First Cider Help

[Tootorqued]

Hello

This is my first cider and I just want to make sure it's going the way it's supposed to. The cider I made has 2 gallons of organic cider, organic cinnamon sticks, brown sugar and maple syrup.

Pitched it with Safale S-04 yeast and has been fermenting for a week in a 66-71 degree room.

I am using the MR BEER kit for this batch but didn't use any of their ingredients. I'm basically wanting to do more and more batches and want to use the MR BEER fermenter as a R&D type of thing since it brews small amounts.

I attached a few pics. There are two from the beginning. Those two you'll see that there is a lot of bubbling going on and then a little bit of sediment on the bottom (what is this by the way). I'm assuming that sediment is dead yeast. Should I siphon it to secondary now with corn sugar for carbonation or what?

THe other three pics are after a week. You'll see that there is not as much bubbling and there is a lot more sediment at the bottom.

I just want to make sure this is normal or if something is wrong. Is the yeast dying? It's only been a week. I would think it should be bubbling more not less.

Thanks

 

[hunter_le five]

Perfectly normal. That's just yeast settling out as they wind down.

If it's still bubbling, I would wait until it has finished before racking off of the yeast. Don't add the sugar until you are ready to bottle.

 

[Tootorqued]

This is normal? On all the sites and research I've done, seems like everyone says it takes 3+ weeks to ferment and mine seems to be on the decline already.

So after a few more days I should go to secondary for bottling or just go to secondary and let it sit for another week or 2 then siphon to another carboy for bottling?

 

[Yooper]

This is normal? On all the sites and research I've done, seems like everyone says it takes 3+ weeks to ferment and mine seems to be on the decline already.

So after a few more days I should go to secondary for bottling or just go to secondary and let it sit for another week or 2 then siphon to another carboy for bottling?

I had two gallons of cider that finished in 5 days. I didn't add sugar to it, so the amount of sugars were less, but that's fairly typical. Mine was totally clear (like I could read a newspaper though it) in about 10 days.

If a fermentation takes 3+ weeks to be done, something is very wrong. Even my wines reach the end of active fermentation by day 5-7, and they are usually 13% ABV!

I don't bottle things that aren't clear, but if you don't more sediment in your bottles (as things in suspension settle out, either in the fermenter or in the bottle), you can bottle as soon as it's finished.

To know when it's finished, it's important to use a hydrometer and take two readings at least three days apart. When they are the same, and in a reasonable zone, it's safe to bottle. For me, I wait, as I don't like crud in the bottles, but others bottle sooner without any problems.

 

[hunter_le five]

I've had some ciders finish in less than a week, and some over a month. It depends on the yeast, and a whole host of other factors. Don't worry so much.

 

[Tootorqued]

Awesome. Thanks for the replies. Good to hear everything is fine.

For bottling I was thinking about getting just a few growlers instead of bottles and carbonating in into them since its a small batch and I drink alcohol in a glass most of the time. For carbonation/bottling you just put corn sugar in a carboy and siphin the brew to that carboy and just let it sit for a bit right?

 

[hunter_le five]

Awesome. Thanks for the replies. Good to hear everything is fine. For bottling I was thinking about getting just a few growlers instead of bottles and carbonating in into them since its a small batch and I drink alcohol in a glass most of the time. For carbonation/bottling you just put corn sugar in a carboy and siphin the brew to that carboy and just let it sit for a bit right?

Not exactly, it needs to be in a pressurizable container to carbonate (such as bottles). If you don't want to invest in glass beer bottles, a few plastic soda bottles will work just fine. Transfer the cider into your carboy/bucket/whatever and gently mix in an appropriate amount of sugar. Then transfer to plastic soda bottles (20oz, 1 liter, 3 liter, it doesn't matter), leaving a small amount of headspace. Then let it sit at room temperature for about 3 weeks. The soda bottles should be very firm to the touch by the time carbonation has finished.

Edit: some growlers are pressurizable, but some will just explode. I really recommend the soda bottle route if you are trying to be frugal.

 

[Tootorqued]

Thanks for the advice.

I racked it to secondary today (into a 2 gallon bucket with airock)
Going to watch the bubbles.
About bottling, the original gravity was either at 10% (1.080) or above. My guess is above. My hydrometer only goes to 10%. Before I racked I took a reading of it in the fermenter. It was at 8% (1.065) then took another reading when it was sitting in the secondary bucket which was 7% (1.055). My question is what does the reading have to be for bottling/carbonation?

Also has anyone used the Coopers carbonation drops? Good or bad for this?

Thanks

 

[hunter_le five]

You can ignore the % number in the hydrometer. All you need to look at is the specific gravity number (1.0XX).

I would get ready to carbonate once the SG gets at or near 1.000. Ciders usually finish around there, give or take a few points. The easiest way t o tell if fermentation is done is by taking a gravity reading, waiting two days, and taking another gravity reading. If the number has not changed over a two day period, it's probably finished primary fermentation and ready for carbonating.

I have no experience using carbonation drops, so I can't comment on that.

 

[Tootorqued]

If I take a couple readings in the next few days and it's the same, then it's ready for carbonation even if it's not around 1.000? Lets say it stays at 1.055 when I check it for a few days straight. Its ready to bottle then correct?

 

[hunter_le five]

No, it needs to be much lower than 1.055. If it stops there, then you have a stuck fermentation.

 

[Tootorqued]

So I checked it todsy and it was 1.050. Sobit went down a little bit. Should I re pitch?

 

[TheClairvoyant138]

No, leave it alone, check in another week,
I started my new one on 10/18, started at 1.08
today it is at 1.03

I'll give it another week or two before I check again