Ok, I started another thread about converting cider to vinegar, but wonder if what I have is salvageable? Cider is fresh pasteurized local market ( Akron Ohio) sweet cider, Safeale 04 yeast, fermented 6 weeks or so then racked to secondary. Primary temps mid 60s f , then hanging out in a better bottle with good airlock for the past 5-6 months....resting with no disturbance at room temp of 65 to 85 f. Tried a bit the other day and it was 1.000 SG, but had a middle of the mouth & toung sour/tart taste. Adding table sugar to the sample didn't help. Can I salvage it with a tannin addition? Should I bottle it and see what more time does? Should I dump it and mourn what could have been? Desperate for any advise if it is salvageable.
Fixing a cider?
- Thread starter cjbalough
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It's totally clear and no longer dropping any lees at all? You don't have any lees in the carboy at all, right?
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
You say you added table sugar. What was the gravity of the sample you tasted? (how much sugar did you add? Did you bench test?). Why do you think that adding tannins would make it more pleasant? Do you know what the TA of the cider is? Might adding a base (alkali) to the cider reduce the acidity?
Clear - no but I didn't ad anything to clear it up --- quite pale yellow but cloudy color, not dropping any lees.... Mabe a slight coating on the bottom. I didn't get scientific, just added a teaspoon of so of sugar to my gravity and tasting sample..
If there are lees on the bottom, it needs to be racked to a new vessel. It should clear even if no finings were added. Once you go 60 days without any lees at all in a new carboy, it can be fined or cold stabilized if needed and then flavor adjustments can be made. Sometimes cold stabilization will drop out a ton of acid (via little "wine diamonds") and that alone fixes the cider. '
No, I want vegetarian friendly wines and ciders. Simply placing it in a cold place for a short time usually does the trick just fine, but I generally give it plenty of time to clear in a carboy first- often months.
