CIDER 101

[Flathead]

Hi Will

I have a gallon of cider on at present. We had some surplus Lidl cloudy apple juice so I got enough for 4 litres, added some raisins, cranberries and cold tea plus enough sweetened water to make up the gallon and its bubbling away in a demijohn at present. OG was 1050. I used a Coopers beer yeast I had left over from a beer kit.  I'd like to bottle it and use it at Christmas. Is that too ambitious ?  If its too sharp, I was going to add lactose and a half spoonful of dextrose for carbonation at the bottling stage. Any advice welcome please.

Also, I read about pasteurising in the bottle by dunking bottles into 75C water for 10 minutes but I don't think that's necessary if I'm going to offer my product for consumption on Christmas Day.

[Ciderhead]

FH start a new thread in Cider section with your question?


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[Ciderhead]

Day 11 in the BIg Brother House

Still happily bubbling away, very obvious colour difference now.






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[Greg2013]

Is that still primary CH ?

[Ciderhead]

Yep, can you see all the sh1t on the bottom, another week or 2 then into secondary, and 4-6 weeks in secondary before 6-8 months in teritary

[JimmyM]

1. Campden in hot water or apple juice asap
2. 24 hours yeast
3. Get your shit together! call me if you need any of the above.
You have also been reported to RSPCAJ

You can just leave it do it's own thing but you run the risk of having cider vinegar on your salad for the next 5 years

Yeah i know im highly unorganised.

When you say campden in hot water or apple juice.

What you mean? disolve the tablets in hot water or hot apple juice?? and add it?
Sorry for being a gobshite

Iknow im gonna get in trouble here... BUT
Imagine i had a mate who still hasnt done anything with his apple juice i.e. - its still sitting in the fridge in the same state it was delivered in.
What can he do at this stage?
Take it out stick an airlock in and hope for the best - is that an option? Or should he sink it?
Or does anyone wanna adopt it?

[Damo]

Hold on there Jimmy!

Tell this mate of yours to stick an airlock on it.

I'd adopt it for him if he doesn't want to take a chance!

[Eoin]

I'd tell your mate to taste it, is it fizzy? Is it rank?

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[Ciderhead]

Hold on there Jimmy!
Tell this mate of yours to stick an airlock on it.

just give me the €30 the next time and I'll give to 20L of cider in 6 months :

+1, Is this the same mate with the STD or is that somebody else

[JimmyM]

Tastes gorgeous actually!!
I was parching after coming in from football - Had a good few mouthfulls I was gonna keep drinking it but i had notions of it giving me the 2 bob bits

So will i just drill a hole in the lid and bang an airlock in?
I cant find my campden tablets .... but i have cider yeast - will i put the yeast in when it gets up to room temp? or will i just leave it.
How long willit be good for in the container it came in? (ive no demis - i have cornies- but not to hand and tonight is the only time ill have a few minutes to tend to this)
Last question - is there a chance of this thing going mental - do i need a blow off tube?

[johnrm]

+1, Is this the same mate with the STD or is that somebody else

Don't you mean STC?

[Damo]

Ha!
Jimmy breaks d'mould

You can do all or any of those suggestions.

The natural yeast will have started work already, even in the fridge..

It's up to you,  If you campden it it will knock back whats happened so far (good or bad).
au-natural cider can be great, juice wants to be cider!

Do you have a spare clean fermentor? you could sulphite it, transfer and add yeast+ nutrient (optional).

It wont go nuts, 2-3" of head space will be fine if you leave it as is.

good luck


sorry, forgot to say: 3-4wks in plastic, then into glass or stainless(corney)

[JimmyM]

grand job damo thats a great answer - cos it requires me doing as little as possible - drilling cap - sanitising it and the airlock and forgetting about it for 3 weeks. Cheers

[Damo]

Hang on, don't take my word for it.

I'm only spoofin!

Wait till CH or Will D gets a hold of ya! :

[mr hoppy]

Is it normal for cider not to have a krausen?

I've two gallon containers with just the juice in them and while there's lots of yeast in the bottom and their fizzing / bubbling away the gunk on top was very thin and disappeared very quickly.