First time homebrewing hard cider- i need some help?!
is it ready for secondary fermentation yet?
i'm a total newb.
assistance pleeeeeze.
Answers: i used 5 gallons pasteurized, preservative apple cider and one LB of brown sugar and dry ale yeast. only a week has gone by and the specific gravity has gone from 1.069 to 1.030. I've never made cider before and i'm looking for something like a commercial sweet hard cider. should i keep letting the sugar get eaten and then add more brown sugar post campden tablet? what sort of change in SG should i be shooting for?
is it ready for secondary fermentation yet?
i'm a total newb.
assistance pleeeeeze.
Have never made hard cider with dry ale yeast but here goes. [After all, I won't be the one drinking it.] Whatever SG doesn't change for 2-3 days is your final gravity. Adding more sugar after killing the yeast should work to give you what you want. Personally, I don't sterilize, preferring a lightly carbonated cider myself.
Good luck.
I gave up my grinder and press like 5 years ago
I still have my book and recordkeping
But I can't type with spit.
So check here :
http://www.thebeveragepeople.com
My book is
sweet & hard CIDER
making it, useing it, & enjoying it
ive made a lot of hard cider and enjoy it yer round but i never was real good at all the technical aspects of brewing. i do mine the same way all the time.
in a clean and sterlized demijohn add 1 quart pasturized apple juice, 1 package of yeast(i use red star yeast same as u use to bake bread),1 tsp fruit pectin and 1/2 cup sugar.then every 24 hrs i add 1quart of apple juice and 1/2 cup sugar. until i get 1 gal. when i quit getting bubbles in the air lock i strike it down and bottle,i then add 1 tsp of sugar to each bottle to get a secondary fermantation prior to capping. let age 3-4 days in a dark place keeping temp about 75deg f. chill and enjoy.