I pressed my own cider this weekend
I add 50ppm/gal of meta yesterday
I also made yeast starters

Now it is time to add the yeast and the nutrient.

I have an acid test kit. I also have some acid blend if I need it.

Is it worth the time to check the acid of the apple juice?

What should I be looking for?

I pressed a variety of apples, but I was not able to find the cider
type, with higher acid. So I am worried it will be low.

I am looking to make an english style cider, 5% like beer.

"Pete" wrote:

I pressed my own cider this weekend
I add 50ppm/gal of meta yesterday
I also made yeast starters
Now it is time to add the yeast and the nutrient.
I have an acid test kit. I also have some acid blend if I need it.
Is it worth the time to check the acid of the apple juice?

YES!

What should I be looking for?

0.7%TA

I pressed a variety of apples, but I was not able to find the cider
type, with higher acid. So I am worried it will be low.

If you put some Granny Smiths (25-50%) or crab apples (10%) in there, you
should be fairly close. Otherwise you will have to add acid and tannin. Are
you just fermenting juice, or are you fermenting on the skins? If juice
alone, you will definitely need to add tannin. Best way is through oaking in
the primary. Strong tea (about 1/4 cup brewed tea per gallon) will also
work.

I am looking to make an english style cider, 5% like beer.

Look for a starting SG of 1.035-1.040. (Add sugar or water to
increase/decrease the SG to reach the target.) That will give you ~5% abv.
But real English cider (like wot you get in Somerset) is closer to 9% ---
like the beer in the north. Real cider apples (e.g. Kingston Blacks,
Berthecourts, Baldwin, Staymans, Cathahm) have a brix of 14-16. Some
grannies have a brix of 17, TA of 0.7 and tannin of 0.3. Fifty per cent of
those, and fifty percent of anything else yields a fine scrump. Arrr.

My OG was 1.050
I think this should be ok
I will be doing an acid test tonight.

I still have some oak chips also, but not enough for all 10 gallons.

Should I buy more chips, or buy some tannin?

If it matters I pressed 200lbs of apples, and 10 lbs of grapes



Negodki wrote:
"Pete" wrote:


I pressed my own cider this weekend
I add 50ppm/gal of meta yesterday
I also made yeast starters
Now it is time to add the yeast and the nutrient.
I have an acid test kit. I also have some acid blend if I need it.
Is it worth the time to check the acid of the apple juice?


YES!


What should I be looking for?


0.7%TA


I pressed a variety of apples, but I was not able to find the cider
type, with higher acid. So I am worried it will be low.


If you put some Granny Smiths (25-50%) or crab apples (10%) in there, you
should be fairly close. Otherwise you will have to add acid and tannin. Are
you just fermenting juice, or are you fermenting on the skins? If juice
alone, you will definitely need to add tannin. Best way is through oaking in
the primary. Strong tea (about 1/4 cup brewed tea per gallon) will also
work.


I am looking to make an english style cider, 5% like beer.


Look for a starting SG of 1.035-1.040. (Add sugar or water to
increase/decrease the SG to reach the target.) That will give you ~5% abv.
But real English cider (like wot you get in Somerset) is closer to 9% ---
like the beer in the north. Real cider apples (e.g. Kingston Blacks,
Berthecourts, Baldwin, Staymans, Cathahm) have a brix of 14-16. Some
grannies have a brix of 17, TA of 0.7 and tannin of 0.3. Fifty per cent of
those, and fifty percent of anything else yields a fine scrump. Arrr.

I took an acid reading
This was much easier then my red wine.

I got 2.10*.25 = .525

This doesn't seem good.

I have some acid blend.
How do I figure how much to add per gallon to raise it.



Negodki wrote:
"Pete" wrote:


I pressed my own cider this weekend
I add 50ppm/gal of meta yesterday
I also made yeast starters
Now it is time to add the yeast and the nutrient.
I have an acid test kit. I also have some acid blend if I need it.
Is it worth the time to check the acid of the apple juice?


YES!


What should I be looking for?


0.7%TA


I pressed a variety of apples, but I was not able to find the cider
type, with higher acid. So I am worried it will be low.


If you put some Granny Smiths (25-50%) or crab apples (10%) in there, you
should be fairly close. Otherwise you will have to add acid and tannin. Are
you just fermenting juice, or are you fermenting on the skins? If juice
alone, you will definitely need to add tannin. Best way is through oaking in
the primary. Strong tea (about 1/4 cup brewed tea per gallon) will also
work.


I am looking to make an english style cider, 5% like beer.


Look for a starting SG of 1.035-1.040. (Add sugar or water to
increase/decrease the SG to reach the target.) That will give you ~5% abv.
But real English cider (like wot you get in Somerset) is closer to 9% ---
like the beer in the north. Real cider apples (e.g. Kingston Blacks,
Berthecourts, Baldwin, Staymans, Cathahm) have a brix of 14-16. Some
grannies have a brix of 17, TA of 0.7 and tannin of 0.3. Fifty per cent of
those, and fifty percent of anything else yields a fine scrump. Arrr.

"Pete" wrote:

My OG was 1.050
I think this should be ok

It should be fine. More (alcohol) is always better. You can dilute it
later, if it's too strong to drink.

I still have some oak chips also, but not enough for all 10 gallons.
Should I buy more chips, or buy some tannin?

I would recommend oak chips. Not only will they supply the tannin you
(probably) need, but they will supply that barrel-aged flavour most people
enjoy. 10-19 grams per gallon, left in until the cider tastes slightly more
tannic than you want it to be (some of it will dissappear with aging). The
tannin will also help the cider clear "naturally".

If it matters I pressed 200lbs of apples, and 10 lbs of grapes

That's discrimination! Go out and get yourself another 180 lbs of grapes.

I have 70grams of oak
2 5 gal batches

I can split it now and add 7grams per gallon for each batch.
I just dumped the yeast.

If I order more, it will be a almost a week.

I can always add more to the secondary.

Negodki wrote:
"Pete" wrote:


My OG was 1.050
I think this should be ok


It should be fine. More (alcohol) is always better. You can dilute it
later, if it's too strong to drink.


I still have some oak chips also, but not enough for all 10 gallons.
Should I buy more chips, or buy some tannin?


I would recommend oak chips. Not only will they supply the tannin you
(probably) need, but they will supply that barrel-aged flavour most people
enjoy. 10-19 grams per gallon, left in until the cider tastes slightly more
tannic than you want it to be (some of it will dissappear with aging). The
tannin will also help the cider clear "naturally".


If it matters I pressed 200lbs of apples, and 10 lbs of grapes


That's discrimination! Go out and get yourself another 180 lbs of grapes.

"Pete" wrote:

I took an acid reading
This was much easier then my red wine.

I got 2.10*.25 = .525

This doesn't seem good.

Not "good", but not unexpected. Different types of apples range from (and
average of) .20 to 1.3. What kind(s) did you use?

I have some acid blend.
How do I figure how much to add per gallon to raise it.

If your acid blend says 1 tsp per gallon = .15 increase in TA, then
Teaspoons to add = (target TA - measured TA) / .15 x gallons of must.

If your acid blend says 1 tsp per gallon = .12 increase in TA, then
Teaspoons to add = (target TA - measured TA) / .12 x gallons of must.

If it doesn't say either, it is safest to use the first formula, which will
result in a smaller addition.

Assuming you agree with my target of 0.7%:
(0.7 - .525) / .15 = 1.167 x gallons of must
or (0.7 - .525) / .12 = 1.167 x gallons of must

If your acid blend says so many grams per gallon (rather than teaspoons),
use the same formula, but substitute the grams-per-gallon for the
teaspoons-per-gallon figure, and weigh the blend, rather than spoon it.

Or, add acid to a few samples, until you get the taste you prefer, and then
add the same ratio of acid to must as in that sample.

"Pete" wrote:

I have 70grams of oak
2 5 gal batches

I can split it now and add 7grams per gallon for each batch.
I just dumped the yeast.

If I order more, it will be a almost a week.

I can always add more to the secondary.

Yeah, go ahead and split it now. You can either add more to the secondary,
or leave it in longer. The former is preferable, because the tannin will
help the wine clear by itself. I generally DON'T add the oak until I move to
a secondary, and then it stays for 2 months. That seems to work for me as
well as adding it to the primary. If you put it in a some sort of nylon bag,
you can transfer it from primary to secondary much more easily, than if you
just spoon it in.

My blend doesn't say anything
I bought it from www.homebrew.com
There website doesn't say anything either.


Looks like 5.85 teaspons per carboy
I will add this tonight

I guess I should take another reading tommorow?
I already added the oak.


Negodki wrote:
"Pete" wrote:


I took an acid reading
This was much easier then my red wine.

I got 2.10*.25 = .525

This doesn't seem good.


Not "good", but not unexpected. Different types of apples range from (and
average of) .20 to 1.3. What kind(s) did you use?


I have some acid blend.
How do I figure how much to add per gallon to raise it.


If your acid blend says 1 tsp per gallon = .15 increase in TA, then
Teaspoons to add = (target TA - measured TA) / .15 x gallons of must.

If your acid blend says 1 tsp per gallon = .12 increase in TA, then
Teaspoons to add = (target TA - measured TA) / .12 x gallons of must.

If it doesn't say either, it is safest to use the first formula, which will
result in a smaller addition.

Assuming you agree with my target of 0.7%:
(0.7 - .525) / .15 = 1.167 x gallons of must
or (0.7 - .525) / .12 = 1.167 x gallons of must

If your acid blend says so many grams per gallon (rather than teaspoons),
use the same formula, but substitute the grams-per-gallon for the
teaspoons-per-gallon figure, and weigh the blend, rather than spoon it.

Or, add acid to a few samples, until you get the taste you prefer, and then
add the same ratio of acid to must as in that sample.

"Pete" wrote:
My blend doesn't say anything
I bought it from www.homebrew.com
There website doesn't say anything either.

Assume .15 then.

Looks like 5.85 teaspons per carboy

Or six. ;-)

I will add this tonight

I guess I should take another reading tomorow?

If you plan to take another reading, why not add 1/2 the acid now, and see
how that affects the measurement. Then you will know if your calculations
are good, and whether the acid is .12 or .15 tsps per gallon. (The
difference will be whether or not it is powder or granules, and the
percentages of each acid in the blend). And you won't add to much if there
is a (small) mistake in your calculations. You can take the second reading
after you've stirred the acid into the must. You don't have to wait until
tomorrow.

Pete wrote "I have some acid blend.
How do I figure how much to add per gallon to raise it."

Pete - If you have a scale to measure the acid blend add 3.8 grams acid
blend to each gallon to raise the %TA by 0.1%.
Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas