When to bottle?

[ScrumpyRam]

Hi,

Just joined the forum and there's some really interesting stuff around which i'm enjoying reading.

I started 2 batches of cider in October 2020 (20 litres). Once fermentation finished, beginning of November I racked the juice off and it's been stored in DJ's and a fermenting bin with airlocks in the garage ever since.

Normally, I'd wait until March/April before bottling but having read the comments on the forum it seems most of you guys out there bottle much earlier.

When I do get round to bottling the intention was to do some blending as in the past I've just bottled each batch separately.

I guess there's no right or wrong way but wondered what your thoughts were?

 

[Justin Dean]

When the fg is static for 3 days then batch primed (if not pressure brewed) and bottlew or kegged. Usually 14 to 20 days after it is first pitched depending on what temp you are fermenting at. Was it a kit like Muntons or did you do turbo cider like turbo cider rhubarb and ginger on some of the cider threads here.

 

[ScrumpyRam]

Hi Justin,

These are apples I've crushed myself from local sources. The 2 batches contained a different mix of apples and when i was racking off they tasted quite different (in a good way). In previous years i have simply bottled the batches separately. This time i thought i'd mix the batches up.

I'm not messing them about by adding anything else.

 

[johncrobinson]

Well if the cyder is well and truly under airlock it wont come to any harm for a month or two
Personally however i would not risk it

 

[ScrumpyRam]

Thanks John.

i think I'll bottle some now and leave the rest until March. At least that way i won't be tempted to drink it all before summer

 

[DavieC]

Hi ,Ive bottled 5ltrs in November (pressed apples) and will leave the other 3 DJs in the garage under airlock with a view to bottling in spring, hopefully they'll benefit from a malolactic fermentation which improves the taste and no problems getting good carbonation in the bottle for sparkling cider even though its crystal clear.

 

[WinBase]

I started winemaking last july with 11 (i think) 1 gal demijohns currently aging in a cool cupboard in my office. from various threads i have read there *appears* to be good advice that leaving it aging for at least 6 months in a demijohn has more advantages than bottling sooner and leaving it in the bottles to age, including that the wine will degas itself, and you can ensure all particles have dropped out and better clarity. As a newbie i haven't got the experience to give definates, but it's whatever works for you i suppose and you need to find your own way, but i'm in no rush to bottle and drink, and it will be about a year for each brew to hit my throat, but once it gets rolling i hope to have a stream of better quality wines than if i had bottled and drank quicker, at least that's the theory, but i suppose as long as you follow the basics and ensure you adhere to sterilisation their aint no wrong or right way as long as you like it. GL

 

[ScrumpyRam]

Agree with you 100% there with wine. I'm the same with sloe gin. I still have a bottle left from 2015.

I don't think cider necessarily benefits from ageing over a long period - but maybe that's because cider makers are thirsty folk and it never lasts that long.

Happy brewing

 

[johncrobinson]

A lot depends on the abv as far as keeping is concerned,If you plan on keeping a wine for a long time you need a minimum of 10%abv.Once you get up to about 15% wine can keep for decades.

 

[freester]

Joining this a bit late. I usually rack mine off once the ferment has stopped. I don't bottle mine until I need some more bottles so it can be sat in a secondary container (DJ/Carboy) for a year+ sometimes.

 

[Mikes1992]

If you're leaving it in the demijohn with an airlock make sure you check the airlock once in a while because they do loose water to evaporation and eventually it will go dry and no longer protect your brew