12psi of co2 for carbonation

Is this correct?
Wouldn't back sweetening/flavoring happen after aging so that accurate taste profile can be determined?
This is a question that I've been wanting to ask anyway.
I have my second batch cold crashing as of yesterday. I want to add a can of Black Cherry flavored FAJC but am not sure of when to do it. I plan on bottle carbing this one.
I will have my keg carbing system set up by the time I have #3 done.

 

[Frognostic]

I think how long you age it should depend on it's alcohol content, amongst other things.

If it tastes a little harsh, or whatever, then ageing for a year or more might take the edge off it. Some howebrew, admittedly not cider, that started off tasting like battery acid did mellow out after an ageing process of over a year.

With the cider I've made there was not much that made it a year without drinking. I made about four gallons that I aged for a year in gallon glass jugs, two of each made from a different source of apples, but had to pour one gallon down the sink because it got infected and I let the airlock dry out.

The gallon of those two that didn't get discarded, made from apples from a friend's workplace, was quite undrinkable when I racked it from the glass carboy into 2 litre plastic bottles, not to mention putrid smelling, but became quite palatable after leaving it for a year.

I have already started drinking the cider I made in September/October 2015 but I do intend to age at least some of it, preferably in corked glass bottles. Ideally, I'll use recycled Aspall cider bottles because their long necks should ensure a tighter cork seal.

 

[BigFloyd]

Thank you both very much for your time.



Organized for clarification:

Cold crash for a week
Rack to a corny keg (or other secondary vessel)
Hit it with potassium sorbate (to stop yeast activity)
Back-sweetened/flavor it.
Age for 1-4 months (or as long as necessary) 35*f
Serve it still or let it sit a couple weeks 12psi of co2 for carbonation

Is this correct?
Wouldn't back sweetening/flavoring happen after aging so that accurate taste profile can be determined?
This is a question that I've been wanting to ask anyway.
I have my second batch cold crashing as of yesterday. I want to add a can of Black Cherry flavored FAJC but am not sure of when to do it. I plan on bottle carbing this one.
I will have my keg carbing system set up by the time I have #3 done.

That's how I do it and I've gotten a first place "people's choice: award (a nice etched glass growler) for my "Grandma's Apple Pie" (uncarbed) cider prepped that way. It doesn't hurt at all to back-sweeten before aging. The flavors will still be all there. The cold-aging simply makes it more "mellow" so that you don't think you're drinking something that's a bit over 8% alcohol.

If you're going to bottle carb, you cannot use the Potassium Sorbate. You need active yeast in each bottle for carbing.

But, as long as you have active yeast (which you will even after cold crashing), if you try to back-sweeten with anything that contains fermentable sugars (like FAJC), they will eat them and strip it of sweetness and/or flavor. You also must wait for that activity to totally finish before bottling or you risk bottle bombs. For that reason, I suggest that you do this first batch uncarbonated, especially since you'll have a keg setup later.

Finally, one can of cherry-flavored FAJC in a 5-gallon batch will be hardly noticeable, even if you use an ale yeast (I prefer Nottingham) instead of wine or cider yeast (which dries it out more). Try 3 cans of concentrate then toss in a half cup of sugar and a jar of cherry preserves that were simmered 30-45 min in 2 cups of boiling water, strained and cooled.

 

[CMcPherson]

Finally, one can of cherry-flavored FAJC in a 5-gallon batch will be hardly noticeable, even if you use an ale yeast (I prefer Nottingham) instead of wine or cider yeast (which dries it out more). Try 3 cans of concentrate then toss in a half cup of sugar and a jar of cherry preserves that were simmered 30-45 min in 2 cups of boiling water, strained and cooled.

:rockin: You rock Floyd... thank you!
Cherry preserves or whole crushed cherries? Preserves is more of a jam. Wouldn't that add Pectin (cloudiness)?