Brewing Cider

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

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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.

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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.

That’s about it. Apple extract and yeast. And I still can’t get it right. hahaha

Never made cider out of a kit. Does it include nutrients? IME cider needs nutrients to ferment well.

What don’t you like about it now? I know your first post was about it being to dry.

Run us through your entire process.

I mixed the extract with one cup of sugar to make the wort. I pitched the yeast that came with the kit Safale S-04. I fermented mostly in the 65-70 F range for a think 3 weeks. Then I put it a secondary fermenter for another week. I bottled some with priming sugar, some without. I back sweetened some of it with artificial sweetener. I then put it in the fridge for 2 weeks. Then out of the fridge for 2 weeks. Then back in the fridge before I tried one. I forgot the yeast couldn’t work in the fridge to carbonate the cider, so that’s why I took it back out. But it never carbonated.

Sounds like you were shocking your yeast. And 2 weeks is the absolute minimum for bottle carbonation to occur, especially if you had a higher OG cider. Also remember that artificial sweetener is unfetmentable.

You didnt let it condition at room temp before putting it back in fridge?

No. I think that was my downfall.

Keep trying. My first 2 batches were so so. The last batch was great. I carbed to 3.5 vols and also had thrown in 1/2 gallon of peach juice with 3 gallons of apple juice. And aged it in the bottle over 6 months.

Ok, I’m about to brew my last batch of Mr. Beer Hard Apple Cider. I will list what I have in my arsenal and what I’m shooting for, and let me know how you would do it.

I’m shooting for a SWEET cider at around 5% ABV. What and how much of each would you use to try to achieve this ? Thanks.

1 - Mr. Beer Hard Apple Cider Kit ( 20 oz. Apple extract )
6 Qts. Apple Juice
1 lb. Lactose
Corn Sugar