Cider
#1
Posted 27 October 2010 - 12:57 PM
#2
Posted 04 November 2010 - 03:12 PM
#3
Posted 04 November 2010 - 04:32 PM
So the "krausen" is fairly substantial then? I was thinking/hoping that with less protein, it wouldn't be such an issue. I've got two occupied buckets (and don't want more... well, of course I do but only so much space for brewing) and several carboys that will be vacant. Guess I'd be best off to wait till a bucket becomes available? Using a blow off tube, will it blow much liquid out or is cider thin enough that I won't kill my yield by blowing two quarts of liquid out?Thanks again.I'm thinking you need more headspace. I've gotten about six inches of foam in a 6.5 gallon carboy before, but that was the widest section. If you put 4.5 gallons in a 5 gallon carboy, use a blowoff tube. Be better if you used a large carboy or a bucket - then you can use an airlock just fine.
#4
Posted 05 November 2010 - 01:41 PM
Thanks, I'll probably try it and hope that I don't lose too much (lost better than a quart of my holiday ale through the blow-off). Lots going on but cider won't take much time. I'm currently building my kegerator collar (slowly) and just bought a 21 ft^2 used chest freezer off of CL for fermenting/storage. Planning on brewing a beer tomorrow and another on Veteran's Day to stock my two taps and figured I'd start a cider sometime soon since I have tons of fermenting space now (just nowhere to live!). I suspect once I get cider on tap SWMBO won't mind the hobby so much (she really doesn't like beer and I can't bring myself to try to clone Bud Light)I've always done it in either 6.5 gal buckets or carboys, but I imagine the blowoff should be negligible with your given scenario. The foam will dissipate after a day or two and shouldn't cause any issues with a blowoff tube in a 5 gallon carboy.
#5
Posted 07 November 2010 - 03:10 PM
Ok, now I'm very close (have 6 gallons of cider in the house). I have both Nottingham and US-05 on hand. If no difference, I'd prefer the Nottingham. I'm planning on pitching into 4.5G of cider in a 5 Gal Carboy and fermenting around 65º. Besides adding gravity/alcohol, is there any noticeable benefit to adding a pound of brown sugar? -If I do, should I sterilize it (boil it into a heavy syrup before adding to the pasteurized cider? How long should I leave in primary before racking to secondary (and how long should I wait before I add sulfite and sweeten to taste with additional cider)? How much sorbate and sulfite? I plan to keg it and lightly force carb.Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Cider seems so easy but there seems to be less info out there to confirm my suspicions.Thanks!The best yeast will be some high flocculating, clean tasting/smelling yeast. Something like Nottingham or US-05. All the yeasts will most likely ferment drier than what you might want. If they do, add sorbate and sulfite to stabilize, then add honey or sugar to desired sweetness. Best temperature will depend on yeast, most are good around 65*F. There is no concern kegging cider. Clean and sanitize as normal - before and after use and there will be no reason not to keg.
#6
Posted 08 November 2010 - 03:54 AM
Thanks, I knew it would take a bit longer than most beers so wanted to get started now that I have plenty of space in my fermentation freezer. As far as racking to secondary, as soon as the active fermentation dies down?Guess I'll start it this week. Thanks.Brown sugar: you get a hint of molasses flavour from the addition, something that can be really nice at the right concentration to overpowering at too much. 1 pound in 5 gallons should be just fine. Add it straight to the cider and don't worry about heating it. If you heat it, do not add cider to the heating mixture (heat sets pectins) and don't carmelise/burn the sugar or you get the obvious burnt taste. Secondary racking: I would keep the cider on the lees (sur lie) for several months (3-6) before racking. The lees sometimes have properties associated with malo-lactic fermentation and your malic acid will lessen on the less than if you don't age on lees.Sulphite/Sorbate stabilisation: wait until you are ready to bottle/keg. Generally speaking for cider (less than 10% ABV), you use about 0.75 g/gal of sorbate and 0.33 g/gal of sulphite to stabilize. For reference, 1 tsp KMETA ≈ 6.1g and 1/2 tsp Sorbate ≈ 1.65g
#7
Posted 11 November 2010 - 04:13 AM
#8
Posted 11 November 2010 - 08:09 AM
Opinions differ. I don't like adding nutrients to cider. I find that without nutrients, I get more "good" flavors from the slightly stressed yeast, and it finishes less dry, with more residual sweetness. There's a traditional method of making cider called "keeving" that actively tries to remove nutrients from the cider.On the other hand, almost every other home cider maker I know adds nutrients, and both of my local homebrew shops look at me funny when I say that I don't add nutrients.Oh yeah, and the key nutrient that cider lacks is fixed nitrogen, which is why many people add yeast nutrients that include urea.Ok, well since I'm brewing today and will make a fresh batch of starsan, I'll pitch the yeast in the cider too. Should I add any nutrients to the cider to start? I have some "Super Ferment" from my friend. 1/2 tsp/gal ok? Instructions say 1/2-1 tsp/gal for wine or 1/5 tsp/gal beer. I've never used it before but figure the cider may be lacking some minerals. thx
#9
Posted 11 November 2010 - 09:13 AM
Thanks, I ended up pitching without nutrients. Figured this first batch can be a baseline from which to deviate next time. Just cider and Nottingham. The cider itself was about 1.055 so I didn't bother adding sugar. In a few months I'll decide whether to back-sweeten or not (probably based on SWMBO's opinion). I'd prefer to have it finish a little sweeter so I don't have to back-sweeten so maybe I made the right choice.Cheers.Opinions differ. I don't like adding nutrients to cider. I find that without nutrients, I get more "good" flavors from the slightly stressed yeast, and it finishes less dry, with more residual sweetness. There's a traditional method of making cider called "keeving" that actively tries to remove nutrients from the cider.On the other hand, almost every other home cider maker I know adds nutrients, and both of my local homebrew shops look at me funny when I say that I don't add nutrients.Oh yeah, and the key nutrient that cider lacks is fixed nitrogen, which is why many people add yeast nutrients that include urea.
#10
Posted 21 November 2010 - 10:37 AM
#11
Posted 07 December 2010 - 06:16 PM
#12
Posted 30 January 2011 - 01:41 PM
#13
Posted 30 January 2011 - 04:35 PM
#14
Posted 30 January 2011 - 05:52 PM
I don't think the math will be that rough, I expect the concentrate to be labeled within a safe deviation and I'll calculate the appropriate amount based off the volume cider I am priming. At 5.9oz/can, half a can would be about 3.5 oz of sugars for a 4.5 gallon batch.Honey could be good , how much honey would you recommend per gallon? (I had thought about adding a berry juice concentrate too but I'd like for my first batch to be a straight cider)If I'm putting this in a keg and chilling, what is the benefit to stabilizing? I wouldn't expect the yeast, or any other resident bugs, to be very active at <40º and even if they get a little excited and eat the sugar, it would be in a vessel that could handle the pressure (especially since I'd vent excess pressure evident at serving).Thanks!Seems like rough math on the priming sugar - this could yield bottle bombsI like to backsweeten with honey but that's your call. I'd also recommend stabilizing before sweetening. The FAQ has info on this I think
#15
Posted 31 January 2011 - 08:01 AM
#16
Posted 01 February 2011 - 04:06 AM
Mine was 1.008 at racking in December and I don't think it's gone any lower. The sample had a crisp tartness I enjoyed at that time. Unless I don't like it, I'll bottle some for me and keg the rest as planned. I guess calculating a desired FG and backsweetening it to that point may be a neat idea. She'd probably like it at 1.012-1.018. I'll play around with the math and buy some more concentrate.Cheers.I like mine around 1.010 - so how ever much it takes to get it to that point based on my FG
#17
Posted 01 February 2011 - 06:27 AM
#18
Posted 04 February 2011 - 06:19 PM
I'll check it tomorrow when I go to keg/bottle. Should be ok and probably did ferment out a bit more since racking. Unless the gravity is still high, I'm planning on priming with juice concentrate at a rate of 80 grams of sugar (from the label) to about 4.5 gallons of cider (should be about equivalent to 3 oz of priming sugar if the label is accurate). I will then bottle about 1.5 gallons and keg the rest. I'll add additional concentrate to get the gravity up in the 1.012-1.018 range so it's good and sweet for the wife. At 3 gallons being sweetened, I figure one can will get me just over 5.5 points (168 grams of sugars per can) and have 3 cans on hand.If my math is way off, correct me.. or wish me luck! I think I'll be ok though.After the cider I have 10 gallons of beer to bottle... ugh, will be a long morning.Ciders should finish a little below 1.000. If it's not that low adding priming sugar could restart fermentation and take down to terminal gravity creating IEDs. The only exception to this is if you added lactose preferment.
#19
Posted 05 February 2011 - 05:02 AM
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