Making cider from apples

[MartinHaworth]

998 steady for 3 days. Racked to secondary. Any advice on how long here.

Also, should I use more campden to stop the yeasties, or potassium sorbate? and in what quantity for either!!

Cheers

Martin

 

[Will-o-the-wisp]

I would keep it in the secondary for 1 month and then rack it and bulk age it for 3 months. I would just treat it like a wine. The 6 gallons of cider I am making is coming along nicely. It have been in the secondary for 3 week and also started with an SG of 1.045. I just tasted it and it tastes like cider, believe it or not.

It tastes very different from what it tasted like 10 days ago so bulk ageing for 3-6 months is good idea.

 

[GB2014]

I have got 12 gallons of juice from the apples in our garden which I am hoping to make into cider. I use a small apple scratter and a 6.5 gallon press. I did a bit with a 1 gallon press about the size of yours Rich last year but it is very tedious for large quantities of fruit. Now the scratting takes more time and effort than the pressing. It takes me about 22lbs of fruit to get a gallon of juice, which seems to be a low ratio.

I have got 2 x 1 gallon demijohns fermenting ok but the 5 gallon tubs are not reacting at all. This is my second time doing this.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If you mean FV's when you say tubs they are well known for not sealing, if you don't have one get a hydrometer then you will know for sure.

 

[user 4004]

When using FVs I screw the lids on shove the bung/airlock in and give it a gentle squeeze, if the airlock reacts it is normally alright.

 

[MartinHaworth]

24, 500ml PET bottles. Decided to carb them in the end. Pretty tasty from secondary. Leaving them for Christmas now.

Thanks

Martin

 

[GB2014]

If you mean FV's when you say tubs they are well known for not sealing, if you don't have one get a hydrometer then you will know for sure.

Yes that's what I meant, I have a hydrometer and will say what happens on this thread.

Thank you

 

[Budgie]

Apologies for my lack of invvement in this thread over the past few weeks. Busy renovating my new house (including building a brew room of course!)

Looking like some great info going on here. I'll have a proper read through and see if my meagre brain can offer anything to the discussion :smile:

 

[Tyro Brewer]

Just thought I'd add a few questions as this is my first cider brew.

25L of juice extracted from 3 unknown apple varieties in my garden and currently fermenting with a malodorous sulphur smell (I've looked on the forum about this and I'm not too worried at the moment). SG was 1.045.

FV is the floppy lid type so the airlock isn't bubbling but I've brewed several successful ales in it so again, I'm not worried.

Question 1:
If, after the fermentation is complete, the cider (or is it cidre?) is not sweet enough what is the best way to adjust the taste? Dextrose or something else?

Question 2:
I would like to bottle the cider for convenience. Should I batch prime, as for an ale (and thereby sweetening it) and if so would it end up slightly fizzy as with the beers I've made?

Question 3:
Several contributors on this forum recommend storing in bulk for up to a year! That might not be convenient so would bottling after say, 3 months still produce a good product?