When do i rack cider

Racking is the process of gently transferring homemade wine, beer, cider or mead from one vessel to another, with the help of gravity.

The reason we rack is to take the liquid off the sediment. Sediment at the bottom of a bucket or demijohn will vary in make up and quantity. It will include some of the fruit and vegetable particles if you used those, the remnants of any yeast nutrients that you added, plus a lot of dead yeast particles.

Yeast reproduces during fermentation and, once it has finished fermenting, the whole lot will float to the bottom. The purpose of racking is to move the wine, beer, mead or cider away into a fresh, clean, sterile vessel, leaving the sediment behind. All that sediment on the bottom can lead to an off-taste if it is left for too long.

It can also make it difficult for your brew to clear since every time you move or even accidentally knock the vessel, the sediment is disturbed again. Occasionally you will come across a white wine recipe that doesn't need racking, and kits generally don't need to be racked either. But most ciders, meads, wines and beers made from scratch usually do. We find we get quite a bit of sediment when we're making cider from apples , for example, whereas the kits don't produce much at all.

The cider racking continues Racking should be a gentle process which, when done correctly, does not disturb the sediment too much as you transfer from one vessel to the other.

You may need to do it twice or even three times to a wine as it clears, depending on the recipe. No, you generally rack when the first main fermentation has finished.

It is not a good idea to rack it when the fermentation is still going strong. When you think your fermentation has finished and you rack the liquid into a second vessel, it may briefly start fermenting again which is absolutely fine. Yes you can. Every time you follow this process, you expose your brew to the air which may make it taste oxidised, and risk exposing it to bacteria and contamination which can spoil it completely.

So don't be tempted to do this too often. Clean and sterilise all the equipment you're going to use, including the inside of the syphon tube. Gently move the demijohn containing the wine with sediment on to a high surface, such as a counter top or a chair. Racking does not fully stop fermentation. I consider it a slowing down of the fermentation. Why should I rack the cider? Racking is done to help clarify the cider. When should I rack my cider? Racking is done after primary fermentation.

Look for dead yeast cells and apple particles to fall to the bottom of the vessel. I usually wait approximately 1 month after primary fermentation to do my initial rack. This time varies and could be up to 2 months. Yeast produces less carbon dioxide and bubbles. It still called for upping the o. I think I have all the details in my notebook, but do you have the original recipe?

I made it with Wyeast Sweet Cider and Mead yeast last year and it was outstanding. Email Address will not be published. Share this article:. One Comment. Libby Cone says:. October 16, at pm. Add a Comment Click here to cancel reply.