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Well, cider does take longer than beer. I'm not an expert, but I'd like to know if your hydrometer readings have stabilised. If they have, bottling should be OK, but be careful... the last thing you want is bottle bombs.

Sometimes residual activity in the airlock can just be CO2 coming out of solution rather than yeast activity, but with the slower fermentation of the sparkling wine yeast it's possible it's still going. It shouldn't be able to go too much further down than that.

its now been in the bottle for a week and is still flat as a tack. there is very little sediment on the bottom of the bottles and was very clear when i bottled it. i put 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar ineach bottle and they have been stared at about 18 degrees. do they need longer or has the kit yeast died because the alcohol got up to 7.5%.

My BR Cider needed about three months to carbonate. Wait and you shall be rewarded.

My cider has just about finished fermenting today. Here's the recipe:

Black Rock Apple Cider
1kg Dextrose
4L Apples Juice
4 Granny Smith Apples
20L

O.G: 1055 F.G: 1000

The alcohol percentage has sky rocketed to 7.9%. Unbelievable. The 4L of apple juice contained 440g of sugar and I'm not sure how much sugar is in 4 granny smith apples. Hard to believe the gravity dropped to 1000 really.

What about priming.. Do you use the same amount for cider as you would for beer?

If you want the same level of carbonation, then yes.

melbourne man wrote:BR cider can
0.5 kg lactose
4L apple juice no preservatives
12 granny smith apples, cored, peeles chopped ina stocking
1.5kg of sugar

22L

what do you reckon the alco% will be, do you think that 0.5kg of lactose will make it sweet enough and will it be very apply at this volume?

also is better to use sugar rather than dextrose?

I did the exact same recipe minus the granny smith apples and substitued the suguar with dextrose. Perfect cider and turned out to be about 6%

I've just put down a cider. Been in the carboy for a couple of days now. I've peeled cored and quartered 4 apples and wacked them in a strelised stocking and thrown them in. They are floating on the top of my wort, is this normal? I assumed they'd sink after a little while but it's been a few days now and they're still floating?

Yeh that's normal. I assumed the same and was surprised when they floated. Expect them to be covered in sludge when fermentation starts too, they will remain floating throughout the entire process.

Thx Beau, at least I know what to expect now.

I am planning to make a cider next and I have been looking for some 100% apple juice with no preservatives to add to the kit. Most of the brands I have seen in the shops say "no preservatives" but looking at the ingredients they have 99.9% apple juice, food acid, flavour, colour, etc.

Would that be ok to make a cider or will these things affect the yeast? Does anyone know of a brand that is definately 100% apple juice?

Why the suprise,

Apples float in water and it has a SG of 1.000. unfermented Cider has a much greater SG.

Dogger

When doing ciders what temp should thay be brewed at?? I will be going to HBS after work to get BR kit so i will be putting it down soon.

Depends on the yeast, but generally between 15°C and 22°C.

oh and also lactose is that just plain suger?? and when putting the apples in the stocking how to you sterlise them?? Can i just just clean them in hot water and spray them with the sterlising liquid i have? or can i just clean the apples quarter them and chuck them straight into the fermenter?

Timmsy wrote:oh and also lactose is that just plain suger??

Lactose is milk sugar. Yeast can't metabolise it so it stays in the cider, leaving a residual sweetness. It's available from your home brew shop.

and when putting the apples in the stocking how to you sterlise them?? Can i just just clean them in hot water and spray them with the sterlising liquid i have? or can i just clean the apples quarter them and chuck them straight into the fermenter?

For heaven's sake, don't spray them with the sterilising liquid. Heat is the usual method. I've never made a cider, but you could sterilise them by adding them to the fermenter and then pouring your hot must over them from the boil, and leaving for 10 mins. Or you could boil water seperately, add the apples, and then add this to your fermenter. Maybe someone with more experience can help here.

I personally don't see much point in having apples floating in your fermenter. Can anyone let me know exactly what this adds to the final product?

I can't speak for apples, but having quinces floating around in my fermenter last time I made a cider put a very distinctive quince taste into it.

I think different types of apples can add different flavours.

I put one down last night
It was a brewcraft kit wheich contained

1 X BR can
1 X #15 brewconverter
500grm lactose
50ml apple schnaps
200grm dex
2ltr of apple juice

made to 21ltrs

sg 1056

Smelt pretty good

Just thought I would mention a twist on the topic of cider,

Once mad a brigalow cider + kilo dex. + 2 - 2.4 L. apple/raspberry juice
had several compliments on it - even from the ladies

Dogger Dan - nudge,raspberry,nudge,mead

Looking at receipes above.. looks like most of you talking about sweet ciders?

I am more of Cider Draught drinker... like Cascade's Mercury Draught, the brown label.

What makes them "draught"??