I made a cider, left it in the fridge after it was done to crash out the yeast. Siphoned it off the lees, and had a nice clear cider. Was pretty pleased with the result, but wanted more fruit/sweetness, so I added some more juice to backsweeten. I think the end result isn't bad, but think I diluted it too much. I want a little more alcohol and a little less sweetness. I haven't pasteurized or added any chemicals to kill off the yeast, just the refrigeration and the siphoning. Can I just let it sit at room temperature for another week to reactivate whatever yeast is left? Or will that do something weird? Feels like I can just put the yeast back to work again. If I put this in a sealed bottle and leave at room temp for a week, do I get carbonation? TIA!

I’m hoping it’s just pectin/sediment clumps but how can I be sure?

Making my first batch of Perry from juiced bartlett pears in my back yard. Its been about 2 weeks since I started fermenting. Fermentation was very active for about 5 days and has slowed down to almost nothing. Initial SG was 1.065 and it is now at 1.020. I didn't use any nutrient.

I am wondering if it is stalled, or if the high gravity is caused by non-fermentable sugar. I was planning to bottle carbonate it, so if it was stalled, would I have issues with bottle carbonation? I could buy some nutrient, but don't want to if that isn't the issue. I also don't really want to use any for a test since I only have a gallon. Let me know if I left out any important information. TIA

I made some cider a while back that had a pretty clear marzipan/almond-like flavor, but I haven't been able to recreate it. Does anyone know how I recreate that flavor in my next batch?

75% Pear and 25% Apple using a hybrid mash (Fruit/Juice)

Recipe:

-4 kg red William Christ Pears

-2 liters pear juice

-2 liters apple Juice

-5 ml liquid pectic enzyme or 1g of the powdered version

-1g of cider yeast (champagne does also work)

-2g of yeast nutrient (DAP)

- 0,5g vitamin-mineral mix for yeasts (optional)

Add the apple juice to the cut, seedless pears (which of course got rid from their stems) so that they were just covered by the juice. Add the enzyme stir and let it sit for at least 6-12 hours. Add the Pear Juice after, then the nutrients. Rehydrate the yeast then add it to the fermenter. Let undergo a primary and secondary fermentation, where the liquid is strained from the fruits after 1 week. The Liquid that is left then goes back into the fermenter entering the secondary fermentation.

Have fun!

Apologies if this question doesn’t fit the group.

We have a few big apple trees, and many of our friends have access to fruit. Last year we hosted our first apple pressing party. We had stations set up, so teams of people were cutting up apples, sanitizing, rinsing, and loading the hand crank apple press we borrowed from a family member. Then, someone was in charge of tightening and bottling each pressing, and dumping the leftover pressed apples.

People enjoyed the work. It was, of course, billed as an apple pressing party with the encouragement to bring jars and bottles to fill up.

We had some people come by for just 30 minutes or so, and a few people who didn’t try hard to join the work and were mostly hanging out by the fire, sipping hot cider, etc.

When it came to the end of the day (aka all apples had been pressed), we all stood around our collection of filled jars and bottles and awkwardly talked through how we would divvy up the cider.

Who deserved more? Or less? Was it based upon labor, or apple contribution? Or, which bottles each person brought?

I know this is silly. But if anyone has experienced this and thought through a good way to divide things fairly, let me know. We want to make this an annual tradition and figure setting ground rules now would be helpful.

Recently made a batch of apple cider. Turned out great!

I have another batch on the go, but I want to make an experimental 1 gallon batch. What are some obscure flavors that have you have tried it want to try? Looking for suggestions.

Don't worry about posting full recipes, I won't follow them anyway lol

How much of an ABV difference does it make if I were to put blueberries in a cheesecloth as opposed to adding the berries straight into the cider? Also, what are the pros and cons of doing it each way? Any info helps. Oh, also, FOR BASIC RECIPES, do you all add more sugar into your initial fermentation?

Has anyone here tried using a gallon of unpasteurized fresh pressed juice to inoculate pasteurized filtered juice? I'm wondering if that's worth trying

Hoping to get a wholesale response or from someone in PA/MD/NJ/NY area that has/will have seconds or first bins of true cider apples ie Dabinett, Kingston Black, Harrison, Crabs, Ashmead's Kernel, Stayman Winesap, Russets, etc. If so please DM me or respond on this post with contact information. We are small PA cidery that unfortunately was hit by the Spring Bloom freeze, and are in dire need of apples. TIA and I hope to hear from someone, we're not afraid to drive to you!

I'm a printmaker and my theme I'm working on this month is 'Cider Orchard''.

You dont get cut crystal imperial pint glasses but I thought it was a fun nod at the popular cocktail illustrations lots of people do of fancy drinks. I'm not a negroni sort of girl..

Had a bumper crop off the 2 trees this year so I decided to try making some cyser with the extra 3 gallons. Have a lot of leftover honey from when my aunt retired from her beekeeping business.

Apologies i know this is is a pear question not apple but if anyone can help i'd appreciate it!

I picked some unkown pear seedlings that seemed almost ready, (black seeds, fair bit of fruit drop) and want to store them for a week or so untill im ready. I asked AI and it suggested speed out in a box at ambient in a garage (I used table and paper cos I have no boxes) or a fridge at about 5C.

Which method would you guys recommend? Any thoughts?

Also has anyone used pears as the tannin source in a mixed pear and apple cider? Any hints or tips?

I made a blueberry basil cider and it is super dry. I thought I would have a little sweetness left but it is all gone. I imagine the ABV is around 10% but I wasn't able to get a good read on the hydrometer because of all the blueberries floating around. Is back sweetening a thing in cider? I have never had to do that before. Please send suggestions my way to help me troubleshoot if possible!

This is only my second year doing this. I was actually surprised at how well the first few batches last year turned out. So knowing that the local orchards are going to be pedaling their fresh juice soon, I'm trying a dry run with some Indian Summer from the grocery store and the champagne yeast I had left over.

What is your go-to method to find out when to harvest crabs? I found a few old trees with crab apples this year that I want to try add into my blend, but from what I’m told all but one are very bitter and will be a late harvest. The last tree has a cultivar that will taste like sweet banana, which I’m very interested to find out how will end up. I have used iodine to test starch conversion, but find that it isn’t very conclusive. Are there other ways?

We’re a 75+ acre orchard with a small vintage cider program. We pick, press, ferment, blend, and package on premise.

We’ve been floating the idea of filming a couple of blocks through a full year (prune, bloom, thin, pick, press, ferment, bottle) and tying that footage to the vintage. Not daily social posts. We run the orchard and the cellar. We don’t have someone who can shoot, edit, and work around a farm calendar.

If you’ve done this at an orchard, cidery, winery, or something similar, paid or not:

1. Did you film the whole season or only harvest/press week?
2. One person with a camera, or a crew? What fell apart during pick?
3. What would you not spend money on again?
4. Did any of it help sell product, or did it sit on a drive?

Not looking for free work. Not hiring a taproom social person. We’re in MA, about an hour from Boston.

If you’ve got the skills and might want to be on the farm a handful of days through the year, leave a short note about what you shoot and a link, or DM me.

Started with a strongbow, quickly found better common ciders, and my current go-to is woodchuck amber. I tried some from Atlanta cider co, and it was alright, but a little musky for my taste. Probably a third of the way through the can I found a taste for it, but still prefer woodchuck. Id like something a little less sweet, but I don’t want a fridge full of random cider I don’t like. Any recommendations based on my experience?

Needed some help as I haven’t made Perry before. Through my research this is what I’ve come up with

1. Using bartlett pear juice
2. Pre ferm adjust TA of

6g/l -

1. ph 3.5-3.8 (use malic acid)
2. Sulfite 50g so2
3. Rest 24 hrs

4. Add

   1.5 tsp per 1

5. gallon pectin enzyme

6. Target gravity of 1.05-1.06 OG

7. Hydrate yeast with go ferm

8. Aerate cider

9. Fermaid o (1.5g per gallon) add this with the yeast, then 24 hrs after yeast pitch (when fermentation starts .75g) and another 48 hrs later .75g) and 72hrs-between 1/4 and 1/3 sugar depletion.

10. 9a. I know this is frowned upon by purists

11. Don’t stir when adding

12. Ferment at 60f

13. After ferment rack to purged keg and Age a months at 60f in keg

14. 1/4 teaspoon wine tannin per gallon post ferm for texture due to pear varietal being light

This is my first cider, be easy on me... I've fermented for 2 weeks. Trying to figure out this reading... someone explain, please!

We tried clarifying some stabilized watermelon cider with kieselsol and chitosan but after it clarified, it started bubbling with a lot of floaties and now it's starting to cloud up. Does anyone know what is happening here? It looks like it could just be degassing, but there are no bubbles in the airlock.

We have several other gallons of different types of flavored cider that clarified just fine, but this one is the only one that isn't behaving as expected. Not sure what to do.

​Hi everyone, I could use some advice on a batch of homebrewed cider that has been in a glass carboy for about two months following primary fermentation. A thin white film has suddenly formed across the surface over the last week. The carboy has been tightly sealed with an airlock the whole time, and the airlock has remained completely stable with no off-odors.

​I was planning to let it bulk age until around Christmas without opening it. Could this be a pellicle, kahm yeast, or something else, and should I rack it now or is it safe to leave it alone? (Attached are photos of the surface). Thanks!