Some Questions On Brewing Cider

[dingo34]

No probs at all doing that dingo. Better yet, add juice, but sugar will get the job done. It'll work better if it's been dissolved in a little hot water first (don't add it until it's cooled though).

Cheers Tanga,
Well it's official now, on the heatpad, any longer than 4 days and they ferment dry. My second batch I think I took them off the heatpad and put them in the fridge after just 3 days and nights...they all came out nice with some fizz.

This time, I had 4 bottles on the heatpad, and 4 bottles just on the floor, I let the ones on the floor ferment for 6 days and i put the lids on this morning and already, especially the cloudy ones, are bloating out like no ones business....i reckon on the heat pad 3 days, on the floor, 6 days, and perfect!

 

[pk.sax]

Cheers Tanga,
Well it's official now, on the heatpad, any longer than 4 days and they ferment dry. My second batch I think I took them off the heatpad and put them in the fridge after just 3 days and nights...they all came out nice with some fizz.

This time, I had 4 bottles on the heatpad, and 4 bottles just on the floor, I let the ones on the floor ferment for 6 days and i put the lids on this morning and already, especially the cloudy ones, are bloating out like no ones business....i reckon on the heat pad 3 days, on the floor, 6 days, and perfect!

Or you could come live up here in qld and they will bloat, heat pad or not like it's nobody's business
I refrigerated a bottle today, extra juicy - that's the juice with the tough bottle lids was on sale, ~ 2.5 days outside, now in the fridge. It's already bloated twice in the damn fridge in 1 evening. I suppose I'll just pour myself one tonight to increase head space

 

[KudaPucat]

Just apple, I will lightly flavour 2 of the three with real in-season fruit.

I've never used commercial juice before, so a bit of an experiment.

Ok ended up trying a quick cyser recipe.
1kg honey
4 litres juice
K1v1116
Boiled K1 for nutrient
1/2 tsp of tannin

Will add 1/2 tsp DAP when lag is over
Recipe says to cold crash at 1.017 and stabilise, and wait for it to clear.

I'll let you know, perhaps in it's own thread.
Using non cloudy juice is not ideal for this. Fresh pressed apples would be best
But it's meant to be ready and drinkable as quickly as a JAO so perhaps juice is better, and there won't be much that will need ageing out.

 

[pk.sax]

10 days since I stuck that bottle in the fridge, the fermentation has finally slowed off. It's not blowing up anymore.

That will go to show how hard that wine yeast works even at cold temperatures. Fermentation in the fridge does throw up slight sulphur which dissipates as soon as you pour a glass. In fact, with temp controlled ferments of cider at ~18C sulphur odours are still a problem, but it dies out in the bottle with a little aging. Ferment in bottle in fridge just generally creates less sulphur odour as the yeast is a bit less stressed in it's initial phase. At least, that's what I've noticed. My cloudy ciders brewed in carboys threw massive sulphur fits even with additions of nutrients and all. If there are esters because of the warmer initial ferment, then I guess they must be quite palatable I don't detect any harshness - not very practiced in sensing that though.

 

[manticle]

I rarely/never notice sulphur smells with my ciders. The only time was when I tried using potassium metabisulphite (never again). The egginess hung around the finished product for aeons.

I ferment between 10 and 14 so maybe that makes a difference. Have used white wine yeast, 4766 and currently a sweet mead yeast from Wyeast.

 

[pk.sax]

Crap, that rules it out for me ATM then. Temp control is an issue here, best I'll come up with in the space ive got is ice packs in can cooler. I might give the next juice bottle a go at fermenting straight away in the fridge as soon as it kicks off. It will take forever but meh....

btw, that bottle of cider you gave me is still in melb.... Waiting for me to go down again, maturing... haha. I had the beer before I came though, it was great. I really love hallertau, it's such a non offensive hop.

 

[manticle]

Let me know when you're down. Might have a bottle of the recent sweet mead yeast cider for you. Ordered some malic acid and tannic acid which may find its way into this one or the next.

 

[pk.sax]

Will do

PS: I gave golani ® a carboy full of slow fermented US05 cider, then aged on it's lees for a few months. Give that fatso a kick for me and tell him to bottle and share

 

[pk.sax]

This is after quite some time fermenting at cold fridge temperature. Pretty clear actually, turning the bottle around in front of the light stirred it a up a little but the yeasts have taken to sit on the bottom quite happily now.

Refreshing bite, but some fruity esters from the warm ferment it had in the first 2 days. Altogether, goes down a treat. Usually I don't let it last this long and drink it a little darker.. with some sugars still in there. THIS is quite pale.

 

[pk.sax]

I'm coming to the conclusion that spending money on yeast for brew in a bottle cider is wasted money.

Just polished off a naturally fermented juice bottle cider, bright, clear and tasty (within reason for a LL juice cider). And no a granule of yeast added by hand. Poured out a bit into another container fo a cyser, lidded the leftover and left it where I could see it out of direct sunlight. 1 day for it to take off, rather nice flavour, chilled 2 days and all the east dropped out and stayed stuck to the bottom while I poured.

 

[Miro73]

Hi guys i just fermented my first 5L jug of Cyder (Bilpen cloudy apple). I fermented it out around 999 using lavlin 1118 wine yeast. i just gave it a taste before bottling, it tastes a lot like Chardonnay. Whilst i don't mind this i was hoping to keep some of the apple flavors rather than tasting like wine.

1. Is this because i fermented it out.
2. the type of yeast i used.
3. Will the flavor change when i bottle it and carbonate.
This is my first brew sorry if i have missed the answer to my questions in the previous posts.
Cheers miro

 

[pk.sax]

3. Is correct.

Let it age a few months. The flavours develop over time. In fact, at a month or two from mow, you might taste passionfruit. Then another month later it'd be gone.

Shortcut is always to mix in glass with fresh juice if ur not keen on aging/waiting.

 

[Miro73]

Thanx Pract i am patient and will wait, looking forward to tasting it though lol. Maybe crack one for xmas. I guess id better try a large batch soon.

 

[sillyboybrybry]

Okay guys,
First post ever - and I am trying to brew some cider in bottles straight from the shop. I read as a far in the thread as the ghetto instructions on how to make it and now have 6 bottles of different combinations of apple and mango juice. I even have one straight mango which was only 25% real juice so added sugar to see what happens!
I have since read further and discovered that apple and mango is not the ideal combo but hey it is all in the name of science isn't it?
Will keep you posted!

 

[lukasfab]

I got these two juices to give this cider a go, 6 pages and no pics so thought i would add

 

[GalBrew]

So what yeast do people prefer to use? I fermented my last batch with 4766 at 18degC and while it fermented out quite quickly and super dry, I was left with a slight funky yeast aroma in the finished cider even after the yeast flocced out. Is this a part of using 4766 or was a fermenting a touch hot? It's not an issue from my point of view, but you know the ladies...etc. I notice people are using a variety of ale yeasts, what do people use to get a super clean finish?

:beer:

 

[manticle]

I like 4766 but I also like to ferment ciders cool - around 12-14.

Recently used cru-05 with good results which I believe is a red wine dry yeast (although I also added the dregs of a funky french cider and I like funky and dry)

 

[Airgead]

I've used 4766 before and it does get a bit funky if you ferment hot. It prefers a slow, cold fermentation. I seem to recall fermenting at around 13-14 degrees.

Cheers
Dave

 

[BPH87]

How long does it take for 4766 to ferment out?

I was going to give 4184 a go to retain some of the residual sugars.........

Anyone used this yeast yet?

Cheers

Ben

 

[BPH87]

I intend to keg, so was going to back sweeten if needed.

Also I was thinking of racking onto some frozen raspberries/lime (brewing for some girls who like bloody rekorderlig) will this be ok? I will cold crash to stop any more fermentation.

Cheers Ben