When to transfer cider ?

[Baldilocks]

So I am trying making cider for the first time and am looking for some advice as to when the first fermentation is up, and its time to move from the the bucket to the demijohn.
The juice was pressed and treated with campden tablets. 1 per gallon.
Then I left it 48 hours.
I then stirred in a yeast starter. 1 packet in about a half pint of water left to dissolve for about a day before adding to the juice.
It has developed a raft of pale scum on the top now, so something is going on, but it has taken 4 days to achieve this.

Should I leave it for longer before putting under an airlock ? If so, when is the best time ?

Thnaks for any advice guys

 

[bunge]

Sorry i don't have an answer as i'm looking for similar advice;
I pressed my first gallon straight into a DJ on saturday, added nothing, left it open and today the juice is bubbling away like mad, so i've just put an airlock on.... dont know if i should have or not, just guessing that as its fermenting now i'd seal it off...

Chris.

 

[Baldilocks]

Hi Chris

I too am new at homebrewing cider, but have encouraging news for you.
With me being new at this lark I decided to try a few different methods. The first 4 gallons of juice, different juices containing differing mixes of apple types, I put into demijohns with no chemicals or yeasts at all. I put these under airlock in the airing cupboard for a day or 2 to get them bubbling, then transferred them to the shed, where they are still fermenting at a good rate.
They haven't slowed in fermentation rate, even in a cold shed for over 2 weeks now.
In theory the juice should have all the sugars and yeasts necesarry to do it's own thing fine, so stick with it.
I just went down the campden tablet and re-yeasting route to find out what the results compare like to the other batches, and to learn a little more about brewing.

 

[bunge]

Thanks Baldilocks, sounds like we're on the same mission...
the gal i've stated was a tester really having just bodged up a press, i was kinda thinking that i'd only do a small quantity of natural cider as i get the impression it can be a bit 'hit and miss', but so far so good.
From this weekend on i'll be pressing like mad so i think with larger volumes i might play safe by adding yeast. Not much of a mix of apples though as i'm only using those from my own trees. Got a few pears as well so, was thinking of mixing them in with the apples for one batch..
Chris.

 

[Marrsy86]

Hi guys,

Hope your brews turn out well.

Im not sure if its different with fruit based brews but with my juice/cordial based ones I alwasy have an airlock on them for protection against bacteria and other nasty things getting in. Is there a reson in particular you have not airlocked your brews from the start ?

Cheers

Marrsy

 

[bunge]

I didnt airlock mine initially as because i wasnt adding anything at all to the juice it would have to rely on natural airbourne yeasts. now its started i thought i'd fit an airlock to prevent anything else having a go at it.

 

[Marrsy86]

Im not very experianced with the fruit based brews but I though the yeasts from fruit brews was on the skins of the fruit and thats what started fermentation.

I wouldent mind getting some gen on this from Moley if he sees this ? :wha:

I always keep my brews airlocked as I always add my own yeast but your method could be useful for a few things I have in mind :thumb:

Cheers

Marrsy

 

[bunge]

Yours probably right marrsy, i didnt even wash the apples so yep i guess that the yeast could well be from the skins.
in terms of chosing to go this way i just goggled 'traditional cider' and came up with this;
http://www.thefield.co.uk/features/1496 ... rumpy.html

 

[Marrsy86]

Yours probably right marrsy, i didnt even wash the apples so yep i guess that the yeast could well be from the skins.
in terms of chosing to go this way i just goggled 'traditional cider' and came up with this;
http://www.thefield.co.uk/features/1496 ... rumpy.html

Well I hope it turns out well for you :) if it does I might give it a bash next year when I get a scratter and a press sorted. :

That website seems to be based around hunting and guns though not homebrew :p

Marrsy

 

[Baldilocks]

Hi Marrsy

I did airlock my first batches from the start. These are the ones that are just juice fermenting under their own steam.

My second batch is following this method. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qYknjqEAWc
I'm at the primary fermentation stage and am unclear when to siphon into airlock bottles as my juice isn't bubbling anything like the batch in the video. I'm just gonna give it a looking at in the morning and see how I feel.

BTW, I built a scratter and press like the ones in the video and they work a treat. There are plans for both on that website.

 

[graysalchemy]

Its not just wild yeast and bacteria you need to worry its fruit flies and their acetobacteria. It only takes one little pekie flie to get in and you will have vinegar.

You are better putting under aorlock, killing off any nasties and fermenting in a controlled enviroment with a decent yeast. You don't know how well wild yeast will perform or in actual fact if they are. I underrstand why you may want to go au natural but it is a lot riskier especially at this time of year when brews are more likely to spoil.

 

[Marrsy86]

My second batch is following this method. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qYknjqEAWc

haha beleive it or not a few years back when I was looking into getting into brewing I found that video and the guys dictation style and voice put me off. Still it is a good guide on how to do things and the home made scratter and press plans look like it might be my winter project :thumb:

 

[cleslie]

My second batch is following this method. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qYknjqEAWc

I was surprised to see he has said to leave for 3-4 weeks for fermentation. I have not used pressed apples before but simply used apple juice from supermarket and some cheap turbo yeast with no yeast nutrient. I was amazed at how fast it fermented. It started within an hour and averaged 1 bubble per second for 2 days. By day 3 it had completely stopped and the FG was spot on 1.000 all the way down from 1.060. I left it a further day just as I felt this couldn't be safe to bottle so soon, but after bottling the following day and sampling a week after it has come out fine... well actually a little sour but I just added some sweetener.

Guess this is why they call is turbo cider, but I can't see that pressed apples would take weeks longer than apple juice to ferment :hmm: ... wish my beer fermented that fast

 

[Baldilocks]

haha beleive it or not a few years back when I was looking into getting into brewing I found that video and the guys dictation style and voice put me off.

Oh I can believe it. I had to prop my eyes with matchsticks to get to the end of the vid without dropping off.

 

[Archtronics]

My second batch is following this method. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qYknjqEAWc

I was surprised to see he has said to leave for 3-4 weeks for fermentation. I have not used pressed apples before but simply used apple juice from supermarket and some cheap turbo yeast with no yeast nutrient. I was amazed at how fast it fermented. It started within an hour and averaged 1 bubble per second for 2 days. By day 3 it had completely stopped and the FG was spot on 1.000 all the way down from 1.060. I left it a further day just as I felt this couldn't be safe to bottle so soon, but after bottling the following day and sampling a week after it has come out fine... well actually a little sour but I just added some sweetener.

Guess this is why they call is turbo cider, but I can't see that pressed apples would take weeks longer than apple juice to ferment :hmm: ... wish my beer fermented that fast

Look into the traditional way of making cider, they where often pressed around now an left till spring to ferment if I recall its get some sought of fermentation that turns the citric acid to malic.

Mark

 

[graysalchemy]

Its Malolactic fermentation when the malic acid is turned into lactic acid after the initial fermentation of the sugars to alcohol. Traditionally this is done by ageing the cider over winter. However it does require the apple juice to have malic acid in it. If they are eaters then probably not much but if they are cider apples they will have more. If I am making Turbo cider from carton juice then I add a tsp of malic acid per gallon and also a tsp of tannin which is also low in eating apples.