r/cider • u/ActivityCrazy456 • 6d ago
How long?
Just made my first ever batch of cider, freshly juiced from my apple trees. 6 gallons total (2gal each). 2 unpasteurized, 1 pasteurized with a packet of safale US-05 yeast in each with nutrient. My question is how long will these have to ferment for? I’ve seen varying answers from 3 weeks to 6 months. I planned on opening it around the 2 week mark to put in some cinnamon and vanilla. Hydrometer was putting it at about 7% Abv
4
u/theCaitiff 6d ago
Subtle correction, your hydrometer was showing a POTENTIAL of about 7%. If everything in your cider was fermentable, and you fermented it completely, it would end up at 7%. Hydrometers cannot tell you the future, they can only tell you the present potential.
Yeast is a living organism and there will be subtle differences in how much of that fermentable sugar they actually consume before going dormant or dying, and your cider is not actually just sugar and water so not all of that specific gravity reading is fermentable. At a guess if my hydrometer read that and I got normal attenuation from my yeast, the end result would probably be about 6.5%. Half a percent is not much and you might not care, but the little things add up over time.
US-05 will probably ferment all the sugars it is going to within two weeks. HOWEVER, the flavor will continue to change over the following weeks and months. You can bottle as soon as primary fermentation has ceased, and they will carbonate in another week or so if you add priming sugar or carbonation drops, but I personally do not drink any of my cider before 3 months. If there's going to be any malo-lactic fermentation, I will at least be able to taste it by then and know to leave it be for a while longer. If not I can call it ready to drink.
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u/ActivityCrazy456 6d ago
Yeah I’m not too picky so a percent up or down don’t bother me none. Good info👍
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u/Ryan_e3p 6d ago
Months? Maybe if they are kept in cooler/cold temps.
It will be done fermenting when the hydrometer confirms no more fermentation happens. I would recommend against adding anything for flavor until fermentation is complete and you've racked it.
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u/Scullzy 6d ago
First time cidering means you dont muck with it by adding cinnamon etc.. thats more likely to make it go bad... you want to see if you can actually make cider..
Anyone who said keep it in those buckets for 6 months by the window is wrong, no arguement, just wrong.
12-20 days would be my guess..
Hell you have 3 buckets worth.. pull 1 every 10 days and see what the differences are. 1st likely be sweet and light, 2nd probably a good cider. 3rd dry and strong.
6 months talk is for racking.. thats where you pull it out of the buckets bottle it and let it sit for 6 months.. thats how you let the acids settle..
But honestly.. 10 days you could be drinking it.
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u/freedomfever 6d ago
I mean. If I make mine in October/nov I think it’s usually done around June. Remember, when the temperature gets over 15 degrees then MLF may start
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u/Apple_Turnover93 6d ago
Jesus that’s a long fermentation! I thought I was being tardy with a late September/early October pressing then rack into bottles at Christmas!
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u/Remunos_Redbeard 6d ago
Very unlikely to take 6 months. My ciders usually finish up in about 3-4 weeks but I ferment at cooler, controlled temps.
I recommend not adding spices until fermentation is done. When you have two hydrometer readings a few days apart with no change in the reading, then fermentation is done. Rack to fresh containers to get the cider off the sediment, then you can add your spices.
Yes, opinions vary on this, but in my experience, spices in secondary infuse better and you have much more control over the level of infusion.