A Beginners Guide To Brewing Cider: Weekly Progress Update 3 - Bottling

Bottling Day!

So today is the day

Step 1: Bottling

Check your specific gravity just before you begin bottling, it should be around 1.000 & 1.006. This point means that all the sugars have been used up effectively & hopefully converted to alcohol. If you leave it too long the dead yeast sediment can affect the taste & make it bitter so bottle asap. 

Step 2: Flavouring

Once the hydrometer test showed that the cider was ready I took a sample of 100ml & added the essence i bought (see previous blog for details) in increasing amounts to get the flavor I wanted. It was slightly tedious as it is an incredibly small amount compared to the final volume that will be added to the entire brew.

I added both 20ml essence bottle to my 40Pint / 25liter fermenter before bottling. 

Step 3: Syphon

The kit i bough came with a syphon which included a sediment nozzle & tap that made it incredibly easy. Clean & sterilise before connecting the nozzle & tap together. Cut a couple of cm off the plastic tubing & use as a mouth piece later. To begin the syphon effect, place the nozzle in the brew 3/4 off the way into the fermenter, without placing it at the bottom. Pull through the beer all the way to the tap & turn off the tap. Remove the extra piece of tubing that was used as a mouth piece & place the end off the tap in you empty bottle. 

Step 4: Filling

Add an average of 1tsp of granular sugar per pint bottle, this allows for a secondary fermenting process before you actually drink it, called conditioning. 

Step 5: Capping

Fill the bottle 3/4 full up to the start of the neck of the bottle, place the blank cap on top of the bottle & using the capper, push down constantly & evenly. 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 6: Labelling & Conditioning

Now simple add a label if desired & store for 5 days in the same place as the fermenter. This 5 days will allow the cider to clear & any suspended settlement to build up on the bottom & not in the drink. 

Step 7: Drinking

I'm not  currently at this stage but soon! Ill tell you how it goes. 

Please let me know how yours went it you gave it a try!