Cider: what to do with Ciderheads juice?

[RichC]

Thanks CH, will transfer to glass in a few weeks

[Ciderhead]

Thanks CH, will transfer to glass in a few weeks

Please remind me in May to give you bottles of my 'naked cider' :-?

[Ciderhead]

Into my glass with 3 little soldiers  :, last on the left still very active and will go in next week-end finished out at .998 6.7 ABV, lurverly.
No dicernable difference in taste or colour between naturally fermented (1st Carboy on left) and yeast + campden other than the trub and Krausen was a bugger to shift when cleaning buckets on the natural?
Will post pics as they settle out.

[Ciderhead]

Ok to resurect an old thread for 2013 Apple Juice Buy,



Will would you like to do the 1,2,3 for our newbie cider producers?

[MisterBurns]

Thanks for bringing this one back Ciderhead it's very useful

Now to kick off with a newbie stupid question - once it's fermented to 1.000 is it ok to use the Coopers PET bottles and just leave them for the 4-6 odd months in them?

[Eoin]

Thanks for bringing this one back Ciderhead it's very useful

Now to kick off with a newbie stupid question - once it's fermented to 1.000 is it ok to use the Coopers PET bottles and just leave them for the 4-6 odd months in them?

They have oxygen barrier technology in them so it should be fine. That said I prefer bulk aging with any ferment.

Sent using a complex system of semaphore and ninjas.

[MisterBurns]

Cheers Eoin.

What are the benefits of Bulk aging vs bottling?

[Garry]

I'm one of the virgins this year. I've read all the posts and here's what I've come up with. If I've missed anything please let me know. TIA 

1. Check gravity. It should be in the 1.040 - 1.050 region. It will probably ferment out to 1.000 so add some castor sugar to bump it up if you want.

2. Add 2 crushed campden tablets per gallon (that's 10 campden tablets for 5 gallons). Leave for 48 hrs. This will kill off any natural yeast in the juice.

3. Add nutrient and pinch of pectolayse. (I'm not sure this step is necessary? How much nutrient?)

4. Add 2 teaspoons of pectic enzyme. Leave at 20°C for 12 hrs. (This step is only required if you want really clear cider, it will take some flavour from the juice.)

5. Add yeast. Youngs cider yeast (same as champagne yeast) is recommended.

6. Ferment for 3 to 4 weeks @ 15 - 18°C.

7. Transfer to secondary. Preferably use glass or stainless vessel with no head space to prevent oxidation.

8. Bottle/keg after a few months.

[Ciderhead]

Eoin is correct if you can't age in glass or stainless


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[Eoin]

Cheers Eoin.

What are the benefits of Bulk aging vs bottling?

I bulk age for consistency, then bottle.

Sent using a complex system of semaphore and ninjas.

[Greg2013]

Garry is pectolase and pectic enzyme not the same thing ?

[Ciderhead]

Nice summary Garry, it will finish out at 0.995 so unless you want rocket fuel easy on the Siucra
I think mine came in far side 6% last year megga dry, trying to get rounder juice this year and will know at the week-end
Just to repeat myself if you want to mess about do it on a small scale not with your entire batch


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[Garry]

Garry is pectolase and pectic enzyme not the same thing ?

I have no idea! I just did a summary of this thread and a few others. I want to know what I'm at before the juice arrives and make sure I have all the ingredients.

[Greg2013]

What would be the risks/advantages of just letting it ferment naturally with whatever natural yeast us already in there ?

[Ciderhead]

It's the same thing and is used to clarify your cider pre fermentation. It's pretty effective.

If you leave cider juice to do its own thing it's a gamble and you risk getting 5 gallons of cider vinegar, I did one last year but it ended out very tannic and subsequently found out it needed some more campden.
Mr D had to wave his magic wand over it in the end.
In short as new producers don't do it with your entire batch for fear that you may be disappointed


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