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Hard Cider and Cyser Update

Here is a quick update on the progress of the hard cider and the cyser that I started last week.

The hard cider has been fermenting in the ol’ beer fridge at around 52°F. Now, this is cold for the Nottingham yeast strain but it’s been chugging along slowly. After a week, the gravity has come down from 1.072 to 1.040. The sample I took for my hydrometer reading tasted ok – no weird flavors to report.

I am going to keep it in the fridge for a while. The plan is to let it sit in the primary vessel for a month but I will check the gravity next week to see if it is has reached full fermentation or what. There is an addition of a half pound of raisins, which now I think will be a part of a racking to a secondary vessel exercise, and an aging period with oak after racking a third time.

The cyser is fermenting well. The champagne yeast doesn’t foam at all so I probably could have filled the gallon jug even higher. I didn’t take a reading and I have no plans to rack or do anything with that mead in the near future. It seems to be happy bubbling away. I tried to get a good shot of the tiny bubbles in the third photo above. I took it without the flash which made the color of the cyser look different. Believe me, it’s not multi-colored.

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3 Comments

  1. Based on the third photo I think its finally time to reveal to the readership your true love of Ruby Red from Ocean Spray. Clearly you are now fermenting grapefruit juices.

  2. Chad

    My wife is just starting to get into making cider along side my beer making. How long will you let the cider sit after fermentation is done?

  3. Hey Chad,

    I think I am going to let it sit until it clears. It could be a few weeks. It could be a few months. I am not sure but I am in no rush.

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