Allowing cider to sit on dead yeast and sediment for prolonged period

[TheBlindHarper]

Hey guys, hope all's well. My cider, as of about 4 days ago, has stopped bubbling. It spent about 2 weeks in primary and has probably been in secondary for a month now. I want to let it sit and to fall clear, but I'm worried that leaving it sitting on all the dead yeast and sediment may perhaps impart a less-than-desirable flavour? Is this a realistic worry and what should I do about it, if anything?

 

[johncrobinson]

Well in winemaking we rack the wine off the bulk of the sediment ASAP, Then allow the remaining suspended yeast to settle out by means of time and finings,And then rack again,when the wine is clear.

So the wine does not spoil by sitting on the trub.

There are execptions such as champagne in which a SMALL yeast deposit from carbonation is left in the bottle for many months to add "character".

As far as cider goes I suppose its down to style.

Yeast off-flavours are not very nice. (To my taste.!!)

 

[VW911]

Certainly won't hurt too much.
When I worked for a cider company, we used to leave it on the lees for the best part of the winter...

 

[TheBlindHarper]

Well in winemaking we rack the wine off the bulk of the sediment ASAP, Then allow the remaining suspended yeast to settle out by means of time and finings,And then rack again,when the wine is clear.

So the wine does not spoil by sitting on the trub.

There are execptions such as champagne in which a SMALL yeast deposit from carbonation is left in the bottle for many months to add "character".

As far as cider goes I suppose its down to style.

Yeast off-flavours are not very nice. (To my taste.!!)

Well I suppose this is more an "apple wine", as it's looking to be roughly 11 - 13% ABV. does this change anything?
"Well in winemaking we rack the wine off the bulk of the sediment ASAP"..."So the wine does not spoil by sitting on the trub." - I'm getting mixed signals from these two sentences.
Do you think I should rack and leave to clear, or not?
I added isinglass a week ago and am yet to see any effect.

 

[TheBlindHarper]

Certainly won't hurt too much.
When I worked for a cider company, we used to leave it on the lees for the best part of the winter...

Okay, that's great to hear. Is it perhaps more a problem for beer makers as opposed to cider folk?

 

[johncrobinson]

There are a large range of tastes in cider
Some styles might indeed NEED to sit on the lees for months.

My advice in post #2 was general practice in winemaking where letting the wine sit on the lees causes off-flavours
Cyder has a huge range of styles some i find refreshing and some i find revolting.
I think you will have to find for yourself which you prefer.One thing is for sure leaving it for months on the lees WILL make a big difference.
I know this as i have done it.