Cider Newbie Questions

[zarniwoop]

Afternoon All,

After a 6 month brewing break owing to the birth of sprog number 3 I'm back to brewing again, just about to put down an English PA and a porter but I'm now thinking about having a crack at cider.

A local orchard sells bottles of preservative free granny smith and pink lady juice at $3 for 2L so I was planning a 25/75% granny/pink blend with nottingham yeast, just 5L to start with so I can experiment. I'll be bottle pasteurising to aim for a sweeter cider. I do have some questions:

1. What temperature should I ferment at? My fridge is going to be a bit crowded over the next month or so as I rebuild beer stocks so if temperature isn't too critical with cider I'd rather ferment at room temp which in my kitchen varies between about 16C and 22C at this time of year. Mainly fairly stable around 18-20C.

2. I understand people add tannin, is tea the normal method of doing this and what am I looking for in taste that indicates I should add it? I have no idea regarding this.

3. How long should I ferment in the fermenter for and how long in the bottle once pasteurised?

4. When I'm adding juice post fermentation for carbonation and sweetening before bottle pasteurisation do I just add to taste for sweetness and how much over this do I need to go to take into account the sugar that will be consumed by carbonation? Should I use the same 25/75 mix?

5. Any other additives I need to add?


Thanks in advance.


Cheers

Zarniwoop

 

[aussiebrewer]

In have the same query. Can any cider buff out there help???

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Many chatter here to read from the past too.
Newbie stuff I've done a few. Brewed like Ale. Your temps are a perfect range. Ferment in primary for a month. (3 week minimum) Back sweetening/carbonating then pasteurizing bottles I've never done and not keen on it.
Bottle or keg the same as Beer. FG =~ 0.995 to 1.002. I like it dry. Dry? what a strange term. Its wet, its sweet and refreshing. I don't like sweeter, or sweetened cider actually but back sweetening a keg is an easy step compared to the bottling gamble. I'll try a little backsweetening with a touch of spice to my nearly finished batch when I keg it.
Cider needs more time (like twice) the time as beer takes. Same method. But it more like wine it may be the best after years! (From a Cider newbie). B)

 

[welly2]

Is there a reason to ferment for 3/4 weeks? I checked mine and it's fermented from 1.050 to 1.000 and has been stable at 1.000 for a few days now. It's been in the fermenter for less than 2 weeks. What would the additional time in the fermenter do that bottling it and letting it sit in the bottle for a month won't?

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I just like the idea its a safe bet letting it sit and settle out for a while. It clears up more too before going into the bottle.

 

[welly2]

Ok makes sense. The apple juice I'm using is the nudie cloudy apple juice so it's never going to get that clear anyway but for future ciders, I shall remember that!