First time with cider

[bmathews]

Hey guys this is the first time I've tried making hard cider. I used store bought cider and pitched wyeast cider yeast. It's about 62 degrees and northern brewer says it's good down to 60. I'm not getting any activity out of the air lock after 24 hours. Is this normal or do I have a problem

 

[phug]

do what I do when I'm paranoid and not sure if anything is happening yet. carboy in a dark room, and take a flashlight, and shine it through the cider near the top of the neck. look at it from the other side to see if you can spot any tiny tiny bubbles rising. You should be able to see those before you start seeing the airlock going.

 

[bmathews]

Thanks I'll try tgat

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

If you pitched a liquid yeast without a starter the lag time might be a little longer than that of a dry yeast because the cell count is a little lower. I'd give it another 24-48 hours if bmathews idea doesn't provide any results. After 48 hours you might try bumping the temps up a few degrees.

 

[progmac]

does your store-bought cider have preservatives?

 

[bmathews]

OK thanks. Nope preservative free

 

[BadDeacon]

I have a cider rolling right now. No airlock in blowoff but if is shake the fermenter the dissolved co2 jumps out like a rhino fart for 20 seconds.

Cider ferments a bit different than beer in terms of symptoms in my mind.

 

[BadDeacon]

Also mine takes a day or 2 to kick off even w a starter. Did you add any nutrients???

 

[bmathews]

No just the ones in the wyeast smack pack

 

[bmathews]

I've never added any with beer and no problem so I didn't think I should need any

 

[BadDeacon]

Cider tends to miss some other nutrient that traditional wort has. I have read the tossing in some raisins helps.

I have used plain old yeast nutrient (DAP) in the past.

My current batch I used craisains and no nutrients. It is fermenting but is behaving VERY differently.

 

[Upthewazzu]

I think adding yeast nutrient is probably good idea when doing cider.

FWIW, my cider didn't have much activity until about 48 hours after pitching. It fermented pretty consistently for over a week after that. I used the Wyeast Cider yeast @ 66°F. It went from 1.054 to 1.001 after two and a half weeks.

 

[bmathews]

I'm finally seeing some activity not a ton a couple bubbles every few minutes but it's something at least. Thanks for the help

 

[BadDeacon]

Word of warning. Any sugar you add for bottling will ferment out all the sugar and make it dry again. Beware of bottle bombs.

Last batch I did, I back sweetened w diet soda. So I aimed high on my gravity to compensate for the additional volume.

 

[bmathews]

Unless you pasturize correct, but will that effect the flavor. I know they say to use cold pasturized cause heating the cider will change the taste

 

[bmathews]

Or could you just serve the cider with a spoon of maple syrup

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

Or could you just serve the cider with a spoon of maple syrup

That sounds interesting. Maybe make a simple syrup with some maple in it and add a splash. Nice. I've tasted cider with maple syrup fermented, but never in raw form. Good idea.

 

[bmathews]

Ya i don't know how it would be either never tried but the nice thing would be if it wasn't good its only one wasted and not a batch. Plus it would allow each to sweeten as much or as little as they like.

 

[EpicCider]

I just pitched 5 one gallon samples (Honey, Molasses, Light Brown Sugar, Tannin, and Straight) with Wyeast. my first time using the yeast.

Sounds like you are going to be fine, cider is straight forward except usually the back-sweetening and carbonation side.

 

[bmathews]

Ya I'm gonna try to separate the bottles and experiment

 

[bmathews]

So with the back sweetening is this done when you bottle. Also how do you add sugar without the yeast consuming it pasturization?