I’m a week into my first 5 gal batch of cider and am realizing I only pitched 1 packet of yeast and wonder if I should’ve put both in; my local supplier gave me 2 in case I made up to 10 gal. It’s currently slowly bubbling away (I added nutrient with the yeast) and is cloudy so I presume all is well in that glass carboy. I used .388 oz of Nottingham Ale yeast.
Should I take another specific gravity reading to determine what’s happening and where the cider “is”? I did not add any extra sugar/honey and sterilized with Campden tablets. Finally, how important is the Ph factor at this point?
Thanks for helping another cider newbie!
WW
1 pack in a 5gal batch is plenty. Gravity reading is going to tell you what you need to know.
Did you check the pH before starting your batch?
Thanks for the clarification on the yeast. All is going well, however I didnt have the equipment at the onset to check the Ph; therefore, Im not going to worry about it now.
I recently took a sample and got 1.001 specific gravity, so Im assuming the yeast is finished “eating.” Today I racked the cider into a freshly sterilized carboy to allow additional clarification. Can I add pectic enzyme now (3/4 tsp per gal) to help it along? Oops…the cider is still bubbling, it just burped!
And finally, how about sweetening it up a bit? I plan to make “sparkling” hard cider and will add the honey/sugar combination to carbinate it, but is that all I can do to sweeten it?
Looking forward to the finished product…
WW
