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[EWW]

So I just typed this up to send it out to my club since many haven't ever worked with cider. My computer crashed so I did all this on my iPhone so their could be spelling issues etc. Please try to overlook those for now. I'll spell check it and whatnot when I get to a real computer an can spellcheck it before I send it out. Basically I'm looking to see if the content is accurate or if there is anything I'm missing.Thanks allEWWFrom Apples to Alcohol:  A Primer on Cider-based FermentationsStarting with raw fresh pressed cider you have a lot of options.  Do you want to stabilize the cider with sulphur, pasturized it, or let the wild yeasts take hold and see what happens?  Do you want to make a standard hard cider or do you want to add sugar or honey and make apfelwein or cyser?  My advice is simple - all of the above.Stabilizing the cider:This is an optional step.  Some feel that naturally fermenting a cider with the wild yeast present on the untreated and unpasturized fruit produces a more complex cider.  However if you go this route you run the risk of unfavorable bugs and bacteria taking over and creating off flavors in the finished product that could potentionally turn your batch to vinegar.  Stabilizing your cider with heat or sulphur is a simple process and provides a bit of added security that your batch will not become contamadated.  To pasturize your cider you need to raise the temperature of the cider above 160*F.  Heat pasturization will kill allmost all mico organisms in the cider, but keeping the cider at a high temperature for an extended period can degrade the juice.  In my opinion stabilizing with sulphur is a more practical and better process.  The use of Campden tablets is relativly simple and at proper useage rates will inhibit the growth of spoilage bacterias while allowing the favorable yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae or uvarum) to survive and convert the sugars to alcohol.  The proper doseage of campden tablets is based on the PH of your raw cider.  The following is a guideline for proper dosage based on PH.PH<3 - no campden tablets are neededPH=3-3.3 - use one campden tablet per gallonPH=3.3-3.5 - use two campden tablets per gallonPH=3.5-3.8 - use three campden tablets per gallonPH>3.8 - lower PH with food grade malic acid and dose per PHWhen using campden tablets make sure you crush them well and add this powder to a small amount of cider.  Stir shake of do whatever you must to get this stuff disolved.  After it is disolved add the liquid mix to the rest of your cider.  If you use campden tablets and pitch a commercial yeast strain it is recomended that you allow the cider and campden tablets to sit for approximatly 24 hours so you do not risk inhibiting the growth of your desired yeast strain.Yeast:A good cider can be made with wild or naturally occuring yeast, but I don't like to leave things to fate.  Using a commercially available cider, mead, beer, wine, or even bread yeast after stabilization provides you a greater likelihood of being able to recreate a successful batch.  Every yeast strain will produce a slightly different finished product due to the esters and phenols it produces durring fermentation.  There are very few bad choices when it comes to yeast for your cider.  I tend to prefer designated cider or wine strains, but have had success with American and English ale strains as well.  For cider-based fermentations with an OG that is less the 1.065 i suggest rehydrating the yeast per the instructions on the package.  For beverages with an OG over 1.065 I highly recommend that you rehydrate with a product like go-ferm.  If rehydrating with go-ferm use at a rate of 1.25 grams nutrient per gram of yeast.  Raw cider will ferment without the addition of nutrients, but the fermentation can be sluggish and possibly stall.  To prevent this you can add additional yeast nutrients like Superfood/Fermaid-K and DAP.  For ciders under 1.065 I will make a single addition of 5 grams Superfood/Fermaid K, plus 5 grams DAP per 5 gallon batch.  For batches over 1.065 I suggest following HighTest's staggered nutrient addition schedule:HighTest's Basic Mead, Cider, & Perry NAS (rev 2) - Sized for a 5 Gal Batch:- At inoculation - 4.5g Superfood/Fermaid-K & 4.5g DAP- At active fermentation - 2.8g Superfood/Fermaid-K & 2.8g DAP- Just before fermentation mid-point - 1.8g Superfood/Fermaid-K & 1.8g DAPRecipes and Fermentation:You have a lot of options when it comes to apples.  You can ferment them straight, add honey/sugar to boost the gravity a bit, or add other fruits and/or spices to take it in a different direction.  The one common denomenator is that you must give it the proper amount of time to ferment and mellow out a bit.  I typically expect a cider-based project to take around 9 months at a minimum.  Like good wine if it's fermented clean it will get better with age.  Basic Hard Cider5 gallons fresh pressed cider stabilized with sulphur 1 package White Labs English Cider Yeast (WLP775) or Wyeast Cider Yeast (3766)Yeast nutrients (see above)Apfelwein5 gallons fresh pressed cider stabilized with sulphur   2 pounds of dextrose (corn sugar) or sucrose (table sugar) 1 five gram packet of Montrachet Wine Yeast (rehydrated in water or go-ferm)Yeast nutrients (see above)Cyser (no boil method)4.5 gallons fresh pressed cider stabilized with sulphur6 pounds honey of choice (incorporate into cider with a mix-stir and electric drill)Yeast nutrient (see above)2 packs Lalvin K1V-1116 Wine Yeast (rehydration in go-ferm is strongly recomended)      Backsweetening:Left to it's own devices, a cider will ferment to terminal dryness with an OG around 0.098 if you keep your yeast healthy and don't exceed the alcohol tollerance of your yeast strain.  Some prefer a sweeter beverage, so stabilization and backsweetening is a necessary essential unless you have the foresight to hault fermentation at your target gravity.  Near the end of your 9+ month aging period, taste the cider and decide if you want to drink it dry or sweeten it. If you desire a sweeter beverage, add 3 grams of potassium sorbate and 2.5 grams of potassium metabisufilite (i.e campden tablets) per 5 gallons.  Wait about a week before sweetening with honey, sugar, sweet cider or apple juice to taste.  Wait another couple weeks to ensure that refermentation has not taken place to prevent bottle bombs.  This proceedure will only work for still beverages.  If you add additional yeast and bottle condition you will have bottle bombs.  If you wish to backsweeten and carbonate you can follow the aforementioned protocol, keg, and artificially carbonate or backsweeten with Splenda and bottle condition.  Splenda is nonfermentable.                          

Edited by EWW, 11 September 2010 - 04:42 PM.