Cider

[masteramyx]

So this is my first time brewing and im preparing to make cider. Only question i really have is how long do i need to let it sit in the primary fermenter and then how long in the secondary. before i bottle and let it carbonate

[abaca]

The more alcohol in a brew the longer it can be aged, in secondary or bottle. Many brews don't use a secondary fermentation. Instead fermentation is allowed to complete in primary and then bottled. There are twoadvantages to this, less oxygen is exposed to the brew and less is lost to the dregs. This work well for brews in the 3-6% abv brews, I've even done it with a 8.5% IPA. Unless you are adding more sugar to your cider you'll probably be in the 3-5% range. It should take 2-3 weeks to complete fermentation. It's kind or a visual thing. There should be no bubbles escaping through the air lock and the yeast from the surface has broken up and sunk to the bottom. However if you plan on a secondary, I consider primary fermentation done when I get 2-6 bubbles a minute through the airlock. This usually takes 4-8 days. Rack and allow to complete as stated above and then bottle. If you are planning on an extended aging period, rack at 1 month then every three months untill you bottle.

[MooNChilD]

I've made HARD cider that was 10% I bottled it in 8oz coke bottles and after drinking 3.2 Beer all day with barely a buzz then just two bottles of my hard cider and wham they hit the floor! One guy face planted my fridge and then hit the floor !

[Hippie3]

[waylitjim]

Originally Posted by masteramyx

how long do i need to let it sit in the primary fermenter and then how long in the secondary. before i bottle and let it carbonate

It can stay in primary (on the yeast) for up to 4 weeks. Then transfer to a secondary vessel (a keg, bottles, or carboy) you can drink it fresh or age it for many months. I like hard cider after about 4 months. I keg and carbonate with CO2.

[apokalypse]

I just bottled a cider after 5 weeks in the primary, and re-racked another into a clean carboy to get most of the yeast out of it.

[SilvrHairDevil]

Let's define what a primary fermenter is. If you mean a glass carboy with an airlock, no problem.

If you are referring to a plastic bucket with a lid - not so good.

[waylitjim]

Originally Posted by SilvrHairDevil

Let's define what a primary fermenter is.

Primary means the beverage is still sitting on the yeast cake.

[SilvrHairDevil]

Originally Posted by waylitjim

Primary means the beverage is still sitting on the yeast cake.

Yessir. That is what is happening inside the primary fermenter. The vessel itself is what I was referring to.

I used to sell wine & beer making kits which included a 10 gal food grade plastic bucket with a loose-fitting lid and was called the primary fermenter.

I do not think this type of primary is suitable for storing any fermenting product for more than the first few days.

[abaca]

I do not think this type of primary is suitable for storing any fermenting product for more than the first few days.

Could you explain your reasoning on this statement? I'd agree that you would not want to leave it in plastic for months but for brews that complete in 2-3 week should be fine. IMHO wort/must exposed to oxygen (racking to secondary and back to a bottling bucket) will create many more off flavors.

[SilvrHairDevil]

Originally Posted by abaca

Could you explain your reasoning on this statement? I'd agree that you would not want to leave it in plastic for months but for brews that complete in 2-3 week should be fine. IMHO wort/must exposed to oxygen (racking to secondary and back to a bottling bucket) will create many more off flavors.

During the first few days of yeast activity there is a tremendous amount of C02 given off and this outrush of gas purges the bucket of nasties and there is actually positive pressure, so no wild yeasts, molds, acetobacter flies or general crud can get in with your brew.

After the first fermentation dies down, there's not as much CO2 given off and the product (wine) should be transferred to a carboy with an airlock. A dose of sulfite should be given at this time (and every time it is racked). Among other things, this will help prevent off flavors. This is for wine only. Don't put sulfite in beer.

I usually clarify my product in the carboy, so it gets racked several times between carboys. If you put the discharge end of the siphon below the fluid level in the receiving carboy, exposure to oxygen is at a minimum. Less exposure than it would get in a primary pail.

If you are bottling beer and want to put priming sugar in, it can be added to the carboy. No need to rack it to a bottling bucket.

I also think, that as a general rule, the product should be racked again as soon as the substantial portion of the dead yeast has settled out. Unless you are following a specific recipe that requires it, I think the dead yeast will impart more off flavors than air exposure while racking.

[abaca]

My ale pale has a tight fitting lid with an airlock and there is plenty of CO2 in the dead air space when fermentation is complete. I know that plastic is permeable but I've completed many brews using it. There has been recent experimentation leaving the wort on yeast.

The results of this experiment are clear — leaving your beer on the primary yeast for a moderate amount of time (two to four weeks) does not ruin it. In our experiment, the flavor difference between the trial beers was very subtle and no brewer reported that the beer left on the yeast was marred by excessive off flavors.

http://www.byo.com/component/resourc...harm-your-beer

[SilvrHairDevil]

Originally Posted by abaca

My ale pale has a tight fitting lid with an airlock and there is plenty of CO2 in the dead air space when fermentation is complete. I know that plastic is permeable but I've completed many brews using it. There has been recent experimentation leaving the wort on yeast. http://www.byo.com/component/resourc...harm-your-beer

Then you are covered.

[apokalypse]

Sorry for the confusion - the primary was indeed a carboy.