Wondering when to switch from airlock to cork

[Poorspartin117]

I have 2 1-gal glass jugs fermenting. 1 has been going for about 6-weeks and has already been racked to secondary, i was planning on racking it to tertiary in a 3rd bottle, I am wonder if i need to leave the airlock on through the 3rd fermentation or if i should use a Camden tablet and then cork it?

 

[Maylar]

Good question... I'm always scared of pressurizing a glass carboy, they're prone to cracking. But if the cider has totally stopped changing SG then you should be OK with a cork.

 

[Poorspartin117]

thanks yea im going to leave it in secondary for another week and then rack it.

 

[Magnus314]

I bottle mine when it's been sitting for 30 days with no more lees falling out.

Treat it, back sweeten if you like, and bottle it.

 

[citytransplant]

I have 2 1-gal glass jugs fermenting. 1 has been going for about 6-weeks and has already been racked to secondary, i was planning on racking it to tertiary in a 3rd bottle, I am wonder if i need to leave the airlock on through the 3rd fermentation or if i should use a Camden tablet and then cork it?

As long as you aren't averse to additives, wouldn't 1 Camden tablet and 1/2 teaspoon of potassium sorbate into each gallon jug put the kiabosh (that's a technical brewing term) on any further fermentation activity, hence clearing the way for corks?

I tried hard cider for the first time this past summer and I'm hooked. With 4 apple trees just outside my back door and plenty of time on my hands (semi-retired) nothing could hold me back from taking a shot at cider-making. I sit here today with my first 5 gallons racked to secondary containers: 1 three gallon carboy, 1 gallon plastic jug, 1 three liter glass jug. Some of the fermented juice went to SG testing and some was left in the bottom of the primary as it contained much sediment. Oh yeah, a few ounces went down the hatch too!

 

[MindenMan]

I cold crash my ciders just like I do my beers; if I used a very cloudy cider to start with, I occasionally add just a touch of gelatin and after 3 or 4 days in the cold the lees are stuck like glue to the bottom off the fermenter and this minimizes my racking losses. YMMV