First time cider-brewing question

[Robert_Paulson]

Okay, so right now I have three gallons of hard cider that is undergoing primary fermentation in a three gallon carboy. My question is related to adding flavors to the cider. I want to make some of these three gallons fruit flavored, some cinnamon flavored, and some just plain cider.

Once my cider is done with primary fermentation, could I siphon some of it into growlers, add flavors, and continue fermenting it in there kind of? I wouldn't be trying to carbonate in there, just add flavors to the cider, so I would use an airlock to let pressure escape.

After it has been in the growlers for a few days I would rack and bottle it, leaving the fruit or whatever behind, allowing it to carbonate in my swingtop bottles.

Does this sound like an okay plan? Will I be left with enough yeast to carbonate the cider in the swingtop bottles? The reason I'm doing it this way is so that I don't have to add all the flavoring stuff to each 12 ounce swingtop bottle, hopefully making each bottle more uniform and whatnot.



Shortened version:
Can I ferment in a 3-gallon carboy, then a 1/2 gallon growler with flavoring in it, and finally carbonate in swingtop bottles?

Thanks, and I appreciate any advice or suggestions.

 

[Sewer_Urchen]

Yes, go for it. I put fruit in my secondary all the time. You will want to be sure it's fermented out before you prime to carbonate in the bottle. The fruit has simple sugars that the yeast will continue to consume. So, yes, there will be plenty of yeast to carbonate when you bottle.

The only thing I'd say is that you might want larger secondaries than 1/2 gallon growlers, the more you move in bulk the less you'll oxidize the cider. You might want to consider one gallon secondaries.

 

[Robert_Paulson]

Awesome, thanks for the advice. Two more questions though. Should I add more pectic enzyme if I plan on adding more fruit to the secondary? Or will the pectic enzyme from the primary be enough?

Also, when was talking to the guy at my LHBS he said something about the "fruit flavors escaping through the airlock during fermentation." Is this something I will have to worry about while trying to add flavor in my secondary?

 

[Sewer_Urchen]

No, fruit flavors escape during primary fermentation. Fruit in the secondary is the perfect time for the addition. Pectic enzyme is really only necessary if you're boiling the fruit, which is a good way to be sure it's sanitary.

For example, I'll boil 8 oz of raspberries in 1 C water and 1C sugar for 5 min. That will set pectins and make it stay foggy...but...you can add pectic enzyme at any time...I usually never add it to the primary, but only a week before I bottle IF it needs it. So there's no definite answer to that question, just add it if you think it needs it.

 

[Robert_Paulson]

Okay so I just gave my ciders a try and I was a little disappointed with the blueberry. I boiled the blueberries on the stove with sugar and water, added them to 1 gallon of cider, and let it sit in the secondary for a while.

However, I really had no blueberry flavor in the finished cider. It was purple and whatnot, but there was no blueberry taste.

Any ideas as to what I did wrong? I'm just about to transfer another batch into the secondary and I want to avoid making the same mistake again if it can be avoided.

 

[Sewer_Urchen]

Blueberry is a very subtle flavor to begin with, I guess it depends on how many blueberries you used...blueberry beer usually uses syrup, beer brewed with natural blueberries in my experience tends to be just a hint of flavor. You might consider finding some blueberry extract.

 

[Robert_Paulson]

Hmmm. Okay thanks for the info. Next time I'll try adding some extract or syrup. I actually have a batch of 50% apple and 50% cranberry juice fermenting right now, so we'll see how that turns out.

I'm considering adding some cranberries to the secondary. Any suggestions as to whether that is a good idea or not?

 

[Sewer_Urchen]

I do it all the time...like I said, 1C water and 1C sugar, boil 12 oz. cranberries for 5 min, pour syrup and cranberries in fermenter, let sit 6 weeks.

 

[Robert_Paulson]

Alright cool, I'll give that a try.

 

[Sewer_Urchen]

You will need to add pectic enzyme with that method...add it two weeks before you bottle.