I am EXCIDERD for cider

Yes I invented a word. I'm also brand new to cider but it seems simple enough. My first batch of cider i just dumped plain old store bought apple juice from concentrate, no additives besides the vitamin c. Also several cans of concentrate, same. Sanitized the outside of them with alcohol swab. I put this on top of a pale mild beer yeast cake, promptly after bottling. London ale wyeast. Not sure why i did this but i also added sake yeast # 9, i had for a sake batch ive yet to do. Kept the carboy at about 68. After the fermentation began i learned that the crispin cider company uses sake yeast, and that is my favorite store cider(but also plus one to harpoon cider). What do ya know? a week later the hydrometer went from 1.060 to 1.000. The sample tasted like crispin alot, and much better than half of the store bought cider around here in DFW. I bottled 2 days later, priming with only half a helping of clear Belgian candi sugar in maybe a splash more than two cups of (reverse osmosis??? Is this okay???) water. Can't wait to try it in a few weeks. Although the leftover bottling bucket cider definatly didn't taste as good as the hydro sample two days earlier. I prefer dry cider with little sugar btw. Thanks for reading. Anyone ever grow sake yeast? Im new to starters but for sure plan on doing this again, from scratch instead of yeast cake usage. Would be nice to save on yeast. And, is this even technically hard cider?

I've never made a starter with sake yeast, but i'm sure it works just like any other strain. Sounds like you made a great cider!

Alcohol, check. Apples, check. Liquid form, check. Definitely cider. Make sure to pasteurize correctly to stop your cider from fermenting completely dry. No idea on the starter thing. I imagine it'd be possible. Good luck!

Thanks, but would it be detrimental if i did let it go completely dry? Honestly the least amount of sugar i get in me the better. No experience in pasteurizing. Is this essential?

And im actually about to rack a brewers best kit to a secondary because its in the way, next to my stove and im about to brew and im out of caps. Would it work just fine if i put apple juice ontop of that yeast cake and let it go? The apple juice is also kinda in the way.... Ive got a tiny apartment here...

beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer- said:

And im actually about to rack a brewers best kit to a secondary because its in the way, next to my stove and im about to brew and im out of caps. Would it work just fine if i put apple juice ontop of that yeast cake and let it go? The apple juice is also kinda in the way.... Ive got a tiny apartment here...

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Just make sure to give the yeasties some extra nutrients and energizer. They are a little over worked right now and could stress and create off flavors.

beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer- said:

Thanks, but would it be detrimental if i did let it go completely dry? Honestly the least amount of sugar i get in me the better. No experience in pasteurizing. Is this essential?

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I usually let mine go completely dry then back sweeten with concentrate. I also don't bother pasteurizing. I leave my bottles at room temp until they are carbed, (I bottle cider in plastic so I just squeeze test them), then I throw them in the fridge. 2.5 gallons usually doesn't last me more than a week, so bottle bombs not an issue

Will do. Im planning a trip to the hb shop in the morning, so ill just add the nutreints in the morning and see if that works. Honestly if i waste this apple juice its not that big a loss to me, just added research.

Same here, i can hardly get 5 gallons to last me more than a week or two with all my friends . And that sounds good, however my first batch is already in bottles. This cider is just like a fling experiment for me, so im just going to experiment my way through it i guess.... But the advice always resides....

Ok well change of plans. I left the spring water for my brew tonight in the car, which my gf just took to work the graveyard shift tonight. So ill use my nottingham on top of the cider and see how that turns out. Since im using extra yeast, maybe ill use extra sugars.....

beerbeerbeerbeerbeerbeer- said:

Thanks, but would it be detrimental if i did let it go completely dry? Honestly the least amount of sugar i get in me the better. No experience in pasteurizing. Is this essential?

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Not at all. Let it ferment dry, and if you like how it tastes, add a little sugar for priming and bottle. The only way you could get a bottle bomb is if you have really weak bottles or you put too much sugar in.

Awesome. 7 days after bottling, cider turned out A+. Almost too drinkable for the alcohol content I know it has. Refer up for the hydro reading and thermometer sample, I did not compensate. Being a new extract brewer, i just make sure the hydro sample sinks all the way down to near 1.010 or so. I Like the idea of aging brew, as I've had divine stuff from another brewer that was unintentionally aged almost three years and defiantly the best brew iv'e ever had.

Nice. Nottingham seems to be a favorite for cider.