Brewing cider from a kit (MYO Apple)

[JiiPee95]

So in couple months we are going to try and brew our first cider. We've brewed beer before and the process doesn't seem too different between a beer kit and a cider kit. The only thing I'm wondering is the sweetener. The kit comes with an artificial sweetener package you should add, but I really don't like the taste of drinks containing those.

So the question is can we leave the cider dry, and make a sugar syrup you would add in the glass while pouring the cider? Has anyone else tried this kind of method?

 

[johncrobinson]

That IS the best way of doing this.

There are a lot of posts on this site about sweetening cider with sugar and bottling it with the attendant risks of doing so.

 

[JiiPee95]

Well sugar would be too risky for my liking in the bottle, yeah you can pasteurize the cider to stop it fermenting before the yeast eats all the sugars and create too much pressure but my knowledge is not enough for that yet.

I also thought since there are multiple drinkers adding simple syrup to the glass gives everyone the freedom to adjust the sweetnes to their liking (for example my wife generally likes sweeter stuff than I do).

 

[Plums]

Jillpee95 I have started my own MYO apple (7 days now in bucket) but question is there is a sharp sulphur smell when I give it a sniff. Is this right??

 

[johncrobinson]

Depends on the yeast you use
I am doing an apple juice wine at the moment using Gervin GV1. Not the slightest hint of a sulphur smell.
The smell from the airlock is that of freshly peeled apples.

Some cider yeasts i believe can produce the rotten eggs smell but i understand it matures out.

It can also occur if you don't use a yeast nutrient.

 

[Plums]

Transferred primary brew into secondary and added the flavouring and sweetener ( will add much less next time as smells v v sweet). Left it for a day or so and have now bottled it with carbonation drops. Any advice on how long I should leave them in bottles before drinking

 

[johncrobinson]

Its always a good idea to make a few sacrificial bottles to check on progress of maturation/carbonation etc
Its not really possible to put an exact time on it but i would guess in late january a month or two.