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Author Topic: First Cider Fermentation  (Read 3264 times)

Offline denny

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #15 on: November 05, 2021, 09:07:39 am »
Almost seems like cheating compared to brewing beer lol

It does! I don't know how much of the cider experimentation knowledge can be transferred to home brewing, but I've found it a cheap way to experiment with yeast anyhow. I also tried a couple cider batches dry hopped with (1/4oz per gallon) of Ekuanot and then another with Amarillo. They were both mighty different flavors and aromas. It got me thinking about contact time for dry hopping and not just the amount of hops being added. I've read about that before but couldn't find a feasible way to apply it in some regular, experimental fashion when a batch of beer takes me six weeks to go through.


FYI
https://www.homecidermaking.com/reusing-s-04-yeast-for-making-hard-cider/
https://www.instructables.com/Simple-Hard-Cider/
https://thewholeportion.com/which-is-the-best-cider-yeast/

Thanks for the info! I've heard about Côte des Blancs and needing to cut off fermentation early. It's intriguing.  I've got some WY 1450 sitting in the fridge right now. It's such an oddly fragrant variety of yeast I'm curious about what it might be like in some cider.

I "accidentally" used 1450 for cidermamfew years ago, when we'd pressed apples and I realized all I had around was a 1450 slurry. Made the best cider I'd made in 20 years.  Now, its all I use for cider.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline erockrph

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #16 on: November 05, 2021, 11:08:12 am »
FYI

https://www.homecidermaking.com/reusing-s-04-yeast-for-making-hard-cider/

https://www.instructables.com/Simple-Hard-Cider/

https://thewholeportion.com/which-is-the-best-cider-yeast/

Thanks for sharing those. This explains why the ciders and cysers I've made with 71B lean towards insipid - it eats up malic acid. I use D47 now, and I've definitely noticed that I don't need to add acid as much, or as often, to my finished ciders.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline Joe_Beer

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #17 on: November 05, 2021, 01:48:12 pm »
Lets see what happens

👍

Incidentailly, I'm giving some teabags https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0734ZP46W/ a try for dry hopping. I tried just cinching the string tight, but should have tied it around the top of the bag too. Got some hop matter leaking out. Might be a bigger issue if the hops expand a lot. But, as you say, let's see what happens  ;)

 

Offline Joe_Beer

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #18 on: November 05, 2021, 01:50:25 pm »
I "accidentally" used 1450 for cidermamfew years ago, when we'd pressed apples and I realized all I had around was a 1450 slurry. Made the best cider I'd made in 20 years.  Now, its all I use for cider.

Thanks Denny! Good to know (cheers to happy accidents). I'm definitely doing this now!

Fire Rooster

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #19 on: November 06, 2021, 05:11:33 am »


Squirted star-san in balloon, squeezed out.
Poked hole once with pin completely through balloon.
That would be two small pin holes once inflated.
Package said balloon was 1 foot inflated.
Perfect size, some looked too small or big.
Fit tight over bottle neck, secured with rubber band to be safe.
Poured too much juice out. 
Perfectly balanced pressure, enough to slightly inflate balloon.
About 1/2 inch of foam subsided, but can see movement inside bottle.
Now the wait.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2021, 01:31:59 pm by Fire Rooster »

Fire Rooster

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #20 on: November 19, 2021, 05:18:30 am »
Cider has fermented for two weeks.
You can clearly see bubbles coming from bottom, since container is clear.
I'm tempted to bottle now and naturally carbonate without priming sugar.

Fire Rooster

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #21 on: November 23, 2021, 01:34:11 pm »
3 weeks and still small bubbles coming from bottom.
I think the yeast is chewing on honey that settled to bottom.

Offline Joe_Beer

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #22 on: November 24, 2021, 04:45:52 am »
3 weeks and still small bubbles coming from bottom.

Might just be CO2 dissipating. Sometimes I get slow bubbles for days but the gravity doesn't go anywhere.

Fire Rooster

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #23 on: November 24, 2021, 06:47:03 am »
3 weeks and still small bubbles coming from bottom.

Might just be CO2 dissipating. Sometimes I get slow bubbles for days but the gravity doesn't go anywhere.

I'll wait until the sophisticated monitoring device deflates.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2021, 07:21:13 am by Fire Rooster »

Fire Rooster

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #24 on: December 01, 2021, 01:37:11 pm »
4 weeks cider still has steady bubbles coming from bottom.
For those who bottle cider, how long do you ferment ?
I used S-04 @ 60f.

Thanks
« Last Edit: December 01, 2021, 02:17:18 pm by Fire Rooster »

Offline denny

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #25 on: December 01, 2021, 01:51:38 pm »
4 weeks cider still has steady bubbles coming from bottom.
For those who bottle cider, how long do you ferment ?
I used S-04.

Thanks

I ferment until it's done, but I don't rely on bubbles to tell me when that is.  Might be 2 weeks (almost never), might be a month (around the norm) or it might be 2 months.  I treat it like wine, not beer.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Fire Rooster

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #26 on: December 05, 2021, 12:26:58 pm »


Bubbles are slowing down, and balloon is starting to deflate.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2021, 12:30:02 pm by Fire Rooster »

Fire Rooster

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #27 on: December 12, 2021, 07:04:40 am »
Approaching 6 weeks and bubbles are starting to slow down.
Last week bubbles increased and balloon was filling up again.
But now it's like picture shown above, starting to deflate again.


Offline denny

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #28 on: December 12, 2021, 08:35:05 am »
Approaching 6 weeks and bubbles are starting to slow down.
Last week bubbles increased and balloon was filling up again.
But now it's like picture shown above, starting to deflate again.

As I'm sure you know,  it's not about the bubbles, it's about the gravity.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Fire Rooster

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Re: First Cider Fermentation
« Reply #29 on: December 12, 2021, 11:11:58 am »
Approaching 6 weeks and bubbles are starting to slow down.
Last week bubbles increased and balloon was filling up again.
But now it's like picture shown above, starting to deflate again.

As I'm sure you know,  it's not about the bubbles, it's about the gravity.

Yes I know.
I was hoping the hydrometer/gravity police would let me slide. ;)