Trying cider...

[Sandman2o6]

Hi all, I've had a go at cider, I've got almost 25 litres just coming to the end of primary fermentation.
I used mixed varieties of apples from a local orchard.
There are a few cookers in there but not more than 20-25%
I used an electric juicer I got off Freecycle to extract(Will this be ok)
Everything was washed and sterilized.
I got approx 20 litres of juice, I added a couple of litres of warm water with a little extra sugar and used a packet of cider yeast .
Bubbling had stopped and in leaving things settle before next stage.
I know a little knowledge is dangerous so...
In my head, I'm thinking siphon in to bottles with a little sugar for 2nd fermentation?
I had a gravity reading around 40 ish at the start maybe 45, it's settled at almost dead on 1.000
Any tips or advice before I bottle would be greatly appreciated
There had been no other chemicals dc used(campdens etc as I have no idea haha)
Cheers Dan

 

[Sandman2o6]

At the start
And now

 

[Tony1951]

You are getting no more response than I am Sandeman.

I have brewed a good many all grain brews in my beer making hobby, but I have never made cider until now, except I did once make some rather unpleasant turbo cider with apple juice bought in cartons and added a good deal of sugar and water. I'd say after that experiment that I would never again add water and sugar. You can increase the volume made and the alcoholic content by fermenting sugar and water, but it damned well does nothing for the flavour - that's for sure. The apple juice is the thing needed for flavour. I don't add sugar to beer either. For beer you need malt. For cider you need apples or apple juice.

For bottling, I would recommend using a bottling bucket and adding your carbonating sugar there rather than in individual bottles. I bottled 22 litres into 44 bottles in about 30 minutes this afternoon. What you do is this:

Get a fermentation bucket of suitable size.
Fit a good tap low down on the side as near the base as you can do and into the tap outlet connect a long plastic tube about 30 cm long so that you can insert this to the bottom of the bottles you want to fill.

Work out how much cider you have to bottle and add sugar solution in a little water to the level of between 2gm per litre of cider or up to 5 gm of sugar per litre of cider. The first will give you a low level of fizz and the 5gm/litre will give you a good level of fizz. Choose as you will to your taste. When you decide how much sugar, dissolve the total carbonating sugar into as little boiling water as you can get away with. I got 100gm of sugar easily dissolved into 200 ml of boiling water. I stirred it around until individual sugar grains vanished and I had a clear liquid. Mix this gently into the ready cider in the bottling bucket and stir gently to distribute it. After a bit, you are ready to insert the bottling tube into the bottle and turn the tap to fill the bottle.

Hope that is some help.

 

[Sandman2o6]

Thanks for the tips Tony
I have a spare fermenting bucket, I'll have to get a tap for it
I've been trying to keep things on a shoestring budget, I just know if I start buying this and that I'll spend more than buying beer would cost haha
We'll see how it turns out

 

[VW911]

To be on the safe side, I would leave it a little longer before bottling.
Most apples will ferment down to well below 1.000 on the hydrometer...

 

[freester]

If your cider has stopped at 1.000 for a few days it's probably done.

If you're on a shoestring nothing to stop you bottling now. Add sugar if you want your cider carbonated. You can add it to the bottle before you syphon. 1tsp per litre is lightly carbonated 2tsp a bit more fizzy.

You could rack off and let it settle a bit more before bottling. Probably a bit of a waste if you didn't add pectolase it may not clear anyway.

 

[Sandman2o6]

I've just bottled , quite happy with how it's turned out so far.
Is there any benefit too keeping the sediments or shall I just throw it? Thinking of trying a WOW soon, can I save any yeast or will cider yeast be no good? Cheers

 

[brumbrew]

Depend's on what juices you use for the WOW. Sometimes a wine yeast is better. You can still save the slurry. Wash it down to remove trub and dead yeast and keep the live stuff in the fridge for future use.

 

[Sandman2o6]

Imagine you're talking to a child ok
How?
Haha

 

[Sandman2o6]

Quick up date, I'm getting impatient haha

 

[phillc]

I think your cider is going to turn out great. Your process is pretty much the same as my "basic and it works" method which was my baseline before starting more fancy experiments.

Pure apple juice, from self pressed apples in a fermenter with yeast (Lalvin EC-1118 is my basic go to dry yeast). Bottle after one fermentation of somewhere between 14 and 21 days. Starting at 1050 and ending at 1000 should get you 6.5% and a very dry cider.

I usually calculate 7 grams of sugar per 500mls and dilute in enough water to add 20ml per 500ml bottle. Leave for three weeks, refrigerate for 12 hours minimum before drinking if possible and pour carefully to try and leave any sediment behind in the bottle.

The cider I make from this process is very drinkable but does lack a little body and mouth feel. Adding small amounts of tannin or some maltodextrin will make a difference to that.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[freester]

Cider looks a great colour. Nice work.

 

[Sandman2o6]

Thanks, it's a tad dry on taste when bottled but I'm hoping it'll be nice
Should be good for Christmas