When to move into secondary

domingo · Nov 17, 2014

Hey y'all,

I've got a 25 ish gallon batch of cyser (referenced in a previous thread). I primarily make cider, and this is my first cyser. How long should I leave it resting on its lees?

I tend to move my ciders out before they're totally done fermenting because I think the yeast cake can impart a strange flavor, and I'm trying to control either for or against a malo-lactic fermentation. Seems like meads/cysers are pretty different and I could leave it in primary for 1-2 months without moving it. Or am I wrong?

Thoughts?

Yooper · Nov 17, 2014

I've never left a mead on the lees that long. Once fermentation slows, I rack to secondary and airlock it and top up. I rack whenever I have lees 1/4" thick after that, or after 60 days if I have any lees it all. I do my wines much the same way, except for my wines don't usually need staggered nutrient additions or as much stirring.

domingo · Nov 17, 2014

I don't have any mead to top it up with. Have you ever topped off with pure cider? I assume it's fine and the world didn't end? I could probably do it into a 15 demi and a 5 gal carboy....but I hate tying my glass up for as long as mead needs to really mature.

Yooper · Nov 17, 2014

domingo said:
I don't have any mead to top it up with. Have you ever topped off with pure cider? I assume it's fine and the world didn't end? I could probably do it into a 15 demi and a 5 gal carboy....but I hate tying my glass up for as long as mead needs to really mature.

It will work- but fermentation will restart and then you'll have to rack again, and at each racking if you top up with cider again, it will ferment again.

Ideally, you'd rack to a properly sized carboy or demijohn, because reducing headspace at this junction (and for the life of the mead) is important.

domingo · Nov 17, 2014

Yooper said:
It will work- but fermentation will restart and then you'll have to rack again, and at each racking if you top up with cider again, it will ferment again.

Ideally, you'd rack to a properly sized carboy or demijohn, because reducing headspace at this junction (and for the life of the mead) is important.

Oooh, that wasn't clear. I meant hard cider. Sorry.