# Black rock cider 5 week wait, why?



## apoole (26/5/13)

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone knew why the black rock apple cider kits state 'cider can be consumed after 5 weeks' after secondary fermentation of 5 days?

Adam


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## JDW81 (26/5/13)

Cider takes a bit longer to ferment and condition. However, depending on you process and temperatures you may be carbonated and ready to drink after a couple of weeks in the bottle. The longer you leave it the better it will be though.

Don't bother racking into another fermenter for a secondary fermentation. Once fermentation has finished, let it sit for a week (at least) and then bottle. Cider should clear up pretty well on its own.


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## AndrewQLD (26/5/13)

Ciders can sometimes have a slight sulfur smell when they have finished fermentation, I'd hazard a guess that the 5 weeks conditioning time is the allow the yeast in the bottle to clean up any of these fermentation byproducts.


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## apoole (26/5/13)

Thanks gents. It sat in a 25L fermenter for about 18 days at a steady 22 degrees & I managed to bottle 30 long necks. Next week is the five week mark but I want some now haha


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## JDW81 (26/5/13)

Crack one and see how it is going.


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## Bribie G (26/5/13)

With the two Black Rock kits I've made I have kegged them both after about 10 days in the FV - the first one I went on to crash chill for a week, so it got 17 days. Both were good to drink when carbed up after a couple of days. However yes I'd guess the bottled version might need more time to clean up.


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## JDW81 (26/5/13)

AndrewQLD said:


> Ciders can sometimes have a slight sulfur smell when they have finished fermentation, I'd hazard a guess that the 5 weeks conditioning time is the allow the yeast in the bottle to clean up any of these fermentation byproducts.


 :icon_offtopic:

Does the yeast clean up the sulfur, or is most of it driven off by the fermentation process? I've never had a problem with it as my ciders generally sit for a long time in the fermenter. Knew it could be a problem, just unsure of the cleaning up mechanism.


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## pk.sax (27/5/13)

From my limited experience, when it throws sulfur it doesn't quite clear out in the bottles. It's yeast stress as far as I understood and always dissipates quickly from a well carbonated cider upon pouring. It's just dissolved gas that needs displacing, however it may happen... unlike other soluble yeast by products. In bottles, it gets fainter but has never fully disappeared for me even one year after. Blows away on pouring rather quickly though.


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## Bribie G (27/5/13)

Maybe an idea to use some yeast nutrient, I have a pack of the brown stuff but keep forgetting to chuck in a spoonful, get some sulphur as well.


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