The only experience I have with hard cider is naturally fermented still cider. This will be my first attempt at controlling fermentation and co2 carbonating. Here is what I have so far. I just finished pressing 4 gallons of fresh cider and putting in the fridge. I intend to crush 4 Camden tablets to get rid of the wild yeast. In a couple days I’ll aerate and add us 05. Do I need to add anything else. What should my gravity be and how low will it go? Any other suggestions?
US-05 is an excellent cider yeast but will take the gravity all the way down to 0.992-0.995. If you want it to finish sweeter, you should ferment cool like you would for a lager or Kolsch, rack the cider at least once a week (fermentation may take a whole month or more), and when it hits a gravity of about 1.010-1.015, cold crash it with gelatin, rack again, then kill the yeast with sulfite and sorbate. Then wait to bottle it for another week or two just to be sure fermentation is done. If kegging then nevermind, it will be ready to drink at that point.
It’s a little bit more complicated than brewing beer but not terrible. Should work out great if you follow the above simple steps.
I’m going to brew a lager tomorrow. So I will have my chest chamber set for about 50deg. Is that to cold for 05 ? What is the purpose of racking so often, clarity?
Dave does that to slow the yeast a bit so it doesn’t finish as dry. If you keg it, I’ve had good results with letting it ferment out, killing the yeast
then backsweetening.
I had the idea to ferment it for maybe a months then put it in a keg and see if if charges itself then serve it cask style around thanksgiving
Dave does that to slow the yeast a bit so it doesn’t finish as dry. If you keg it, I’ve had good results with letting it ferment out, killing the yeast
then backsweetening.[/quote]
mrv understands! Yes, I only bottle mine ever so my process is suited to bottling. If you keg it, well, that’s just too easy. 
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
Dave does that to slow the yeast a bit so it doesn’t finish as dry. If you keg it, I’ve had good results with letting it ferment out, killing the yeast
then backsweetening.[/quote]
mrv understands! Yes, I only bottle mine ever so my process is suited to bottling. If you keg it, well, that’s just too easy. [/quote]
Yup, if you have kegs, cider is very easy. After what you’ve already done, just add some pectinase (really gets it clear), add some yeast, and give it about a month to it ferment and settle out. Then rack off the sediment, treat with sulfite and sorbate to stabilize, add sugar to taste and keg.
If you don’t have kegs, carbonated cider that isn’t dry is very difficult to achieve.
I don’t have any pectonase! I was thinking to use gelatin. What is the best way to back sweeten
Usually the haze in a cider is caused by pectin. Gelatin isn’t going to help with that, unfortunately.
Do they sell pectonase in the grocery store. I was going to pitch the yeast tomorrow. Won’t be near a home brew store. Can I put it in after fermentation?
Sure, you can add it after fermentation starts. I’ve never seen it at a grocery store - only homebrew stores. Alcohol reduces its effectiveness, but if you double the recommended rate it should still work.
Some options for backsweetening - xylitol works great if you don’t want to kill the yeast, as its non-fermentable. I don’t keg, so this is what I do when I want to backsweeten. Be careful with it, a little goes a long way, and some people’s digestive systems can’t handle it well. If you use sorbate and force carb, plain table sugar works great, although some people use frozen apple juice concentrate. Pull a sample and find the amount you like, and scale up.
I don’t use pectinase. So what if your cider is a little cloudy. It doesn’t affect the flavor. If you want crystal clarity, you can try it. But I get clear cider from just gelatin about half the time.
I’m not sure how I like it. I know I don’t like the stuff they sell in bottles. Went to Downeast cider house in Boston and liked some of theirs. In upstate NY near where my son lives is a cidery I want to check. Also a craft brew pub that will be opening soon down the block has cider night at their other location so I will be doing some research going forward. What I’m doing with this batch is experimental I suppose.
My wife likes cherry cider. I added apple/cherry concentrate at kegging.
At the advice of rebuiltcellars, we did a tasting of samples with measured amounts of concentrate added.
Four cans tasted great. My cider was bone dry, so you may get different results.
[quote=“porkchop”]Sure, you can add it after fermentation starts. I’ve never seen it at a grocery store - only homebrew stores. Alcohol reduces its effectiveness, but if you double the recommended rate it should still work.
Some options for backsweetening - xylitol works great if you don’t want to kill the yeast, as its non-fermentable. I don’t keg, so this is what I do when I want to backsweeten. Be careful with it, a little goes a long way, and some people’s digestive systems can’t handle it well. If you use sorbate and force carb, plain table sugar works great, although some people use frozen apple juice concentrate. Pull a sample and find the amount you like, and scale up.[/quote]
Exactly right on the pectinase. And this is one additive that doesn’t impact the flavor in any way, so there is no problem doubling the amount and even adding after the fermentation is done. As dmtaylo2 says though, this is purely about aesthetics.
A friend of mine that has been making cider for 30 years puts raisons in his when he starts fermentation. He buys a 15 gallon barrel of cider from the mill throughs in raisons pops in an airlock. He starts pulling off around thanksgiving. It’s tasty but it will knock you out fast Rip Van Winkle style. That’s not what I’m going for.
So don’t add any sugar. Apple juice without any extra sugars will naturally give you something around 6-7% ABV.
Fermentation seems to have slowed after 5 days. Contemplating my next move. Going to either let I set in the primary for one more week then rack to a secondary or leave it in primary for another two weeks. Does it make a difference? I general don’t rack beers to a secondary.
I’d leave it there for as long as you want. The last few gravity points can take a long time to drop. I usually see activity for about a month before it really stops, but it really slows after the first week. Once it stops fermenting entirely, rack to secondary to get it off the lees if you want.
