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Started a Cider Tonight.....

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by afd23a, Nov 14, 2010.

  1. Nov 14, 2010 at 9:26 PM
    #1
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    So I was talking to a guy the other day who had started a batch of apple cider. It sounded incredibly easy, so I decided to make a batch. I bought 4 gallons (just picked an amount) of locally grown apple cider at the farmer's market and some White Labs English Cider yeast WLP775. Put it all in a carboy tonight.

    I'm not sure what else I need to do other than transfer it to a secondary in a week or so, then bottle it once it gets clear. Anyone else ever made cider before?
     
  2. Nov 14, 2010 at 9:41 PM
    #2
    ToucanV13

    ToucanV13 You think I was rollin out here naked?

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    I know you gotta be careful with the sediment at the bottom or it ruins the batch; atleast that's what my old man told me
     
  3. Nov 14, 2010 at 9:43 PM
    #3
    memario1214

    memario1214 Hotshot Offroad Moderator Vendor

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    Just an FYI, I know people who have gotten very ill making this stuff. Probably mainly due to stupidity, but it did happen.
     
  4. Nov 14, 2010 at 9:45 PM
    #4
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    The Dynamo of Dixie
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    Yeah, at least with beer you don't want to leave it in the primary stage too long or the sediment will change the flavor. I'm assuming the same is true for cider.
     
  5. Nov 14, 2010 at 9:49 PM
    #5
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the heads up. I do my best to be careful. I clean and sanitize everything before I use it. Also the apple cider is pasteurized so it should be pretty safe.
     
  6. Nov 15, 2010 at 12:00 AM
    #6
    ToucanV13

    ToucanV13 You think I was rollin out here naked?

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    Let us know how it turns out; if it's good, send me some :D :spy:
     
  7. Nov 15, 2010 at 8:40 PM
    #7
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    :thumbsup:
    In exchange for a bottle of Stone Double Bastard.:D
     
  8. Dec 23, 2010 at 7:46 AM
    #8
    korslite

    korslite Well-Known Member

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    Wife prepping to bottle a batch of our apple-cran-pom cider
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  9. Dec 23, 2010 at 7:49 AM
    #9
    ppham444

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  10. Dec 23, 2010 at 7:54 AM
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    Gr8WhiteTaco

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  11. Jan 2, 2011 at 10:55 PM
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    Beerrun

    Beerrun Well-Known Member

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    DSC02925.jpg

    Don't know anything about Cider... Don't know much about Mead, so I hope this turns out. Two months too bottle and a couple more for the best taste. That's a big time commitment, but it should be soooo good.
     
  12. Mar 31, 2011 at 7:53 AM
    #12
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    So I totally forgot that I started this thread. I bottled the cider in January I think. I am pretty pleased with the outcome. It's extremely crisp and dry like Strongbow, probably because the yeast I used was an English cider yeast. I have tasted some off flavors here and there but it's not consistent with every bottle. Some are really good and others have a slight bitter taste. It didn't carbonate very well, but it's cider not beer. Since I bottled it the clarity has gotten even better so I think I'll leave it longer in the fermenter next time. Alcohol content is pretty up there, I think I measured/guessed at around 14% but I'd have to check my notes to be sure. If I make it again I'll add some pectin at the beginning, let it sit in the fermenter longer, and probably rack it a few times to leave the sediment behind. Something I read said that it isn't ready to bottle unless you can read the newspaper through it. Mine's that way now after being in the bottle for a while.

    Overall I'm glad I made it and pleased with the results. I'll refine the process next time and hopefully it will turn out even better.


    BTW, just opened a bottle of my first lager a few weeks ago and it was pretty f'ing awesome. Bought the ingredients as a kit from northern brewer. Fermented it in my basement where the temp is around 55*F all winter. Next year I'm not going to wait until the middle of winter to start a lager or cider.
     
  13. Mar 31, 2011 at 10:14 PM
    #13
    Beerrun

    Beerrun Well-Known Member

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    Does the cider ferment at a cool temp? 55 degrees?
     
  14. Apr 1, 2011 at 7:29 AM
    #14
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Nope, just room temp around 70*. I guess my last comment was a little unclear. They harvest apples in the fall so that's when you can buy fresh apple cider. You don't have to use fresh cider, but I'd think the results are probably better with it. So if I start one earlier in the fall and let it ferment longer, then hopefully it will still be ready sometime during the winter.

    Here's the info on the yeast I used from White Labs
    WLP775 English Cider Yeast:
    Classic cider yeast. Ferments dry, but retains flavor from apples. Sulfur is produced during fermentation, but will disappear in first two weeks of aging. Can also be used for wine and high gravity beers.
    Attenuation: >80%
    Flocculation: Medium
    Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 68-75°F
    Alcohol Tolerance: Medium-High (8-12%)

    The sulfur note from above may have contributed to some of the off flavors I was tasting. I had some last week and didn't taste anything strange so hopefully that was it.
     
  15. Apr 1, 2011 at 7:33 AM
    #15
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Is that a Carlo Rossi jug?:D Does it hold the carbonation during the bottle conditioning?
     
  16. Apr 4, 2011 at 7:58 AM
    #16
    korslite

    korslite Well-Known Member

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    Haha yeah it is a Rossi bottle. Its funny what you get when you ask friends to save bottles for you. Thats some top of the line wine right there! And, no it did not hold carbonation. Truth be told, that batch didn't carb at all :(... it was our first attempt and I think it just sat in the fermenter long enough to drop nearly all yeast out of suspension and I didn't swirl any up when we bottled.
     
  17. Apr 4, 2011 at 8:12 AM
    #17
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Haha, I know what you mean. I was curious cause I have a few growlers that I was considering using when bottling. I'm guessing that's not what they're meant for though.

    I've had that problem when having a batch in a long secondary. A guy at the homebrew supply store told me I could repitch yeast a few days before bottling. He said it really didn't matter if it was the exact same yeast used in the primary, but probably want to stick to the same type (ale vs lager). I've done it a few times and it definitely makes a difference in the carbonation on beers. The interesting thing is I used some cheap ale yeast on the cider a few days before bottling but it still didn't carbonate very well. Maybe I should have used champagne yeast. :notsure:
     
  18. Apr 18, 2011 at 8:15 AM
    #18
    Erll

    Erll Well-Known Member

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    Does anyone do home distiling here ?
     
  19. Apr 27, 2011 at 9:54 AM
    #19
    afd23a

    afd23a [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I think it's illegal in TN without a license to distill spirits. :notsure:

    Here's some info from http://www.homedistiller.org

     
  20. Apr 27, 2011 at 9:58 AM
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    Erll

    Erll Well-Known Member

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    I knew about the regs , that is why I only distill for fuel (weed eater and leafblower 2cycle). Just was wondering if anyone did the same. I only put out about 5 gallons a year
     
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