[69franx]

Here's a pic of my cider after 17 days in primary. There was no evidence of this separation effect when I left for LA last Wednesday, so I'm just curious. Is this how cider fermentation behaves? The carboy has been in that cooler of ice water the whole time, between 67-70 degrees, it has not been crashed. Is there usually such distinct stratification when undisturbed? This is in primary and has been the whole time. Never seen any of my beers look this way, so it made me wonder. The whole thing looks like the egg drop soup everyone refers to when talking about the hot break. Recipe was 5 gallons of fresh local pasteurized cider, 2# corn sugar, with S-04. Take a look and tell me what you think...



Sent from The Alpine Brewery using Tapatalk

[69franx]

Edit: I have not taken a reading yet, so no idea how far along it is yet


Sent from The Alpine Brewery using Tapatalk

[erockrph]

Interesting. It almost looks like the pictures I've seen of keeved cider. Tell us more about your process. Did you add any pectic enzyme and/or nutrients?

[Jimmy K]

Huh... That's all I have. +1 above

[HoosierBrew]

Hmm. Yeah, never seen that in a cider - I always use pectic enzyme. I'll be curious to see how it tastes and smells.

[69franx]

Nope, nothing else, just the fresh cider, sugar, and yeast. I'm going to go take a sample now and I'll get back to you all on taste, smell, and gravity

Edit: Gravity at 1.02, down from 1.064: almost 69%
Taste is sweet apple, smell is about the same

Recipe was actually from an Apfelwine recipe in the wiki here I am pretty sure: mix the sugar and cider, add yeast, walk away. No heat, no pectic enzyme.
The fun part is, as stated above, this is my first attempt at a cider, so I really don't know what I should be tasting at this point, guess I will just hope it is from something in the fresh pressed(yet pasteurized) cider and hope I don't get sick.
I will post again on it in another 2 weeks or so after a second sample, and any further pix.
Would racking to another 5 gallon carboy be advised(no real way to purge of O2 though) in case this is some kind of infection?
Keep the thoughts coming

[Jimmy K]

Edit: Gravity at 1.02, down from 1.064: almost 69%
Taste is sweet apple, smell is about the same

In that case I would leave it alone and not worry. It's just like beer fermentations - lots of weird krausen pictures out there.

[dmtaylor]

It looks like it keeved!  A lot of cider makers struggle to make this happen on purpose, and you got it keeved without even trying!  It is probably good this way.  I've never had it happen to mine, although I really have not tried.  It aids in clarity and in maintaining sweetness in your cider.  I believe it has to do with the amount of calcium in the cider, and this can come from adding gypsum or CaCl2, or just from the juice itself.

[69franx]

This cider will be bottled after fermentation is complete. I know it will likely end up carbed yet dry due to lack of unfermentable sugars. With fresh cider, corn sugar, and S04, should I be expecting FG around 1.00 or even lower? I read about keeving on mad fermentationist(?)  Funk Factory Guezeria before making this, but did nothing but what is stated above to get where I am at. If it did somehow keeve, fermentation will take some time to finish IIRC? the sample I took last night had a subtle orange color to it, but was also already quite clear compared to the thickish brown cider that went in originally. As I pulled a sample, I did get some of the solids into my hydro tube, but I let it settle for a while before checking. Do I need to do anything besides just waiting it out, if it is keeved?

[dmtaylor]

Check your specific gravity about once per week for the next month.  If/when the gravity doesn't change anymore, it will be safe to bottle.  Your guess is as good as mine as to when it will quit fermenting -- could be in the 1.010s, could be in the 0.99s, I am not sure which.  I don't think you need to do anything special besides waiting.  Although you could rack it at any time if you wish, to get rid of the clods of brainy stuff at the top.  Optional though, methinks.

[69franx]

Thanks Dave, I will post back


Sent from The Alpine Brewery using Tapatalk

[69franx]

So, two weeks later and we are down to about 1.015, and here's a pic of new hydro sample
Think I will rack off the trub on the bottom and the "brain looking stuff" on top this weekend and then give it a couple more weeks to see if it will go lower. 5 gravity points in 2 weeks is very slow work, but it is slowly working so I will give it more time. Thanks for all the help so far

[Jimmy K]

I would either rack and stabilize to preserve sweetness or leave it on the yeast until terminal gravity is reached. Just like beer, racking cider that isn't finished fermenting is asking for stressed yeast, slow finish, and/or bottle bombs. My cider is often in primary for 6 weeks.

[69franx]

Thanks Jimmy K, it has only been a month, so I will leave it alone for a couple more weeks


Sent from The Alpine Brewery using Tapatalk

[HoosierBrew]

I would either rack and stabilize to preserve sweetness or leave it on the yeast until terminal gravity is reached. Just like beer, racking cider that isn't finished fermenting is asking for stressed yeast, slow finish, and/or bottle bombs. My cider is often in primary for 6 weeks.

Yep, good advice.