Help with Muntons Cider Kit

[divingdavey]

Hello, I have a Muntons cider kit in a fermenting bin, it's been at ideal temperature for just over a week and fermentation seems to have stopped.

The instructions say now to bottle it but I haven't got enough bottles yet so I'm thinking for a few days to a week I might syphon the 17l off into 3 5l empty water bottles and fit with airlocks, putting any remainder into a lemonade bottle or something - does anyone see a problem with this? I'll then go ahead and bottle it.

Thanks folks

 

[Banksy]

I would leave it where it is until you get the bottles. Most kits give the minimum time to next step, but can be left longer. I'm no pro, but I bet if you left it another month it'd still be fine. This assumes the kit requires you to add sugar before bottling. If not, you will have to do this if left for any length of time.

Why the shortage of bottles? Go to a pub and get the empties (you need capper) or look on eBay for job lots.

Good luck!

 

[divingdavey]

Cheers Banksy...

Well I went ahead and racked it into a 15l water bottle from the office (before I'd read your reply). I did it because it frees up my fv so I can get something else on the go and also because I'm new to brewing so am thinking that they'll now be less sediment when I do bottle it which can't be bad.

I also wanted to have a look at it, and now wish I hadn't. It's very cloudy and although I've read on here it can clear miraculously in bottles I'm now tempted to put it into cheap pop bottles rather than beer bottles. The lack of glass bottles is really just due to a lack of time. Any advice on that?


Thanks folks

 

[PD]

quote
The lack of glass bottles is really just due to a lack of time. Any advice on that?

er yes.make time..... :grin:

beers wines ciders lagers etc will all benefit from a length of time in the fermenter..... theres no rush.

Bottles are easy to get, visit any pub / restaurant and ask.
raid your local bottle banks.
Make brewing easier on yourself...get a few more fermenting vessels as soon as you can....one is not enough

 

[divingdavey]

Cheers piddledribble.... I really meant any advice on how much the cider is likely to clear in the bottle :

I can grab some bottles at the weekend as you suggest, and I'll give it plenty of time in the new th and see what happens.

 

[Banksy]

It will probably clear in the bottle, however you will have more sediment at the bottom. By leaving it longer before bottling it starts to clear. This confirms that your drink will indeed clear and will result in less sediment. Sediment is not normally a problem. With careful pouring my ciders and champagnes are always crystal clear with only a small amount of drink left in the bottle. The longer you leave it the more stable the sediment will get.

Don't worry about clear cider not getting fizzy. There will still be yeasties in suspension that will happily wake up and start working through your priming sugar.

I recommend trying some turbo cider (TC). You can alter the recipe to taste by changing the ingredients.

 

[divingdavey]

Thanks so much... I'll be amazed of it does clear, but I'm an optimist so I'm sticking with it :)

I'll get some tc going asap, but fancy an ale kit first. The cider was really just to keep the Mrs happy

 

[Banksy]

From what you have said I can see no reason why it won't clear. You may need to invest in some pectolase (breaks down pectin) in future for home made ciders and wines as suspended pectin is the most common cause of failure to clear.

 

[divingdavey]

Thanks again Banksy, I do have some Pectin so I could put some in - I guess the only reason I hadn't is because the instructions don't mention it :)

 

[Banksy]

I suspect a cider kit will not contain pectin. It is needed, however, when you make cider from apples or pears, or from fruit juices from the supermarket. I can see no reason why your cider would not clear. Wait and see. Good luck! :

 

[oldbloke]

Some supermarket fruit juices need pectin, but most normal supermarket apple juices don't, in my experience.
My standard way of deciding when to bottle a TurboCider is to simply wait until it clears. I've used various AJs and added various extras to broaden the taste (cranberry, cherry, pomegranate, a few others), and they all cleared without pectolase.