Brewing Cider

S-04 won’t ferment at 50F. You could use a lager yeast at those temperatures, though. What’s your ambient temperature right now? If you can keep ambient temperature in the low 60’s, you’ll be fine with S-04 as the fermentation activity will warm it to mid to upper 60’s. If it’s much warmer than that, I would switch to something like saison yeast.

I guess my ambient temp right now is about 50. That’s as high as my fridge will go before being completely turned off. So, I guess I have no options available to me, to be able to ferment in the range between 50 to 70. I can only wait until I hook up my A/C in the house and keep the house in the low 70s. :frowning:

  1. get some lager or other yeast that can ferment at 50F. 34/70 would be good, as would Nottingham.

  2. get some belle saison dry yeast and ferment in the 70’s.

  3. put your fermenter in a large tub of water and periodically add ice packs or frozen water bottles. Use your s-04. You should be able to drop your temps into the 60’s for the first few days. After that, let it rise up to your regular house temperatures.

I agree with @porkchop use a swamp cooler and an ale yeast. I made a cider with lager yeast and wasn’t that impressed

I’ve made cider with US-05 at 55 F and it turned out great. With wild yeast at 40 F and it took 5 months but turned out great.

But compromise and set for 60 F and then use whatever yeast you like. Any yeast will work fine. ANY yeast.

Thanks guys. You’ve given me alot of ideas to mull over.

I’ve just about kicked my keg of apple ale… Nohting but home grown apples my wife and I juiced, 001 ale, and done… Very drinkable, ABV 4.8… Just about like eating an apple of the the tree… with a buzz! Sneezles61

I’m on my 8th day of fermenting. Luckily we’ve had cool weather, and I’m able to ferment between 72 and 66. The krausen has started to subside. I thought before it all ended up on the bottom of the keg, but now some is hanging on the sides. Seems like it will make it harder to transfer clear brew to bottling keg. Should only have to wait a couple more days.

Make a gelatin clarifier ifn yer in a rush then. 1/2 teaspoon and 1 cup water, nuke in short bursts, stir as you check, til it gits to 150* or there about… let it cool then add to yer cider, very gently stir, trying to git the yeast collected on the sides back into solution, chill fer a couple of days and you’ll be able to rack clear cider! Sneezles61

Just wondering. If that is the case, couldn’t you just add to taste when you pour to drink, just like any other beverage ??

I thought when the krausen disappeared from the top I would be close to finishing the fermenting. But it’s subsided, and my brew is still working away. On the 14th day now.

Apple juice is pretty nutrient deficient and has a low pH, so it’s a tough environment for yeast. DAP helps, or whatever yeast nutrient you have on hand. I plan on about a month primary for cider.

Some of the best ciders I’ve made were 100% brett, since it survives a little better in a wine-like environment. Brett claussenii doesn’t get too much funk, but some of the others can get pretty darn bretty, which isn’t to everyone’s liking.

Finally bottled my experimental cider. Some back sweetened, some not, and a couple still. Just to see how they turn out and what I like best. What’s the least amount of time I should condition it in the fridge ? Before you answer dmtaylo2, I’m not waiting 5 months. haha

1 Like

Condition until it tastes good. Then drink it. Might not need any conditioning at all.

It needs something. It was at 1.00 when I bottled it. I tasted it, and I wouldn’t want to drink it the way it tastes now. I guess I’ll wait at least 2 weeks.

“Uh, khakis.”

“She sounds hideous.”

“Well, she’s from extract, so…”

Well my cider turned out like some alcoholic, uncarbonated, something besides cider. Too bad I have 2 more kits of cider extract. Because I don’t think I’m going to waste another effort on them. Tired of painfully making sure I do everything exactly right, and turning up with horse piss. I had more success when I was more ignorant and just followed the kit directions.

Interesting. Personally I think cider is pretty much the easiest fermented beverage to make well on the first try. But you need to enjoy dry white wine-like beverages. If you don’t like a bone dry white wine, then you need to halt fermentation early with gelatin and maybe some sulfite and sorbate. If you ever try this again, when SG=1.010 to 1.015, add those things and keep it ice cold and see if you can enjoy it that way.

Or not.

1 Like

I agree @dmtaylo2. Cider is usually super easy to make.

Easiest way:

Buy a kegging system. Ferment it out. Add sorbate and sulfite. Back sweeten (I use frozen apple juice concentrate). Carb to your desired level.

What’s in a cider kit? All you need is juice and yeast.