1st time brewing cider. Started too soon, help!

[Markdon]

Hi guys and gals. Sorry but im guessing the magority of these questions will have been covered already, i was planning to spend more time researching but things have steam rolled into action quicker than id hoped.

Basically i live in the north east of the uk, my parents have an unknown apple tree in the garden, min 40 years old. Bumper crop this year. Ive had enough baking apple pies so thought id give cider a crack.

So i pulled 30kg off the tree and found a local orchard willing to press them for me. Then they phoned asking if i could go today as there were some other people wanting apples pressed so it would be easier to do a group session.

So, zero time to read up on the subject.

I have a standard Youngs brew 25L fermenting tub, screw on lid, rubber bung, air lock, syphon, salfale s-04 yeast, yeast nutrient, pectolase and thats it. I sterilised everything this morning, i have now returned with a very full (to the brim) 25L tub, and about 2L in another container.

So.

Help! I guess having the fermenting tub full to the brim is a bad idea? How much should i decant?

Once thats done, do i just add the yeast and nutrient?

My apples were quite sharp so we added some of the orchards cider and sharp apples, and i have a reading of 1.044 on the hydrometer.

If anyone could help i would be greatfull, as i mentioned earlier, i was expecting to have a week to read up on the subject!!

 

[dennisking]

Hi and welcome, can't help with the cider questions as I'm strictly a beer brewer. Hopefully some else will be able to help.

 

[RobWalker]

fill the fermenter to about 23L. Put the rest into a 5L water bottle if you can get one that should make about 4L total, then drill a small hole in the lid and attach an airlock, or if it's emergency, plug it loosley with cotton wool til you can get one.

after that yep, yeast and nutrient, if you're not adjusting the acid etc, which i know nothing about.

good luck!

 

[oldbloke]

Do you know if the pressers added Campden (sodium or potassium metabisulphite) to the juice?
If not, and you don't have any, get the yeast in ASAP, before natural yeasts start going.
If they did, or you have some you can add, leave it Campden'd 24 hours or so, that will inhibit natural yeasts and other spoilage, then pitch your yeast.
Any idea what the acidity is? Ideally you want pH in the range 3 to 3.8.
In practice, whatever the juice is it'll make something drinkable
Have a taste of the juice. If it has a good flavour, the cider will be at least OK. Ideal cider juice will be a bit more acid than normal drinking juice, and a bit more bitter.
I'm not sure how far it's worth going to correct any faults there though.

 

[Markdon]

No campden, my first mistake. Im busy resterilysing everything now ready to add yeast and nutrients as need to decant 3L from the juice via syphon.

Nothing to measure ph. Its sweet but with a bitter aftertaste. If im honest, its possible the nicest apple juice ive had.

During decanting re used hydrometer and its at 1.046, am i right there is no need to add any sugar?

I have a feeling this is going to be a coin toss as to if it turns out ok or not

Warming the yeast in some juice now.

Wish me luck!

 

[oldbloke]

I think it'll be fine, and somewhere between 5.8 and 6.5%

 

[Markdon]

Everything got underway last night. By the time i'd syphoned the juice down to 23L, and added the juice i was going to keep for drinking, i have one tub with 23L and using safale s-04, and one tub with 11L with champagne yeast.

I drilled a hole in the lid of the second tub and popped some cotton wool in. I will get a bung and another air lock today.

Thanks for the quick replies. Heres hoping for a decent batch!

 

[Markdon]

The next problem, if it os or not, im not sure, but ive been put on a job away from home until friday. Is there anything i should tell the mrs to watch out for?

 

[RobWalker]

if it starts to climb out of the airlock which isnt totally likely with cider, attach a syphon tube to the top of the airlock and point it into a bucket of sodium metabisulphate solution (you could make this up before you go with the syphon tube submerged in there, just in case. all she will have to do is attach it that way, almost foolproof.) that will push all of the excess stuff out without risking infection or said cider exploding all over your wardrobe/carpet/pets.

 

[Markdon]

Its all gone wrong

Came home after being away since monday, both batches are totally flat and look no different to when i set it off.

Gutted.

Its been in the spare room, heating has been on.

Can i fix it?

 

[Markdon]

Ok, after a slightly better look, i removed the lids and could see lots of tiny bubbles popping on the surface, like a fizzy drink in a glass, but not as big or vigerous. I popped the hydrometer into the biggest batch and its coming up to the yellow section where it says bottle, roughly 1.006 i think?

Should i taste? Add sugar? Bottle? Leave?

Ive just gave it a quick swill and popped the lids back on until i get some advice. Thanks.

 

[oldbloke]

You can probably bottle at 1006, but it's still giving bubbles, it'll go lower.

 

[Markdon]

Is it best to leave it? To condition, i could get another couple of containers and syphon off into those if it would help?

Thanks for the advice so far.

 

[AlliDelta]

Keep reading it every day. Once it stops it's ready to bottle or keg. As for priming depends if you want fizz or not.

 

[Markdon]

So once it stops dropping i can syphon it off into the bottles?

Think i will be adding sugar to the bottles for fizz.

Will it clear once in the bottles? As its very cloudy at the minute, looks like a urine sample! Same as when i started it.

Just didnt expect it to be done in 5 days

 

[Grumpy Jack]

Yes, once it's stopped dropping you can bottle it.
It'll clear with time and patience. Cider is better the longer you leave it, you can leave in situ for a good while or bottle and leave it. If you want it to have some fizz, I'd probably bottle now and leave it a good while before drinking... But then I've not really got the space to keep stuff in FV's for ages...

 

[Markdon]

Would there be any advantage / disadvantage to leaving it where it is to mature? Or is it best to bottle it if i want fizz?

Cheers.

Sorry for all the questions, sure you guys get sick of answering the same stuff over and over.

 

[Markdon]

Syphoned off enough from the smaller batch to allow me to take a hydrometer reading. Bang on 1, tastes foul and looks like orange juice.

Ideas please?

 

[chrig]

Cider needs a long time to mature before its good to drink, best not to worry and do some more reading in to how others approach bottling / maturing in bulk.

 

[Markdon]

Thanks. I understand i need to allow it to mature, but not sure on the best method for me?

Another note, when i decanted and tasted, it had a very slight fizz / tingle on my tongue, which i would assosiate with things going off?

My plan is to syphon into another container, clean out and sterilise original tub, then put the cider back in, top up with apple juice and put the lid with air lock back on and put it in the shed.

Would this be a good idea? Just lookig for direction, so many different ideas on the web, dont know what is best?

Thanks.