Cider fermentation vessel

[Shanna]

Hi there

With the impending apple juice delivery my mind has turned to what to leave the cider in for fermentation. I had read that others had used the same vessel the juice will be delivered in but I am apprehensive about this.  So I have thought about using a 50 litre keg for fermentation. The keg has a screw top that allows me to fit it with a rubber bung and a bubbler.

I think it will work but as I am a complete cider novice I was hoping somebody would answer the following questions.

1. What temperature range does cider yeast ferment at?
2. What is the average fermentation time? I am thinking of how long before I would decant to a secondary? Also how should one age the cider in terms of length of time and also temperature.
3. What kind/quantity of trub will be produced by the juice? I am interested as I am curious about the difficulty of cleaning a keg with a narrow opening.
4. How long before one could drink the cider?

Shanna

[wallacebiy]

I've only made turbo cider types in the past and fermented in everything from brew buckets and 5l water bottles to SS conicals.  Usually I find the cider trub to be a very compact and fine trub ( similar to what you get in a Weiss beer bottle) you do get quite a good deal of it though and it tends to disturb easily.  I've found this with cider wine and champagne yeasts as well as ale yeast cake . My feeling on what you are thinking of would be to go aerobic with the bubbler for maybe 2 weeks.  Seal it then and bulk condition on the trub for a further 4 - 8 weeks,  bottle and leave for as long as you can bear

[Will_D]

1. What temperature range does cider yeast ferment at?

depends on the strain( ) There are some cold fermenting strains in the commercial world but a cider or wine yeast is probable best at 14 to 20C. Having said that my cider mentor reckons that "long and slow" is best for cider

2. What is the average fermentation time? I am thinking of how long before I would decant to a secondary? Also how should one age the cider in terms of length of time and also temperature.

See 1 above. It IS a slow process. Allow at least three months on the yeast.

3. What kind/quantity of trub will be produced by the juice? I am interested as I am curious about the difficulty of cleaning a keg with a narrow opening.

For a clean/commercial pressed juice like what we are getting - very little - just the yeast sediment really

4. How long before one could drink the cider?

How long is your piece of string?
Commercially, fresh juice cider is usually a year old before its blended with oother juices and adjuncts

[Shanna]

Hi Wallacebly & Will,

Thanks for the response. I was thinking about leaving the cider till summer time next year so it will be interesting to see how it goes. Was hoping that I could get away with storing the fermenter in the shed but if the yeast (youngs cider) requires room temperature temps then there is not a hope in hell I can store it in the shed as its positively baltic in the winter. Perfect for larger but not a who lot else ;-)

Regards,

Declan

[Will_D]

Ther are some ciders yeasts that work way down low but they are difficult to get hold off.

One experiment to try would be some Lidl AJ and a lager yeast!

Must get down to that test!