clearing up cider with this....Divergan F

[Bobby Ray]

I was at my local brew shop today and asked if there was anything I could use to clear up my hard cider after the primary fermentation

They recommended polyclar/ Divergan F
the directions read : apply 2 tsp to 1 pint of cider then add that to my 5 gallon batch.

My cider had been brewing for 16 days now and fermentation has slowed way down to about 1 bubble every 90 seconds.

Thanks for reading
Bobby

[Claude Jolicoeur]

Bobby,
No rush...
I was bottling my cider earlier tonight - I mean my 2012 cider. It has been fermenting slowly and steadily for nearly a year and - well - I didn't count how many minutes between 2 bubbles in the airlock. It was nice and clear, at a SG of 1.023.
Now, it's going to remain in the cold room during the winter, and should be ready for tasting in spring. I expect it to be lightly petillant by then, and with a nice sweetness and appley flavor.

All this to say, no rush, sit down and relax... Patience is the first quality for a cider maker. Your cider will normally clear if you give it the time.
Claude

P.S. your cider wasn't brewing - it was fermenting.

[Andrew Lea]

I think you are missing the whole point of (craft) cider making. It
isn't brewing and it all takes time. 16 days is nothing. You are being
far too hasty. Think months not days.

For a regular straight dry cider, you should wait until your SG is <
1.005 and then do a first racking to a new vessel under airlock. Wait a
few more months until the cider has cleared and settled. It can then be
racked into bottles or into another well-filled and tightly closed
container. This will probably be around spring of next year.

During this time the cider will probably 'drop bright' naturally. If
not, there are wine fining agents you could use if you must (eg chitosan
/ kieselsol or gelatin / kieselsol). Polyclar / Divergan will do nothing
for you, either now or then. It is not a fining or clarifying agent and
is intended primarily to protect lager style beers against chill hazes.
It is a phenol / protein adsorbent and will also take out much of the
cider mouthfeel (tannin) and aroma. Avoid.

Andrew


--
Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

[Bobby Ray]

Thanks for the reply, I'm "fermenting" :-) 3 batches do I'll definitely let one batch go till next summer and I would like to bottle around 8 gallons now, I was considering this clearing agent but wasn't sure about it.

P.S.
Thanks for the correction Claude, I'll get the lingo down soon enough.

[Andrew Lea]

On 30/10/2013 13:45, Bobby Ray wrote:
>
> bottle around 8 gallons now, I was considering this clearing agent
> but wasn't sure about it.

I repeat that Polyclar / Divergan is _not_ a clearing or fining agent.
It is an adsorbent resin like nylon. It is meant to protect against
post-bottling haze, not to remove yeast or particulates.

If you really must try to clarify your cider before the fermentation is
finished and the yeast flocculates by itself (will it will almost
certainly do in its own time), then use the two-part chitosan /
kieselsol wine finings that I suggested. They are much more efficient
than the old single component finings, so long as you follow the
addition instructions closely. Not sure which country you are in but
they are available from home brew shops in North America and the UK.

[Bobby Ray]

Andrew,
You're right I need to take a breath and relax, this is my first attempt at this and I don't want to ruin anything.

I have a total of 13 gallons, I'll let 10 gallons ferment till next spring but I'll like to bottle 3 gallons now to be consumed around Christmas.

My only concern is when it comes to bottling the other 10 gallons six months from now will I need to prime it with sugar to get carbonation because I really would prefer a carbonated hard cider.

[Claude Jolicoeur]

Le mercredi 30 octobre 2013 10:35:06 UTC-4, Bobby Ray a écrit :

I have a total of 13 gallons, I'll let 10 gallons ferment till next spring but I'll like to bottle 3 gallons now to be consumed around Christmas.

No need to bottle it... Just take some "on tap" sort of during Christmas time - it will be hazy and yeasty but still will be palatable, and possibly even good!
You could rack now your 10 gallons into carboys under airlock to finish fermenting. The other 3 gallons, rack into a 3-gallon carboy also under airlock, and when time comes, just take that cider to drink.
I don't think it is worth the effort to bottle now for Christmas time.

 

My only concern is when it comes to bottling the other 10 gallons six months from now will I need to prime it with sugar to get carbonation because I really would prefer a carbonated hard cider.

Probably, yes, if it is dry by then. Your cider will tell you when it is ready and if it needs priming.
Claude

[Andrew Lea]

On 30/10/2013 14:35, Bobby Ray wrote:
>
>
> I have a total of 13 gallons, I'll let 10 gallons ferment till next
> spring but I'll like to bottle 3 gallons now to be consumed around
> Christmas.

Think this through please, for your own safety. If the SG of your cider
is above SG 1.005, and you bottle it now while it's still actively
fermenting, the likelihood is that those bottles will explode before
Christmas. This is cider, not beer. Unlike wort, all apple sugars are
fully fermentable.

What is your current SG? Is it even safe to contemplate bottling?

[Bobby Ray]

I'll check SG and report back tomorrow