Apple Cider

[crwright2020]

About 2 1/2 weeks ago I tried to make some hard cider. 

I placed it the primary for a week and fermentation has been going strong with no signs of slowing down at the end of the 2 week secondary period.

I used champagne yeast and did not realize that it was a bottom fermenting yeast until I saw it a the bottom of my secondary fermentor. I must have rack the yeast directly into the secondary.

Will I have to rack it a second time or do I let it go until it stops?

The recipe from memory (I hope I don't forget anything important)


5 gallon unpasteurized apple cider (og 1.045)
3 lb cane sugar (after sugar added (og 1.070)
Heat to 170 deg for 45min
2 1/2 tsp Peptic Acid 10 min prior to pitching yeast
Pitch Champange yeast stater at 80 deg
4 oz if toasted oak cubes into secondary

[Maine Homebrewer]

I would have left it in the primary longer, but you did not ruin anything.
One thing about cider is that it does not clarify willingly, and requires time.
I'd say let it go until visible fermentation has ceased, then rack again.
After that it comes down to how much patience you have, how clear you want the final product to be, and how much research you do in the mean time.

Don't worry, and relax with a homebrew and a new book about hard cider.

[crwright2020]

Thanks Maine are we talking waiting week or months?  For what little I have read and spoken to people about cider the longer you leave it the better it is.

I hope I did not mess up your karma,think that I pushed a bad button (rookies).

[Maine Homebrewer]

The last time I made cider it didn't come out very well.
I used 5gal cider, the rest of my powdered malt extract (3# I think), some acid blend, and ale yeast.
It never cleared.  I don't know if it was improper racking or impatience.
It also didn't taste very good.  Not bad, but not good.
If I did it again I'd use different yeast, ec1018 like you, would have let it clear in the carb before kegging, given it more time to ferment, and given it the benefit of aging.

Weeks or months?  Probably months. 

Pick up a book, there are several dedicated specifically to hard cider. 
You've got plenty of time.

Impatience kills cider, I know.

[jeff]

Here's a great recipe from another forum; Bales Goof Proof Cider.

5 gallons Mott's Apple juice.

Here is the exact copy of the recipe that I used...

For anyone interested, the cheap and superficial cider is done. . Mott's Apple Juice, two packs of S-33, 16 days in primary at 75 degrees, rack to secondary and put into ferment cold chamber for 1.5 days at 38 degrees to finish yeast settling, into keg with two cans of thawed concentrate (granny smith) force carbed and served.

Changes that I did... Poured the apple juice directly from the bottle onto a Nottingham primary yeast cake.

Used any frozen apple juice. (Do not add ANY water ((just as a clarification point))
You can bottle. But, Once the bottles are carbonated, refrigerate. They continue to ferment until the cider is as dry as Champagne.

Served this at a Beer and Wine party (at the beer table), and it was an absolute hit.

Hope this helps.
Brew on,
jeff

[GrantLee63]

I've been very pleased with the ciders I've made - here is the approach I take:

6 gallons of fresh pressed, no preservatives added, unpasteurized cider.
I like WY4766 the best, so that's what I use.
1/2 ounce of heavy toast American oak cubes per gallon (I use 3 ounces) - used up-front, in the primary.
Primary for 3-4 months
Secondary for 2-3 months
Tertiary for as long as you can stand it (I bulk-age my ciders TWO YEARS before kegging).

Great, traditional cider takes patience - if you want to make something that will finish faster, make some apfelwein:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

Check out the NB Cider forum for lots and lots of info specific to cider making:

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewforum.php?f=9

 - GL63

[Maine Homebrewer]

Grant,
Thanks for the recipe, I think I'll give it a whirl this weekend.
Though since my basement is pretty cool, and I can't afford to keep the upstairs much warmer, I'll probably use a lager yeast.