Hey Gang,
I got a Mr. Beer cider kit for X-Mas. I need to know if the 1 1/2 cups table sugar is enough to make it a Good cider. Also,how long would you let it ferment ?
I was figuring to let it in the LCK (little clear keg) for 3 weeks before bottling.Should I add anything else ? Any advice will be appreciated greatly.
First time follow the directions exactly. It will be a dry (sparkling if you carbonate it) cider. Mine was OK, and it was better with a squirt of concentrated apple juice when you pour it (I just let a can of frozen apple juice thaw out). The problem with cider is that yeast eats sugar, but you need yeast to carbonate. If you want a sweeter cider, but don't care about carbonation, then you can pasteurize the cider or add sorbates to kill the yeast. Then you can add sugars to sweeten.
But first time, my advice is to follow the directions to a T.
And basically treat it like a beer. 3 weeks fermenting and then 4 weeks in the bottle. Yeast is a wonderful thing but it takes time to do its magic.
well, had to dump my whole batch of Hard cider. I did everything ,sanitation,mixing etc. to the "T" and the must was fermenting along nicely. It was in the fermenter for not quite 2 weeks,and yesterday I noticed that all of the krausen patches had green mold on them. I didn't think it was salvagable so I pitched it.
RandyG wrote:well, had to dump my whole batch of Hard cider. I did everything ,sanitation,mixing etc. to the "T" and the must was fermenting along nicely. It was in the fermenter for not quite 2 weeks,and yesterday I noticed that all of the krausen patches had green mold on them. I didn't think it was salvagable so I pitched it.
Oh man bummer. Well, if at first you don't succeed..... The last cider I made I used some kroger brand frozen apple juice (and made sure there was nothing in it like preservatives etc. - 6 cans), 4 oz honey, and used some red star cuvee yeast (not pasteur champange and about 50 cents I think) and a lb of lactose and made a very nice cider. Way cheaper than MrBeer.
And somehow a wild ass mold spore got in there, doesn't usually happen but hey it could. Be really 'ret-anal' about oneStep and StarSan, and let it sit for a minute. It will work.
I made my first cider a few months ago just 4 Gal of cider and 1 Mr. Beer yeast packet. I let it go 4 weeks and then back sweetened with 1 Gal. of cider right before bottling to use for carbing. Then 4 days later put all the bottles in the dishwasher to kill the yeast. Waited a few more weeks and its awesome. I saw a youtube video from Brewing TV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tDP1ubIci8 I didn't add anything but may add brown sugar if I do another anytime soon.
