Originally I wanted a tart sparkling cider. But if I end up with a drinkable wine, or some version, I will be happy. I can be a little compulsive and dive into things. I also want learn about yeast, how it reacts, etc. I tried harvesting yeast from my nut brown ale, but botched it. I was going to use that in the apple plum cider. I really appreciate all the input and encouragement! I’ll keep you guys posted. I will be out of town for two weeks, can I let it ferment two weeks then rack it?
Sure, two weeks then rack is fine, although it might be really dry by the time you get back, maybe. Timing is always variable with ciders, meads, wines. Keep it as cool as you can, low 60s if possible.
Splenda is a personal choice. I’ve used small amounts and thought it really improved the flavor over bone-dry cider. It doesn’t add any body though like sugar does. Maltodextrin adds body, but I find the sweetness fades quickly. Lactose - mmm apple milk.
Spenda has been used to sweeten cider in the UK for so long that it’s legally considered a ‘traditional’ ingredient.
Eek!! If true, man, that is unfortunate. I tend to think they know how to make better cider in foreign countries… but after visiting Canada and tasting dozens of theirs and some imports, I’ve also no doubt that there are crap ciders in other countries. It’s not just an issue in 'Merica I guess.
So my cider dropped from a 1.052 to 1.000 and has stayed there for about 2 days. Should I safely assume it is done and if so how much priming sugar do I add to bottle a 3 gallon batch?
Not safe yet. Check it again in a whole 'nother week. It might still be dropping by 1-2 points per week for a while. My ciders usually aren’t done until they hit about 0.992-0.994. The last part of the fermentation takes the longest. If you bottle now, you’ll get champagne, but at the potential risk for bottle bombs.
When you do bottle in another week or three, prime the same way as for beer, about 2/3 cup sugar per gallon. Takes a good month or so to carbonate usually, and it will taste bone dry. Sorbate and sulfite at bottling time can help keep it from going to total dryness, but in my experience, the result is variable – sometimes it helps, and sometimes not. YMMV.
2/3 cup per gallon seems excessive doesn’t it? that’s like 3.3 cups per 5 gallons or slightly more than a pound.
I would go with weight if you can and aim for more like 1-1.5 ounces per gallon
So if I bottle it now with no priming sugar how do you think it would end up? I like the dryness to sweetness ratio and really don’t want it to dry out much more. I also use corn sugar to prime beer is that ok for cider.
using priming sugar or not will not affect how dry the cider gets. bottling now means you are taking a shot in the dark on how much carbonation you will get. you can’t know the actual final gravity of your cider exactly so you won’t know how much carbonation it will end up with.
if you want a sweeter cider you have a couple options:
kegging - you can wait till the cider is done, dose it will a chemical to stun the yeast and then add sugar back and keep it cold.
pasteurizing - you could bottle with enough sugar to get you your carbonation and residual sweetness, monitor the batch carefully until the carbonation is just right and then pasteurize in the bottle. I have no idea how to go about that though.
Oops you are correct. I meant to say per 5 gallons. I would go 0.8-1 oz per gallon.
If you want to maintain some sweetness then now is the time to hit with sorbate and sulfite to stun the yeast. Just be warned that this will also make carbonation more of a crapshoot. It is not easy to successfully and consistently carbonate a cider. It can either turn out flat but sweet, or dry and carbonated. It is difficult to get one that is both sweet and carbonated because you have live yeast and simple sugars in each bottle.
Been out of town for two weeks and just got home. My wife didn’t like the smell in the kitchen, so the wine went in our garage 100+ degrees! Two weeks! I racked the wine and gravity is 1.000. Taste ok considering. The air lock had stopped bubbling. One batch was cloudy, the other fairly clear. Do I just keep racking every two weeks then bottle and age it?
Gosh, at 100 degrees, that’s one way to know for sure that fermentation is 100% complete! At that temperature, as soon as it goes clear, it is ready to bottle. Enjoy!
Crazy question if you don’t mind…my fruity batch has a lot in in. Cloudy, hazy, etc. I just read about gelatin finishing agents. Since I started out wanting a fruity cider, but have ended with a dry cloudy wine, what if I finish with a flavored gelatin, cherry maybe. Would it leave a fruity finish and clear it up? Then could I add water to reduce alcohol to 7%, add sweetener and prime at bottling to get a cider? I hope I’m not kicked off the site for crazy questions…I sure enjoy learning about the science and reactive nature about brewing and fermenting!
Interesting idea. I think it will clear the cider. My main concern is that the fruit flavors in Jello are probably artificial, so it will result in an artificial fruit flavor. If that doesn’t bother you, then it might be worth a try!
You don’t need much gelatin for fining, so I bet the flavor addition will be subtle and perhaps completely unnoticeable. You might get some color though and I’d say if your game to try it - let us know how it works out.
Thanks for the encouragement guys! I’ll be home this weekend and give it a try.
While we are talking cider is it better to age cold or at room temp to get cider drinkable faster? I put a keg of cider in the fridge to cold crash and just left it there to age. leave it or pull it? it is not even a month old but I want to rack, sweeten and drink ASAP.
I suppose it depends on just how “not ready” it is. How’d it taste?
“Drinkable” generally happens quite quickly. I aim a little higher and do everything low and slow when it comes to cider.
Well I havent tasted it in about a week but it was not good then. I wont be have time to rack to a fresh keg and sweeten for a week or so I want to make the best use of the time I have between now and then.
If not good = sulfury, then it needs some aging. I would suspect that cold aging will preserve those flavors. If not good = just bland and flavorless, it needs some sugar and probably acid too, but may be drinkable now after adjustment. There was a great presentation on post-recipe adjustment at NHC and if you’re an AHA member you can access the recording (if they recorded it). Basically, take a small glass and add measured amounts of sugar, acid, and maybe fresh juice to taste. Then do math and add the same proportions to the whole batch.