How long to let cider sit on lees after fermentation has completed?

[Jeff Peters]

I started fermenting 7 gallons of cider about a month ago in glass 1-gallon jugs.  I am experimenting with using SO2 and added yeast,  1/2 SO2 and no added yeast, no SO2 and No added yeast.  Also trying both the liquid and dry yeasts.

The bottles appear to be getting to the point of being fully fermented.  And, the bubbling in the airlock has now slowed to less than a single bubble per minute and the bubbles rising from the bottom are small and slow.  And I am not sure of the next step.

• Can I let the fermented cider sit in the primary fermentation bottle on top of the yeast sediment for another month or so at around 55 degrees?  

• Or do I need to rack the cider into secondary fermentation bottles now?  I have read through a lot of cider books and most recommend taking your time with the fermentation process and letting the cider ferment at a slow speed and at medium-low temps (50 to 60 degrees).   Some books also recommended letting the cider sit in the primary fermentation bottle to help develop the malolactic action at the secondary fermentation stage.  

Your thoughts?

[Michael Cobb]

Plenty of discussion on this in the past - check the archives.

Do not worry about leaving cider on lees. I often leave it on lees for a
year if I do not need to empty the fermenter to reuse (like this year when
I had a very small apple crop! Cider left on the lees is fine in my
experience and the longer I leave it the better cleared it is.

Michael Cobb

> I started fermenting 7 gallons of cider about a month ago in glass
> 1-gallon
> jugs. I am experimenting with using SO2 and added yeast, 1/2 SO2 and no
> added yeast, no SO2 and No added yeast. Also trying both the liquid and
> dry yeasts.
>
> The bottles appear to be getting to the point of being fully fermented.
> And, the bubbling in the airlock has now slowed to less than a single
> bubble per minute and the bubbles rising from the bottom are small and
> slow. And I am not sure of the next step.
>

> - Can I let the fermented cider sit in the primary fermentation bottle

> on top of the yeast sediment for another month or so at around 55
> degrees?
>
>

> - Or do I need to rack the cider into secondary fermentation bottles

> now? I have read through a lot of cider books and most recommend
> taking
> your time with the fermentation process and letting the cider ferment
> at
> a slow speed and at medium-low temps (50 to 60 degrees). Some books
> also
> recommended letting the cider sit in the primary fermentation bottle to
> help develop the malolactic action at the secondary fermentation stage.
>
> Your thoughts?
>

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[Ian Shields]

A similar question. My first batch this year of 30 L is now at about 1004 and to all intents and purposes clear. I am tempted to bottle it now, will the cider mature in bottle in the same way it would on the lees  in a bulk plastic container? 

Ian

[vince wakefield]

The thing to remember is that it will carry on fermenting in the bottle so will get dryer and fizzy, if you have made cider before and know how your blend of apples turns out or you are going to pasteurise to keep it at 1.004 then it will be fine, or you could back sweeten now with a none-fermentable sweetener and let it finish in the bottle, there are a number of options, it depends on what you want from the finished cider.

 

Vince

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[Ian Shields]

I have made cider for a few years now but each year as my trees mature my blends vary quite a bit. This one was Ellis, Tremletts, Som Redstreak Fair maid of Devon Crimson king with a preponderance of the bittersweets. I am not inclined to use non fermentable sweeteners but might add a little more sugar, monitor and then pasteurise at the appropriate time,it will go into heavy champ bottles, I am looking for some fizz. I might experiment with different treatments after splitting the batch. Thanks for the advice.

Ian