Hi folks,
I'm new to the forum. I've been making wine for a number of years (though still have much to learn there) and am trying cider for the first time right now. I have never brewed beer, so carbonation and such are new to me. I definitely need (and intend) to buy some books and spend time reading the extensive posts here, but it's all a little overwhelming right now and I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I asked a few quick questions just to help me with next steps.
I just fermented 3 gallons of fresh juice I bought from a local orchard. I used a wine yeast (Lalvin K1-V1116) and it seems to have completed pretty quickly (~4 days). Maybe too quick? Anyway it's at 0.998 SG now and seems to be about done, but I'll check again for stability. I racked from fermenter into a carboy and below is what it looks like now.
I don't have carbonation/kegging equipment but would like to try bottle carbonation. I've read some posts about sweetening and pasteurizing and that sounds a little challenging for a first-timer, so I am thinking I will just bottle it dry.
My questions:
Pete
I'm new to the forum. I've been making wine for a number of years (though still have much to learn there) and am trying cider for the first time right now. I have never brewed beer, so carbonation and such are new to me. I definitely need (and intend) to buy some books and spend time reading the extensive posts here, but it's all a little overwhelming right now and I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I asked a few quick questions just to help me with next steps.
I just fermented 3 gallons of fresh juice I bought from a local orchard. I used a wine yeast (Lalvin K1-V1116) and it seems to have completed pretty quickly (~4 days). Maybe too quick? Anyway it's at 0.998 SG now and seems to be about done, but I'll check again for stability. I racked from fermenter into a carboy and below is what it looks like now.
I don't have carbonation/kegging equipment but would like to try bottle carbonation. I've read some posts about sweetening and pasteurizing and that sounds a little challenging for a first-timer, so I am thinking I will just bottle it dry.
My questions:
- How do you handle clearing/fining? If this were wine I would let it sit for several months, rack a few times, and maybe filter. What do most people do with cider?
- Aside from clearing it, is there any value in bulk aging? How about oak additions - is that a "thing" for cider or not?
- Are swing-top bottles okay for bottling and carbonating?
- I bought some "carbonation drops" -- do they work or is it better to calculate and add sugar to the batch? Apparently the drops are designed to be used 1 per 12 oz volume, but swing tops seem to come in 16 oz increments (I already have some of these at home) or metric sizes (e.g. 1 liter), so it's a little off.
- If I'm not sweetening or pasteurizing, what should I do to preserve? I added about 50 ppm of SO2 before fermentation and I do have equipment for measuring SO2 levels. Do I just need an adequate level before bottling? I see mention of potassium sorbate as well - is that a necessary addition?
Pete